I DON’T STEAL, ASK MOMMY?

As the 2010 election nears, voters scram in search for good candidates. This is where the “early politicking” actually makes sense. This is the time where claimed “infomercials” sounds more like “vote for me”. Frankly speaking, these premature campaigning serves its purpose in giving the public just the right idea to whom they should cast their votes, which unfortunately is to the less sounding “few”.

Arguably, the public should change its standard of who is “saint” or “sinner”, because it is not as simple as looking at the candidates’ last name that either rings good or riddled with controversy. For one, parentage does not guarantee anything. Sons or daughters do not live the lives of their parents nor do they inherit morality; genes have nothing to do with it. Leadership is never a privilege in a state where democracy reigns. Luck cannot be used as an excuse to force leadership in Malacañang.

If we are concerned with presenting facts and having someone as transparent as water to manage this country, why not start with the open secret that all these presidentiables cheated the law against premature campaigning by way of making “infomercials”; the son of our beloved EDSA-I heroine included. The smiles, the reform chitchats are proof of how dishonest they could be when it comes to pursuing political goals; preserving familial integrity did not stop either of them. Change should have been started with “abiding by the law” and not exploiting it for political advantage. Where is morality or honesty when one is already cheating the law at this point in time? What else would they bend when they are given much more power?

I pity hopefuls who use their comfortable family blankets. But then I was wrong. Presidentiables who like to live on a dream of being a saint amidst his wicked gimmicks does not deserve public sympathy. It is the people he unfortunately enticed to sanctify him that deserve empathy. If they are foolish enough to believe that honesty is inherited or bought by those multi-million PR financiers, then they will soon see how it will backfire to a serious state threat. The moment we swallow their infomercials/electioneering ads we are giving away our chances to actually vote for an honest state executive. The damage has already been done and the stench of politicking is already out but we choose not to see.

What is worse is when these presidentiables try to laundry out their names and act as if they are to the point of sainthood. They are hypocrites hoping to gag us up with nothing but propaganda. This writer would like to think we, Filipinos, are better than that.

THE NEXT PRESIDENT UNDER MICROSCOPIC EYES

“Who can be the worst possible plunderer among the 2010 bets?” That was the question posed by William Esposo in his Philippine Star article last January 5, 2010. For years and years, in the electoral history of Philippines, the mass has always shown different tastes in choosing their next president—exceptional educational and political experience, popularity, charisma, personal background, character, credibility, and influence are only some of the obvious criteria the people sought after our past leaders. The Filipinos are in a continuous search for an effective leader after so many disappointments in the past—Filipinos are eager to choose the best possible leader in the coming 2010 elections that could bring about genuine and positive social transformation in our country. Ironically titled, Esposo’s article simply stresses that the next president of RP should be relied on trustworthiness and honesty. Esposo’s idea is agreeable but his reasoning, at the same time, is somewhat flawed.

Esposo’s essay underscored that “…our national salvation relies not on competence, as four of the five leaders have it—but on trustworthiness and character.” True enough, good moral background and character are ideal characteristics for a president. However, reality bites that a leader chosen solely because of trustworthiness and honesty is like giving birth to a political puppet easily manipulated by the more knowledgeable and erudite government officials. The country is in dire need of a more effective, performing government and the coming 2010 election is a critical point of acquiring it, thus, our choice should not only rest on a trust or loyalty basis but also and more importantly on capabilities and competence.

In his article, Esposo also subliminally conveyed his support to Sen. Noynoy Aquino, by merely mentioning that “the sons of genuine heroes are not inclined to join organized crime” pinpointing the senator as the most suitable presidentiable without having to mention any name. This could be of an advantage on the part of Sen. Noynoy however, if we are to look at it on a different perspective, it could also be interpreted as an insult stating that the latter is not as competent as the other presidentiables are.

The Filipino masses have witnessed too many faux pas in the outcomes of our national elections—a brilliant leader turned dictator, popular and dearly loved president turned plunderer, and so on and so forth. The mass clearly would not want to have a trustworthy and loyal, yet incompetent leader turned to a political dummy in the future. If we are to set a criterion for our next president, character, experience, and competence is deemed necessary for our economy to move forward and progress.

