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A staggering P20 million was reportedly spent by a politician seeking a local post to disenfranchise thousands of voters and minimize her rival’s advantage.
Reports indicated the politician hired high-profile lawyers to play a role in the grand scheme to reduce her rival’s supposed advantage, allegedly due to the influx of young voters.
Although a household name, the local candidate’s camp chose to remain quiet to avoid drawing attention to the issue and show that they could not be trampled on by a “nobody” in their own territory.
One voter, whose registration was questioned, said that voting is a personal right and should not be politicized.
Voters emphasized that if they were to be disenfranchised, they would fight for their right, as they have nothing to do with the ongoing political dispute.
They said that politicians should focus on presenting their platforms rather than interfering with their right to choose where they register, especially in areas that they believe best meet their needs, particularly in terms of essential services.
Ever-Gotesco Resources and Holdings Inc. (ERGHI), a holding company led by businessman Jose Go, has pulled the last plug, if there was even anything left to unplug, on its Gotesco Tyan Ming Development (GTMD).
The company confirmed on Friday that GTMD was officially dissolved as of late last year, with the Securities and Exchange Commission stamping its approval to the move. The only thing left is the paper work at the Bureau of Internal Revenues to wrap up the liquidation.
GTMD, for those who may remember, once handled ERGHI’s mall operations — back when the company still had a presence in retail. But with the malls long gone, what’s left of GTMD is little more than a legal technicality, and EGRHI is now making sure to tie up the last loose ends.
The final asset on the table? Parcels of land in Malubog City, which will be used to settle outstanding liabilities through a dación en pago, which literally means payment in kind. Since ERGHI had already covered some of GTMD’s debts in the past, those lands will now be transferred to the parent firm as payment.
And that’s pretty much the end of the road for GTMD. But what about ERGHI itself? The company insists that the dissolution won’t affect its operations.
With just two subsidiaries left under its belt, the company is a far cry from its bustling retail days. While it continues to move forward in a more streamlined form, the road ahead is uncertain.
