Comelec Chair - Abalos Jailed for Electoral Fraud - ordered by Gloria Arroyo

Former Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos, center, walks out of a regional trial court after surrendering with his lawyers Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011 in suburban Pasay City, south of Manila, Philippines. Police arrested Abalos who has been charged with elections fraud with already-detained former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. (Pat Roque / AP)

(AP)  MANILA, Philippines — Police arrested the Philippines' former elections chairman Tuesday on charges he aided the vote fraud allegedly ordered by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Former Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos surrendered to a Manila regional trial court in suburban Pasay city and was placed under arrest, police Supt. Samuel Turla said. He will be held in a police detention facility, unlike Arroyo, who is under arrest in a government hospital.

Police took his fingerprints and mugshots before detaining Abalos at a regional police headquarters in the capital, Turla said.

Abalos said he surrendered to underscore his innocence to charges that he played a role in rigging 2007 senatorial elections to ensure the victory of Arroyo's candidates in a Muslim autonomous region then governed by her political ally.

President Benigno Aquino III succeeded Arroyo last year after a landslide election victory due in part to his promise to fight corruption and crushing poverty. He has blamed Arroyo for a decade of scandals that eroded public trust in government and held back foreign investment.

Arroyo, 64, has denied any wrongdoing and accused her successor of using "black propaganda" to damage her image. She was arrested last month at a private hospital and later was moved to a public veterans' hospital amid calls for her to be treated like other crime suspects.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, who arrived in Manila Tuesday for talks with Aquino and his counterpart, Albert del Rosario, said that by strongly dealing with past cases of corruption, countries like the Philippines would discourage future cases of graft.

"You can only deter future possible acts of corruption if you're seen to be robust in dealing with the past," Natalegawa said in a news conference, adding he was glad that the Philippines, like his country, was taking steps to root out graft.

On Monday, Aquino's allies in the House of Representatives impeached Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona on eight complaints of alleged corruption and that court he led improperly favored Arroyo. She appointed him chief justice shortly before her presidential term ended last year.

Corona vowed to fight back. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Corona is likely to face trial there in January after Congress returns from a monthlong Christmas break.

Aquino thanked lawmakers Tuesday for impeaching Corona.

"We are now going through a process to stop the continued destruction by a wayward magistrate of the sacred institution that is the Supreme Court," Aquino said.

But Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez called Corona's impeachment "an assault on all the rights, power and privilege of the entire judiciary," which he said was being "forced to surrender its constitutionally mandated powers and functions to the whim and caprice of political machinations."

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Associated Press writers Teresa Cerojano and Oliver Teves contributed to this report.

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Miriam Santiago wins International Criminal seat

Feisty Philippine Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has "overwhelmingly" won a seat in the highly powerful International Criminal Court, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Tuesday (December 13, 2011).

DFA said Santiago is the first woman from an Asian developing state to join as a judge in the Netherlands-based international court.

ICC is an "independent, permanent court that tries persons accused of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes," according to the court's website.

Santiago reportedly topped the poll's first round, effectively gaining a seat with 79 votes out of 104 valid votes, which DFA said was "an indication of the strong support from States Parties."

DFA noted that to be elected, candidates must receive two-thirds majority of the total number of votes cast, mostly States Parties voting.

"She was the first to be elected out of 18 candidates vying for six seats on the Court.  For the first round of voting, she bested candidates from every region," DFA said in a statement.

"This is the message that we emphasized in the campaign.  We are pleased that the international community has listened to us.  Indeed, it is a new day for the Philippines, a day of pride for our country and a day of honor, knowing that this is a tremendous responsibility and mandate placed upon our compatriot," DFA Secretary Alberto del Rosario said.

Sen. Santiago recently went on a four-month campaign to get States Parties' support.

In October, Santiago said she would be resigning from the Senate should she win a seat in the International Criminal Court.

"I'll have to resign [as senator]. Isn't that good news for my enemies? I would have to live in The Hague. I will look like a European and speak like a European and I will be as snooty as a European when I come back," she reportedly said.

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Philippines: UN relief official in funding appeal for displaced in Mindanao

Big Family is still common in the Philippines as said to be this tropical country is a good breeding place for both human and animals and a haven of baby boomer in the world. Heavy rains in the Philippines in June 2011 left scores of homes like this one in Cortabato City, Mindanao, inundated with water

12 December 2011 – A senior United Nations relief official today called for a surge in financial support to provide humanitarian aid to hundreds of thousands of people driven from their homes by conflict on the Philippine island of Mindanao.

At the launch of the Philippines (Mindanao) Humanitarian Action Plan 2012, Jacqui Badcock, the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for the Philippines, appealed for $38 million in funding as part of the UN's ongoing efforts to provide emergency relief, protection and livelihood support to those in Mindanao affected by conflict and natural disasters.

"The situation remains fragile, and the people continue to live in fear and uncertainty," Ms. Badcock warned in Manila. "Our goal is to help them rebuild their lives as quickly as possible," she added.

The UN estimates that 680,000 people in central Mindanao are in urgent need of humanitarian aid, with new displacements continuing to occur as a result of sporadic armed fighting and the compounding effects of severe flooding caused by heavy seasonal rains.

"We have strengthened our needs assessment and analysis, and expanded programmatic and geographic areas where organizations work more cohesively," Ms. Badcock said.

"This will help level the imbalances and ensure a more seamless response to the complex needs of the people in Mindanao," she added, further noting that early and sustained donor funding was "critical" to the success of the action plan.

As of 11 December, the 2011 action plan had received 54 per cent of the required support with slow and imbalanced funding being a major concern. The 2012 action plan seeks $38 million to cover 30 projects over the next 12 months.

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