NOYNOY PINATUNAYAN NA NAMAMANIPULA ANG SURVEYS

Mismong kampo na ni Senador Noynoy Aquino ang umamin na namamanipula nga ang resulta ng mga surveys na naglilipana ngayong papalapit na ang eleksyon. Marahil ang kanilang pahayag ay bunsod ng naulinigan natin mula sa isang mapagkakatiwalaang impormante na ang partido Liberal ay minsan na ngang nagbayad o mas kilala sa tawag na nag-commission ng isang survey firm upang magpalabas ng paborableng survey result patungkol sa kandidatura ng nasabing senador.

Dahil na rin sa kapusukan nito - ang pagbibitiw ng salita bago mag-isip – ay nahuli tuloy si Senador Noynoy na sila nga ay naglulunsad ng isang tinatawag na “mind conditioning” o ang pagkondisyon ng pananaw ng publiko sa pamamagitan ng pagbabayad sa ligal na raket tulad ng SWS o Pulse Asia. Napag-alaman na ang paglalabas ng survey - sa pamamagitan ng isang public relation firm na binayaran ng kampo ng Liberal Party - ay umiikot sa isang stratehiya kung saan ito ay makakapagpalabas ng isang paborableng senaryo na direktang ma-iimpluwensiyahan ang opinion o di kaya ang magiging desisyon ng mga botante sa padating na eleksyon.

Ang sinasabing stratehiya ay ang pagpapalabas ng isang survey patungkol sa performance ng kasalukuyang administrasyon na diumano’y may mababang grado bago ang paglabas ng survey na may paborableng resulta patungkol kay Senador Noynoy. Sa ganitong paraan ay na-diktahan na ng kampo Liberal ang taong bayan na si Noynoy lamang ang gusto ng publikong maging susunod na pangulo ng bansa at ang kandidatong sinusuportahan ng kasalukuyang administrasyon ay hindi makakapagdulot ng mabuti sa bayan. Hindi ba’t ilang beses na nating nasaksihan ang ganitong senaryo sa mga nagdaang lumabas na surveys kung kaya’t masasabi nating totoo nga ang nakuha nating impormasyon?

Sa ganitong paraan ay naibababa na ng LP ang posibilidad na makalikom ng sapat na boto ang karibal ng kanilang manok dahil nakondisyon na nila ang utak ng publiko na ang 90 milyong Pilipino ay pabor kay Noynoy. Hindi ba’t matatawag na isang pandaraya ang ganitong gawain dahil hindi naman repleksyon ng tunay na sitwasyon ang isang survey? Hindi ba’t mismong si dating Senador Franklin Drilon ang nagsabi na nababayaran nga ang surveys upang magbigay ng resulta na aayon sa tao o kampo na nagbayad dito? Ang nakakalungkot, marami sa ating kababayan ang talaga namang na-iimpluwensyahan ng ganitong mga palabas at nakiki-uso lamang sa pagboto ng susunod nilang lider ng bansa kung kaya’t talagang kaliwa’t-kanang surveys ang pinapalabas ngayon ng iba’t-ibang mga presidentiables. Kung sino ang may bentahe sa lumabas na survey ay paniguradong siya ang nagbayad ng survey. Ito ang masaklap na katotohonan sa ating bansa kung kaya’t marami ngayon sa ating mga kababayan ang humihingi na ipatigil ang ganitong mga gawain tuwing eleksyon dahil ito lamang ay pailalim na pagdidikta sa mga botante.

VOTERS QUESTION COMELEC PARTIALITY IN APPOINTING CITIZEN ARM

The clamor for public awareness is now paying off as voters are now not only perusing the qualification of national and local candidates they plan to vote but are now also scrutinizing even church-based electoral watchdogs being blindly tapped by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). Some quarters have recently questioned the urgency behind the poll body’s accreditation of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting or PPCRV given that only a mere twenty days have passed from the time of the organization’s filing of its petition to the COMELEC’s promulgation of a resolution granting approval to said request.

The PPCRV headed by Ambassador Henrietta De Villa suspiciously bagged the accreditation to be COMELEC’s lone citizen’s arm that would unitarily launch voter’s education on poll automation and provide assistance to voters during the actual elections. Aside from this, the PPCRV is the lone private organization that is allowed to conduct poll watching during the canvassing of votes in every precinct in the country not to mention suspiciously being furnished a soft copy of the computerized voters' list and access to the precinct count optical scan machines prior to May 10, 2010.

