May 2007 Archives

THE RESULTS of the recent elections showed that Filipinos are not yet mature, although growing. Many based their analysis and decisions on what they hear and see, less on what they read, because many are tired of reading. There is more analysis actually when reading. This resulted in education through media. It is now a powerful tool to build up one's image, as what actors and actresses do to build up their careers. People now cannot differentiate fiction from half-truths or from truths. Political events are watched like soap operas on prime time. And media would take advantage of political gossip and scoops to make stories more valuable for money. Errors in reporting are justified by icing them with more controversial ones. This is the "education" that Filipinos have had after Marcos. Democracy was abused like the phenomenon of "people power." "Will of the majority" is falsely equated with what is "right." "People power" is wrongfully used for protest while, in fact, it must be used for reforms. It is easy actually to incite protest but too hard to campaign for reforms given human nature. Politicians would also take advantage of the Filipino attitude of fanaticism as many will follow them blindly because of the image media has made for them. It is not very different from being an actor with many fans (which is actually short for fanatics). No wonder a politician even after tainted with graft and corruption would still have many followers and loyalists. One would not be surprised that even after the evidence presented in the impeachment trial, the PCIJ reports of his properties and "Darth Vader" friends, the well known stock manipulation in the Philippine Stock Exchange, Erap can still gather people at the EDSA Shrine or still win in a snap election, if one is held. A politician can easily change his position and principles as long as he has many fanatics that will put him in the Senate or presidency. Many have seen how many senatorial candidates have crossed party lines, and ate their principles but still managed to be in the Top 5 of the senatorial lineup. These filthy political tricks were hidden under the rags of issues like "Hello Garci" and election cheating. Another trick of "throwing the garbage on others' backyard and exposing it" in the form of gossip is being maneuvered to hide behind inefficiency and incompetence. Political sugar-coated media speeches are used to lure fanatics to his side, like courting a lady persuaded with enticing poetry. Many young opinion-makers and also bloggers would say that what is wrong is the system as a whole but they must realize that the voting public is part of that system. -- Henry Delgado, MD, EMAS Offshore Pte Ltd, Singapore

I AM writing in response to Mr. Escano's letter to the editor dated May 25, 2007. I recommend that Mr. Escano visit Among Ed's website to get to know the character behind the person. He is likewise welcome to read and participate in our forum to get to know the people supporting Among Ed. In response to your questions and concerns: 1. Among Ed is definitely not like Erap. In his 26 years in his priesthood, he never sired children from different women and he did not enrich himself even if he had access to millions of pesos as the head of the Social Action Center of Pampanga. 2. On population control. Population is not a problem in Pampanga. However, this issue will be tackle by Among Ed when he addresses the problem of poverty. Poverty is one major cause in the ballooning of our population. 3. Gays and lesbians. Among Ed has gay and lesbian supporters and he does not shun away from them. 4. Donations from illegal funds. To my knowledge, even as a priest, he didn't knowingly accept any donations coming from illegal sources. One thing you should have tried to understand Mr. Escano is that Among Ed did not run out of his ambition to become famous or powerful. You should understand that we Capampangans did not have a viable choice for governor before he joined the campaign. One is the wife of an alleged gambling lord while one is tainted with graft and corruption borne of the quarrying activities in Pampanga. Were you in our position, Mr. Escano, what would you have done? -- Vic Waje, Makati City (via e-mail)

