Great news from Aboitiz Equities Ventures (AEV) because, as reported by Mr. Erramon “Montxu†Aboitiz, President & Chief Executive Officer, during the presscon at the Radisson Blu, the Year 2012 brought them revenues close to P81 billion, which is 13 percent higher than the previous year. Consolidated net income was at P24 billion, which gave shareholders P4.33 per share, 13 percent above 2011 levels. Indeed AEV's income has grown so much after they dropped their original core business which was in shipping. I'm sure that it was an emotional decision, but a fruitful one.
Montxu Aboitiz also gave the annual report for Aboitiz Power for 2012 which got consolidated revenues close to P62 billion, which is 14 percent higher than the previous year. Net income was pegged at P24.4 billion, 13 percent higher than the previous year. On the banking side, CitySavings Bank will also open 10 branches in Luzon. This is no longer pa “gamay-gamay†while Union Bank will partner with Western Union for a Visa Card.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Aboitiz gave the media perhaps the most welcome news we've ever heard in a long time, that the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) will embark on a massive effort to put all the power lines above Osmeña Blvd. and the whole stretch of Gen. Maxilom “Mango†Ave. underground. Yes, just when we all thought that we'd never see the day that those ugly overhead spaghetti lines would be removed, then we got this pleasant but unexpected report. It may take some time. But the fact that the plan is already in place means, VECO's plan will make Cebu City a cleaner and more efficient city. Thanks to AEV/AP for their success is Cebu's success.
* * *
If you think that the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) was used to cheat in the May 2013 elections, you are not alone. Check out the website of Philippine Online Chronicles (POC), a social networking website entitled, “Was the elections won with a 60-30-10 formula?†Mind you, this report has already gone viral in the social networking sites thanks to watchful Netizens who have uncovered something that only techies can discover. Please don't take my word for it for I merely discovered this report on the Internet. So allow me to quote a portion of that highly technical report on the PCOS.
“On the eve of May 18, watchful Netizens discovered they weren't alone in finding an uncomfortably unnatural 60%-30%-10% spread of votes respectively among Team PNoy, UNA and the independent candidates consistent in all vote canvassing updates by the Commission on Elections through their “transparency†server.†Then POC presented a graph of this phenomenon which I won't input here because it is not easy to understand.
“Dr. Lex Muga, a mathematics professor from Ateneo Manila, first posted the observed pattern in his Facebook wall. This was double-checked and confirmed by Rick Bahaque, the national coordinator of the Computer Professional's Union (CPU). The information spread like wildfire across Facebook then to Twitter, and other efforts soon followed with a team discovering that the pattern was applicable on results on the regional level as well. How can distribution of votes be consistently equal in all regions?â€
If you remember, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes finally showed to the public the controversial source code only three days before the elections and therefore, there was no material time for political parties and interested groups to verify or look into the source code. This is the programmable set of commands which guides the PCOS machines for the elections and it seems with this discovery the PCOS was pre-programmed to deliver that “60-30-10 formula.†I dare say that we open all the ballot boxes in order to find out whether our ballots were counted properly.
POC added, “Election day was not completely blackout-free. Meanwhile, the PCOS machines have been blamed for the slow transmission of results. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes proclaimed all the 12 winning candidates for Senator based on fewer than half of the 304 certificates of canvass, opening himself and the poll body to potential legal challenges.â€
Clearly the shadowy “operators†behind the PCOS machines have struck again and from the way things look, this is massive electronic dagdag-bawas. Malacañang spokesman Abigail Valte in trying to defend the Comelec dared the critics of Brillantes to show evidence of fraud. Well, if she cannot read properly, we are staring at this type of fraud that only IT experts can pre-program inside the CF cards of the PCOS machines. Now it's our turn to demand from the Comelec to explain this unbelievable phenomenon. All Brillantes is focused on is delaying the coming barangay elections and the 2016 elections instead of telling us the truth behind the PCOS machines.
* * *
Email: vsbobita@gmail.com