In a nutshell, COMELEC’s rushed accreditation of the so-called watchdog has only given the PPCRV a right to monopolize voters’ education on poll automation which some unscrupulous individuals within the organization - who almost always exist in any innocent-looking group - could possibly influence to serve the benefit of a certain presidential wannabe or even a political party. Access to voters’ list and the voting machines prior the actual election could also lead corrupt quarters within the PPCRV to possibly tamper the data in exchange for monetary remuneration from the highest bidder, a scenario that we are all aware is fairly probable to transpire in our country.

An unimpeachable source pointed out that the PPCRV suspiciously timed the filing of its petition on October 5 in the midst of a public turmoil aptly tagged as the aftermath of super typhoon Ondoy which naturally left all of us focused on relief and rescue operation for thousands of our needing Kababayans. A few days later on October 14, the COMELEC heard the petition noting the lack of oppositor – an expected result of PPRCV’s non-compliance to a COMELEC order to cause publication on three separate newspapers within a period of three successive weeks – on the organization’s petition. On October 26, or twelve days after the first and only hearing, the poll body blindly approved the request.

Curiously, the process was indeed rushed. However, the important question should be this: was it done to serve the COMELEC or the PPCRV?

2010 COMELEC CITIZEN’S ARM, CHEATED?

Shortcutting the legal process is plain and simple cheating. This should not be taken out as a matter of desperate surgical steps in order for the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to look “all buckled-up” and ready for the forthcoming elections especially when it involves the accrediting of poll watchdogs that would replace NAMFREL or the National Movement for Free Elections. The 21-days given to the newly-installed election watchdog- Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) was barely enough to give the public a glimpse on just how dependable and equip they are as the election takes off. That is, as the 2010 projects the first ever computerized election in the country.

The nippy selection of COMELEC with regard to the replacement of NAMFREL is not the only thing that made PPCRV’s intents nonetheless dubious. The timing of PPCRV’s so-called application for the watchdog position is something that cannot be discounted as a major plot for a looming sham. Its application last October 5 was more or less part of the “alarming” pretense. That is, as PPCRV officials manage to side wink public interest opposite their direction. They have rather exploited the Ondoy cataclysm to out win their “pre-occupied” oppositors. The banging headlines on rescue and retrieval operations not to include the country at mourning made it easier of PPCRV to “cheat” their way on COMELEC’s mandate.

After October 5th, PPCRV was directed to publicize its filed petition simultaneously on major newspapers in the country. This is done to make their application official with the public knowing about it. Thus, opposing views to include disparate parties could argue with said petition that may lead to further hearings. But who in their right mind would be interested on PPCRV at a time of disaster? Else, how many was able to read the publication of their appeal? Camouflaging behind state perplexity such as Ondoy had been a “trick” PPCRV had used. What else would they have underneath their sleeves?

Other than the “quick count” on PPCRV’s accreditation, one of its Board of Directors- Johnny O.R. Cardinas happens to be the incumbent president of the Kapatiran sa Pangkalahatang Kabutihan (KPK), an interfaith movement that formed the Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) that serves as official political party of 2010 presidentiable Eddie Villanueva. Obviously, PPCRV is already somebody’s guard dog.

COMELEC seemingly pushed us to trust PPCRV by riding on the said group’s “trick and treats”. PPCRV is given the “duty” to safeguard our ballots. But whose duties will it be to protect us against PPCRV; the group that downright conned the system and is apparently swarmed with presidentiables’ wingman?

PPCRV AN ELECTION COOK-UP?

Election watchdog NAMFREL or National Movement for Free Elections had not likely handed the 2010 election stewardship to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) on rightful terms. It was rather a cooked-up plot inside the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) after pronouncing the PPCRV’s accreditation in nearly 21-days. PPCRV represented by Ambassador Henrietta T. De Villa and Counsels- Attys. Howard M. Calleja and Rosalie Lapuz filed their petition before the COMELEC October 05 of last year. A week after (October 14), PPCRV’s petition was shortly discussed on a COMELEC hearing and was dubiously granted twelve days later on the 26th of October of same year. It was a decision reached after COMELEC found the lack of “oppositors” or else an opposing party that would relatively question the validity of PPCRV; could be publicly acceptable but still why is there a need for the shortcut of the process?