FROM TIME to time I would usually hear either from the administration or the opposition about their political bickering and how one is better than the other. However, I've been observing lately how politics is actually practiced in our country, and let me emphasize that this is from a college student point-of-view. I am studying at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas taking up Political Science and I believe one of the precursors for you to be a student of politics is for you to love politics. That is why, let me share my opinion about Philippine politics. When the Arroyo administration previously called for a change in the Constitution through constitutional assembly, it eventually failed. Next here came Lambino et al who started this people's initiative; eventually it failed also. Later on, the administration then called for a constitutional convention but eventually election time came. Now let me ask this question: Why is the government so obsessed with this charter change? Is it not that the present democratic system is already the best that would exemplify democracy? I think what's only needed is to practice genuine public service to the people, and its priority is social services and not foreign debt nor military funding. Now, here comes election time and the adminstration is calling for national unity and reconciliation. I believe that it is true in its very essence that we need unity and reconciliation, that we need to stop all this political bickering and all for our country to move on. However, I think it is ironic for a government to call for unity and reconciliation if its instruments for peace, i.e. the military and police, are primarily the cause of disunity. How many activists, students, priests, lawyers, women have been killed allegedly by the military? It is also ironic that a government is clamoring for economic reforms that would lead to economic stability and development, but has failed to see who is directly affected by the expanded value-added tax or E-VAT and the oil deregulation law -- none other than the masses. It is also ironic for a president to call for sincere and honest public service if she has not answered yet the all-time box office hit "Hello Garci" scandal, which by the way the very institution that is supposed to be independent in the electoral process has even let Garcillano run for public office. I wonder how much it would cost to buy konsensya in the depratment store, because definitely I'll save my entire allowance just to buy one and give it as a gift to Madame President and her little scalawag Garci. Sometimes, I would think that the heroes of the past like Gat Bonifacio would most likely lead another revolution if he's alive right now; heck, there is a revolution happening. Maybe, during the Marcos regime, the principles and ideas of the Communist Party were needed to have genuine political and economic reforms. That is why maybe, sometimes, I would think the New People's Army is actually the real army of the people. If this government can't do anything to stop its mediocre political and economic reforms, I think the Left is the only remaining answer to our problems. Nonetheless, I still hope that the likes of Satur Ocampo and Liza Masa may change the system without violence and let democracy work at its best. -- Lean Porquia, University of the Philippines in the Visayas

ALL right. The Comelec has yet to proclaim the winners yet -- largely due to the interference of TEAM Unity -- but I think it's safe to say that Genuine Opposition candidates are going to get most of the 12 seats up for grabs in the Senate. 7-3-2 (GO-TU-independent) the last time I checked. Now what? I don't know. What I do know is that, barring some miraculous turn of events, impeachment is not going to happen. The Congress is unquestionably Arroyo's; though there are congressmen who oppose her, notably the representatives of party-lists like Bayan Muna and Anakpawis, the grim truth is that they are the minority. Not to mention the fact that Arroyo's allies in the Congress have demonstrated time and again a lack of delicadeza. They're not going to shy away from employing underhanded tactics or bulldozing through all opposition (regardless of how legitimate the dissent is) to get what they want. Which means that though the Senate would probably vote to impeach Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in a trial, the Congress would never let the impeachment case reach the Senate in the first place. Charter change? Well, the entire country saw what happened the last time Congress tried shoving that down our throats. Every major faction -- the opposition, the activists, the Church, etc. -- made its opposition to Cha-cha known, and its proponents hastily backed down. But I seriously doubt that's the end of that. Cha-cha continues to lurk in the background, waiting for a chance to reenter the political scene. Unfortunately, there's not much the Senate can do if or when Congress decides to revive the issue. Besides complaining on national television, that is. That worked last time, helping to sway public opinion against the initiative and the proposed Constitutional Assembly, but Filipinos are quick to forget. They can forget, for example, that a candidate who once hated Erap enough to cry is now hand in hand with him in election ads. They can forget all the reasons they didn't like Cha-cha and become swayed by the propaganda of the administration. As I said, I don't have all the answers. No crystal ball wherein the future reveals itself to me. But I have to hope that GO accomplishes something besides proclaiming their disgust at the current administration, and plotting its demise. The 2007 elections are behind us -- now we must hope we voted the right people into their positions.

IF we look at the results of the recent elections, both at the local and national level, I can't help but see a tiny glimpse of hope budding up. That is if we have to believe the analysis of the press of the circumstances surrounding these results. We are witnessing an upsurge trend of protest votes not only against GMA, but also against the system as a whole. If for that alone, there is reason to begin investing our hopes on better politics ahead...

