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.

HATI NA BA ANG BOTO MO? “Hala I-Patrol Mo”

Hindi mo minsan masikmura ang lantarang panloloko hindi lang ng mga kung sinu-sinong TRAPO, kundi na rin ng dapat sana’y malaya at mapanuring pamamahayag. Simula kasi nang mag-igting ang iringan sa mga sensitibong posisyon tulad ng pang-panguluhan sa darating ng 2010 election, halos nagpapang-abot narin ang kalokohan ng mga estasyon at gimik ng mga di magkahumayaw na pulitiko. Isa na nga riyan ang matunog na kampanyang “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” na aniya tumutulong na mabigyan ng sapat na kaalaman ang mga botante sa susunod na taon. Litanya nga ng mga ”patrollers” nito ang samut-saring kawalanghiyaan ng mga taong nailuklok sa gobyerno ngunit sa isang banda naman ay patuloy na pinagkakaperahan ng estasyon ang mga dapat sana’y banned ads ng mga “presidentiables”.

Premature campaigning o ang mahigpit na ipinagbabawal na “electioneering” ang bumubungad sa manunood ng estasyon tuwing pinalalabas nito ang mga papogi ads ng kung sinu-sinong pontso pilato. Nahahalintulad ito sa mga naglalakihang poster o banderitas ng mga opisyal sa nakakalat ngayon sa mga eskinita at makikipot na pader ng lungsod. Nakapagtataka lang, nagagawang pansinin ng estasyon ang mga nakahilerang mga “posters” na ito habang pinahihintulutan naman nilang mag ere ng mahigit sa 3 hanggang 5 minutong campaign ad ang mga “presidentiables”. Kung susumahin daan-daang milyung piso ang kinikita ng estasyon sa mga pagpapalabas ng mga political ads na ito. Kaya naman hindi mahirap sabihin na nagkukunwang maka-tao ang estasyon lalo na’t isinusulong nito ang dapat ay clean and fair elections”.

Pera-pera nga lang naman ang tahasang dahilan ng mga tila pangguguyong ito ng mga kilalang estasyon sa bansa. At ang masakit nito, may malaking bilang na din ng mga botante ang nauuto nila. Kasi naman, habang nagkukunwaring “watchdog” ang estasyon sali’t-salitan naman nilang pinagkakaperahan ang mga pulitikong pilit na nambabaluktot ng batas kontra sa maagang pamumulitika o electioneering. Mantakin mong may isang taon pa man bago ipahintulot ang pangangapanya, nagsisimula nang ibandera ng mga pulitiko ang kani-kanilang mga mukha sa tv gamit na din ng “bayarang” media.

Kung susumahin, panakip butas lang ng estasyon ang kampanya nitong “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” para naman hindi gaanong mapuna ang walang humpay nilang pangnenegosyo tuwing eleksiyon.

Ngunit maliban pa sa bulok na pangangatwiran ng estasyon sa kanilang malugod na pangangampanya ng kung sinu-sinong “presidentiable”, dahan-dahan ding hinihikayat ng estasyon na i-boycott ang eleksyion. Patunay diyan ang maya-mayang pagpapalabas ng estasyon ng anila “butas” ng darating na automated election. Minamakina ng estasyon ang publiko na maging negatibo sa eleksiyon na nag-uudyok naman upang paigtingin pa ng mga kandidato ang kanilang mga jingle ads na pinagkakwartahan naman ng estasyon.

Kaya naman, madaling sabihin na ginigisa ng kapitalistang estasyon ang mga botante at mga pulitiko sa kani-kanilang mantika.

MEDIA ON POPULAR VOTE FOR NO-EL

“Oversight of Election Watchdogs”

Vote watching is nothing less than a crude excuse to actually heighten the possibility of a publicly preferred “no election”. The “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” for one that was intended to arouse voters to be vigilantly looking over the course of the nearing election was unfortunately swaying the public to amass skepticism. The truckload of “appalling” reports that these “patrollers” address on nationwide television should be a matter of concern since it generates more of pessimism other than an interest to participate on the coming election. Thus, this has been a regrettable oversight.

Unfortunately as “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” continues to “flag” in one of the country’s leading stations, “electioneering” such as premature campaign ads of various presidentiables undercuts it. The very station claiming clean and fear ballot casting is in fact condoning “electioneering” in exchange of multi-million worth of tv ads that they continually air in between their shows. Obviously, the tv station is simply making “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” a fitting façade to hide its money-making agenda. As such, the saying “pera-pera lang yan” proves true even among 2010 “reformist”.

If defined, the movement pushed by the station is nothing less than a refigured mind conditioning ingredient that generate public unease on the sought-after presidential race. It focuses more on actually making a wet blanket view on the outcome of the first ever automated elections in the country. That is, despite the stations nonstop show of support to various candidates by lending its airwaves to “premature” campaign propaganda materials.

Permitting electioneering in exchange of millions of peso is what capitalists do to make a huge profit out of the election. Undesirably, capitalist partisanship is going to haunt the viable selection of presidency by next year and a huge crowd of misled “patrollers” are going to make it possible. Worst case scenario in this media fiasco is having a handful of voters turn down the election out of riddling lack of trust. This runs appositively to what the movement “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” is trying to impart in its partakers. Instead of giving people hope and making them believe on the equal lengths of the law through exercising their rights of suffrage, the contrasting “pressure group” of the station and its outlined business ventures with supposedly “unlawful” political ads are both perplexing able voters.

Other than gathering unison perspectives on the elections, the campaign propelled by the tv station is more of “divisive” in nature. It ideally alienates the voters from the government which would be handling the smooth course of the 2010 presidential selection. Hence, majority of voters are actually prejudging the course of the elections. On one end this come close to provoking the crowd on boycotting 2010 and support a potential vote for No-Election. Moreover, what else does “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo” promoters expect from their demoralized crowd?