PPCRV clearly filed its petition on the height of a state catastrophe when issues like “election watchdog accreditation” did not sound interesting, else important. Who in their right mind would have thought of 2010 elections barely a week after Ondoy took a good hit on Metro Manila? Even the country’s papers and radio stations paid no attention on such an issue, why would the frantic public think otherwise. This was the long days of rescue and retrieval operations where huge part of Marikina and Pasig is still plummeting on deep murky flood. It is downright obvious that the mere two weeks for PPCRV’s accreditation campaigns did not reach a good length of keeping the public aware that they “exist”. Now, why or who would muster the thought to throw an argument against it over COMELEC?

So what will one get over speeding-up PPCRV’s accreditation? Else, how significant will PPCRV be in the coming elections? And just why someone go through the trouble of making sure that it will get its “YESES” in COMELEC?

Accredited election watchdogs, which had been the role of NAMFREL for the past thirty-one years since 1983, serve as elections’ neutral and else monitoring group. These groups have their own set of poll watchers on various precincts, including the conduct of voters’ assistance and information on values education on city outskirts. PPCRV upon getting COMELEC’s accreditation is mandated to independently supervise the elections. They are to maintain neutrality and impartiality during the entire course of the voting period down to the poll counting and the pronouncement of winners. On such process, they give the public updates on the partial casting of ballots or the renowned NAMFREL quick count. The public, so to speak, rely on this election watchdogs to counter-check the election results. Most of the time, they had been favored highly reliable in terms of ballot counting.

Try to imagine PPCRV putting-up his trick or two during the elections. What if their quick counts were made “literally quick”? PPCRV manage to “cheat” their way in for the accreditation. How dependable will PPCRV be in terms of releasing election results that are as important as the presidency when they have cheated their way in COMELEC?

PRESIDENTIAL FORUMS OR TANTRUMS? “The Debate that turned out to be a Read Script”

What the voters need is a presidentiable who walks the talk and not just speak it. The recent forum sponsored by the largest media network in the country was all for show to simply make a good stand point for presidentiables they obviously favor. Was it not too obvious that aside from asking plausible projects that one would-be president should work on once elected, the questions were natured to drop a bomb at the administration bet DND Sec. Gilberto Teodoro? Like a sparring of anecdotes between Opposition stalwarts and an Arroyo ally, the public simply witnessed a wrestling of political affiliations. If we hate to think of the idea that Gloria takes another shot at the legislative, then what better way to downsize her clout by not speaking of her entirely. Getting her name on the headlines is simply a trick that holds no water in the public. The public is damn tired of her and the Opposition should start a new “opening act”.

Frankly speaking, the presidentiable forum was a total waste of public interest. It was a magnified Senate privileged speeches that created more doubts than answers. In fact, the topic was anchored on nothing but Gloria, which by nature gave the “forum” its fancied “hype”. Besides, it is not every day you get to watch solons to think narrower or else dumber than they all already do. Best example of which is Erap who had the guts to question Gloria’s Congressional bid while he parades his intent to run for the same post that he won and lost out of graft. If it was for the sake of delicadeza, Erap should have kept his ambition to himself and saved himself a pint of self-esteem. What makes him think a convicted plunderer has the right to bag Malacañang once again? If Gloria is daydreaming, then Erap is sleepwalking naked in the 2010 polls.

Even LP’s standard bearer who made a bursting joke of “I am incapable of lying” showed his not too appealing alter-ego. Like an elitist who praise himself, the presidentiable with the least feat in his political career whines about being a good but dormant public servant. Who would trust a senator from a long-list of influential clan members that actually bent democracy to fit their entrepreneurial interests? If issues on human rights draw cards on the table, why did the sponsors overlook the case of the Hacienda Luisita massacre that adds up on the inventory of the unsolved “politicize” deaths.

Sen. Dick Gordon to include LAKAS’ Gibo Teodoro was relatively the ones with valid answers and reasons. One could say they were among the bunch who had their talks with perceivable walks. Furthermore, Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s “messianic call” or even that of the Kapatiran’s movement for pious leadership sounded materially stupid. It was way too obvious that they rely much on their religious clout to get the position and are naïve to think that a mixture of church orthodox and political tricks could work. The executive post is not a matter of homily one addresses to a listening believer. The state is not a podium for promising or sweetened speech of salvation. Yes, God and morality should form part of a clean and effective government but this does not mean giving religious honchos an edge. They are nonetheless seen as greedy devotees who only wanted to expand their controlled sect.

The forum is not a telenovela for presidentiable to play protagonist. The network should not turn the 2010 elections into one of its income-generating melodrama.