I VOTED for GO (Genuine Opposition) candidates not because of Erap. I think GO candidates are brilliant people and have their own minds. If anything (and this may sound brutal) they might just be riding on Erap's popularity among the masses. That's how things are in politics. Let's not box Erap with all these corrupt and negative things. Let the one without sin, cast the first stone, as the Bible says. Erap has long vacated the president's post but graft and corruption still runs rampant in the government. The Cebu lamp posts, the Garci tape, the Macapagal highway... I mean everyone is at it. I believe at some level we all are corrupt. And it goes the same with lies. Lies are lies regardless of color.

CHECK out Philippine Daily Inquirer editor John Nery's latest post in Current, the joint blog he maintains with Inquirer columnist Manuel Quezon III. Here's an excerpt:

Sometimes we can read too much into the "meaning" of a particular vote. I found Raul Pangalangan's last column, on the meaning of the Honasan-Trillanes vote, a provocative read. I especially thought this particular passage was right on the money.

By manipulating the various arms of government to harass its enemies and protect its own, the Arroyo government has weakened the rule of law. It has conditioned the people to look to end-results � stop corruption, improve education, expand health care, make housing more accessible � and be indifferent to the means, constitutional or not. It has lowered the bar, so to speak, that the law has placed to guard against extra-constitutional power grabs.

This weakening of the rule of law � "culture of impunity," anyone? � must be counted as one of the main legacies of the Arroyo administration.

TO THOSE who sold their votes for P20, P50, P100, P500, P1, 000, P2, 000 -- let this article be a reminder that this will be the last amount of money that you will see from your chosen candidate until the next election. Let this article be a reminder to you that for that amount of money, your chosen candidate will be taking 10 times as much money from you. To the vote selling public, you are what is wrong with the Philippines; because of your weakness of conviction, you have let another election pass you by. When I hear Filipino citizens criticize candidates because of the lack of money they gave, I wonder just how much they understand or comprehend what they are saying. Do they not know that the money that is being given to them for their vote is probably coming from the Filipino public as well? When I hear Filipino citizens judge a candidate by how much money they gave, it is yet another slap in the face for those Filipinos who consider their vote a prized possession. So, to the vote selling public, you are as guilty as those officers and candidates who buy your vote. You are participating in the economics of cheating, the economics of bribery, and the economic of fools. Thus, do not complain if the candidate you voted for, the same candidate who bought your vote, who bought your integrity, is the same candidate who does not make good on his promise of making your life better. Are you telling me that you trust a candidate to do all that he promised, when he doesn't even have the integrity to run a campaign that is clean and honest? To the vote selling public, enjoy your misery! To those who voted and did not sell their votes, I applaud your integrity, and let your integrity and love of your country be the start of a brighter Philippines. Do not be dismayed by reports of those who sold their soul, because in the end, you are what makes the Philippines a great nation. You are the true Filipino.

"IT'S probably the first time in his life that Pacquiao has lost this publicly," said a friend of mine. "Don't tell me you're feeling sorry for him," said someone else. "I am. Pacquiao's always been the hero, the winner, the idolized. Losing to a girl whom almost no one out of Gen San knew, until she became the person running against him, must hurt," said my friend. "He deserved it." "Well..." "I mean, if Pacquiao had run for a position in the executive branch, he might have fared better. He's just so out of place in the legislative. Seriously. How can a man who bungles his English post-fight interviews make our laws?" "But he's always been the winner," my friend repeated. "And he lost. In front of the entire Philippines. You don't feel the slightest bit sorry for him?" "Was he planning to give up boxing for politics? No. Can you be a good boxer and a good politician at the same time? No. Come on. He was asking for it." "I'm a big fan of Pacman." "So am I! I just think he should stick to boxing." "So do I! I wish he'd never run in the first place." "Not me. It's a good thing he ran and lost. Lesson learned." "That's cruel." "That's life." Listening, I wondered if plenty of other Filipinos were having the same discussion. Differently worded, in different places, but the same. I found myself agreeing with both of them. Is that possible? It can't be denied that Pacquiao has done more to boost the morale of the country than every single senator, congressman, and the First Family combined. But it also can't be denied that Pacquiao has never done anything that hints he would have been a good politician. His fame rests on his humility; politicians need to toot their own horn. Loudly. His fame rests on his charisma -- even when he massacres the English language, we love him. But that's because for a boxer, charisma rests on coming across as one of the masses. As one of those who rose from the bottom to the top. But the charisma of politicians rests on something entirely different -- coming across as the savior of the masses. A politician is not a role model, he is the person who slips the medal around the role model's neck. Pacquiao is a boxer. A very good one. In this case, his loss was a victory -- let's leave it at that, and wish him luck in his next battle. Hopefully, this time it will be in the boxing ring, not the political arena.

