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WHY should you let the candidates do all the talking?
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Now tell us what you think.
May 19th, 2007 at 9:35 am
TO JUNG
I share the joy of majority of Pampanguenos because they have finally found a morally upright man who hopefully will remain moral. Otherwise they will be led again by the Jueteng queen or the Quarry king. I believe that was the main purpose why the priest felt the urge to run, not because he wanted to fight other religions He is however suspended from priestly duties (like leading a mass, hearing confessions, engaging in Sacraments). So it is still a vocation.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:49 pm
Pampanga has a new governor who is on leave as a Catholic priest. Priesthood, which I thought was a vocation, is now like any other job where one can get away for personal or political reasons. This is a new era in politics wherein soon a Catholic priest will go against a INC Minister or a Rabbi. And later, complaints of favoritism based on religion will ensue. And pastoral letters will soon be a campaign tool.
I hope the Catholic Church will not condone the awkward situation. Imagine the priest governing the community who shared their sins or faults in confession. The Filipino trait of hiya and being scared of exposure will make them pliable to the priest.
I pray that the Archbishop will not go on leave to become President. And I appeal that Father Governor will say Amen and amin.
God bless!
May 18th, 2007 at 8:15 pm
True, that the 177% increase in the votes in ARMM was somehow excessive. However, one has to consider that in July 18, 2003 the COMELEC issued Resolution 6262 promulgated on July 18, 2003 for “the annulment of the permanent lists of voters/books of voters in all of the cities and municipalities of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao (except Cotabato City) and Lanao del Sur.�
By stroke of the seven signatures of the COMELEC, there was ZERO registered votes in the ARMM. We were then stripped of our political right to suffrage. It was a very painful to be in that new political status. What was more disgusting was that when that resolution was issued the Comelec did not give us the required due process of notice and hearing.
I was able to register in December 2003 because I can afford the travel expenses from Manila to Lanao, del Sur. But most of my relatives in Manila who issued me a special power of attorney with a complete document with proof that they were included in the annued voters lists and had the whole population of the precincts/barangay to attest of their residency were not allowed to register thereby disenfranchised.
Before the resolution was issued the registered voters of Tugaya, Lanao del Sur was about 6,000 but in May 2004 the registered voters were approximately 3,000. There was a disenfranchisement of roughly 3,000 voters in May 10, 2004. This is because the Comelec gave one week (in December 2003) for the re-registration of those disenfranchised by its resolution. As some of my relatives are in retail business and working in Manila likewise other ARMM residents are spread all over the country and most of them are unaware of their disenfranchisement were not bothered to go to their town to register. Thus, the very shrinking of registered voters.
I am not defending the 177% and in fact our elections in ARMM is one of worst in the country but the 177% increase has to be put in perspective that there was ZERO registered voters in ARMM from July 8 to December 2003. And after the May 2004, the Comelec had conducted the continuing registration to accommodate those voters who were not able to vote in May 2004 because they were not able to register. While there were more or less 20,000 flying voters in the ARMM during the registration of December 2003, it remained the fact that there are thousands of disenfranchised voters in ARM spread all over the Philippines who were not able to register.
The Comelec’s own election officers in ARMM whom the Comelec had attributed the fraud and which became the basis for the annulment of Book of Voters in the ARMM were not prosecuted and still serving today in the elections in ARMM.
The electorates are ones who suffered disenfranchised in the May 2004 election and accountable election officials who are not deserving up to this day to be spending time and paid by people taxes are not being held accountable for their acts.
May 18th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
TO KAICEE
I’m not an economist too but the reason why I support GMA is because I’ve experienced different regimes starting from Marcos. I don’t think you’re aware of the extent of the damage the Marcos regime inflicted on our country. It’s either you weren’t born yet or too young to understand. So allow me to explain that will hopefully enlighten you and other readers as well. During the Marcos era our country was at some point placed under Martial Law. So that all who oppose him turned out to be heroes, injured (like Jovito Salonga), exiled or killed. So the environment then was gripped with fear. Although Martial Law was eventually lifted, Marcos remained in power so fear was still there. I remember the time when we had to watch the Aquino assassination on tape and in secret because of fear. The middle class (where I belong) participated in Edsa I. With his ouster, the media and congress became free to oppose the government. Too free in fact, that Senators/Congressmen seem to oppose for the sake of opposing. We became so divisive that would scare potential investors away. The constitution was then amended to avoid a repeat of the Marcos regime so that qualifications to run for public office were lowered that even a high school graduate can run. But this has been exploited by some who, knowing their popularity with the masses as actors/actresses, ran for public office even if they have little or no background at all on public service. Because most of our people are poor, then all forms of enticements catering to the masses were employed, like endorsements by famous celebrities and rampant vote-buying.
Our nation is respected now because we have a capable president. It is not enough to say you have a heart for the poor, for it takes more than heart to run a country.
I agree with you when you endorsed a change in the system because the current system does not address our needs anymore, in fact it hampers further growth in our economy. Our democracy is unlike other countries because it constitutes mostly poor people.
I am wary of the young new breed of oppositionists who are deemed to make it the senate like Chiz Escudero and Alan Cayetano. I think their only agenda is impeachment and nothing else. What disturbed me is why they chose to run under the GO banner which is obviously headed by the Estrada clan with no less than the former President advocating on national television a fight against corruption he himself is facing, and its former campaign manager JV Ejercito, instead of running as Independents as what Francis Pangilinan did. That in itself should make you think twice about their real intents. I’ve also read that Chiz Escudero CO-AUTHORED only about 2 bills I think while Alan Peter Cayetano had none while they were in Congress. I have a feeling that young as they are, they’re already skilled at manipulating the voters for their selfish ends. Hope I’m proven wrong.
May 18th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
I am not well-versed about economic issues but based on my observations,dollar exchange rate went down to P46 something for every dollar during the campaign period…in my oipnion,I credit this economic sign of progress to the release of funds from the moneyed people…a lot of gifts left and right unexpectedly from CANDIDATES who surprisely know you by name…a lot of posters…a lot of temporary employees to distribute posters, drivers,free foods in the HQ and other small jobs…these things temporarily helped the people financially …and gave a boost to peso worth against dollar…hopefully,the exchange rate will still improve after the final results of 2007 election is released(hopefully by june).