STATED in the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Article VI, Section 3: No person shall be a Senator unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least thirty-five years of age, able to read and write, a registered voter, and a resident of the Philippines for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the election. Wanted by the masang Pilipino is someone who could raise their status quo, maybe someone who could flood their drained bank accounts. Required by the entrepreneurs who subsist in the fluctuating world of stocks and business is a big name that could grant incentives and hoist their eminence in the market. In the sagacity of idealism, others may seek articulation to be the voice and image of what was once a reverie. In the world of ignorance, others may yearn for the face -- the one whose posters they once thought were endorsements of a new beauty clinic. How many times have the Filipinos been fooled? They were but images that portray good actors or actresses -- so good that they made us believe that their role is their real personality. Just like how Eula Valdez and Jean Garcia played their role as Amor Powers and Claudia Buenavista that struck the country. We were once on top -- a country that was taking pleasure in its riches until we felt the dictator's arm clutching our freedom. The state loves freedom, no doubt -- proven by the rally scenes that take over the news everyday. The state's excellent economy was forfeited to reclaim the free will that was taken from us. Now that we have salvaged what was left of us, we are given much power to make a change -- a good one, to retrieve what was once ours. Pinoys should establish standards. We should vote for someone able -- someone who has the capabilities, a person with knowledge and understanding to construct laws not for himself but for the majority of the people. He should be an individual who has the guts to stand on his principles, not changing sides -- favor to the appealing and someone who has the record. Last May 14, the Filipino people were doctors of the ailing land and jurors of the historical reality contest. We may not have unexplained powers to change the present, but we have supremacy to direct the future. Stated in every Filipino's hope is someone who will lead the nation to its prosperous condition.

A QUESTION has been plaguing me ever since the different tallies of the results of the 2007 elections became public. Why is Antonio Trillanes so popular? The truth is that I didn't really believe he would make it to the final 12. I thought he was just filler for the Genuine Opposition (GO), a candidate they included in their slate just to fill the role of Rebel Leader. Yet here he is, No. 9 in the latest Comelec count, with 1, 260, 295 votes. Over 1.2 million people want Trillanes to become a senator! I voted for him, for the following reasons. 1. He has principles. (The reason for the Oakwood mutiny was the corruption in the upper echelon of the military. Most of us like to deny that this corruption exists, for who wants to believe that the nation's defenders are the paid goons of politicians who cheated their way into power? But it does exist. And Trillanes fought against it.) 2. He has courage. (Seriously -- he didn't just risk his career, he risked his life and freedom to do what he did. That took guts. Some would call it stupidity, since he ended up in jail, but hey, he's running for senator anyway.) 3. He has leadership qualities. 4. He has made his antipathy towards an increasingly dictatorial government clear. But I'm not one of those people who only vote for the candidates they think have a shot at winning. The rest of my votes went to Ang Kapatiran candidates, Kiko Pangilinan, and Joker Arroyo. I knew when I voted that only Pangilinan and Arroyo would win -- or at least, that's what I thought then. Now I'm really hoping that Trillanes wins too. After all, since when has having principles or being courageous proven to be a formula for success in politics? Legarda ditched her principles, and she's doing just fine. Escudero's never had the guts to pass a single law while in Congress, and he's doing great, too. I think Trillanes is winning because he reminds people of everything that's wrong with the GMA administration -- while serving as a reminder that such wrongs can be corrected. Let's face facts. GMA cheated. GMA lied. GMA either orders or tacitly condones the murderous activities of her generals. GMA takes credit for an improving economy, holding up as proof the stock exchange and the peso-dollar rate. All that shows is that the rich are getting richer, while the poor -- well, you know how the rest of the saying goes. Trillanes may lose once the votes in Visayas and Mindanao are counted. After all, Visayas is a much-vaunted bailiwick of the administration, while Mindanao is where large-scale cheating occurs without anyone in Luzon batting an eye. But here is the truth which GMA will not be able to deny. Even if Trillanes loses, the very fact that he came so close to winning shows that far too many people hate her. A vote for Trillanes is a vote against GMA. That's what he has represented, all along -- rebellion. It doesn't have to be bloody. That's the difference between a revolution and a rebellion. All Trillanes wants, what he has come to symbolize for the 1.2 million who voted for him, is change.

WHEN we say "masa vote" we are looking at the marginalized in our society, most of whom are citizens who do not legitimately rent or own their abode. Looking deeper into this vote brings to question its credibility. More than the mistake in identifying with silver-screen personalities, these voters are used by the politicians who go around with rhetoric and promises during elections. They are merely used by the politicians, hence the administrative tolerance for squatting. This is why the politicians love the squatters. They love them way too much to the point of even promising land ownership if elected into office. This electoral symbiotic set-up is the reason for the deeper socio-economic and environmental problems that stem from squatting -- unseen to the naked eye and accepted by many as merely a problem that exists. Just imagine if the squatters will be of no value to the local city mayors. The first order of the day will be beautification. The politicians will justify getting rid of the shanties to make their city a more organized, cleaner place where delivery of goods and services will then be viable. Rightful landowners will be able to boost the economy in real estate or commercial business opportunities. The threat of health and fire outbreaks will be reduced. The policemen will have less crime to deal with. Public schools will not be overcrowded. Most importantly, elections, without the foolishly lured votes, will be able to propel our country forward. But how do you factor out this perverted masa vote so elections will focus on the real issues instead of empty promises? Naturally, the first impulse of the incumbent will be to instantly object because he/she is the "protector of the poor." Do we lose all initiatives and give up only to be swallowed up by this negligence? It takes the President or one brave legislator to stand up and come up with a law to shotgun the effects of the masa vote. It will probably be the most controversial law, but it will lay the groundwork for having things fall in the proper places. Squatting is a crime, and squatters should be convicted -- not sent to jail for their wrongdoing. They should be dealt with in the way that incarcerated convicts are punished by stripping off their right to suffrage. Squatters, being wrongdoers, should somehow be punished. This is the only way to give the mayors the initiative to truly help them in looking for a better alternative. We will then see the mayors who genuinely love their constituents. They will want to solve the squatters' predicament, put our money to good use, and look for means to provide decent land in another area. And then things will start falling in the right places. The only way that the less fortunate can be helped from overburdening our motherland is by tough love. The marginalized should be rescued from the politicians' frame of mind. This is the only way we can start helping everybody, including ourselves.

UPDATE: Thanks to reader EdgarJ for pointing out in the Comments section that the list mistakenly showed Niel Tupas Sr. as being proclaimed mayor of Iloilo City, when he was actually proclaimed governor of Iloilo province. We've made the correction. Also, in response to qiqo's comment, we've posted the list below apart from the Word document. HERE'S the revised Commission on Elections' list of proclaimed local officials as of 12 noon, May 19. Mandaluyong Mayor -- Benjamin Abalos Jr. Vice Mayor -- Renato Sta. Maria Pasig Mayor -- Robert Eusebio Vice Mayor -- Yoyong Martirez Makati Mayor -- Jejomar Binay Vice Mayor -- Nestor Mercado Las Pinas Mayor -- Vergel Aguilar Vice Mayor -- Henry Medina Valenzuela Mayor -- Sherwin Gatchalian Vice Mayor -- Eric Martinez Quezon City Mayor -- Feliciano Belmonte Vice Mayor -- Herbert Bautista Pateros Mayor -- Jaime Cruz Medina Vice Mayor -- Jose Jonathan Sanchez Apayao Proclaimed Governor -- Elias Bulut Sr. Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Benguet Governor -- Nestor Fongwan (N) Vice Governor -- Crisencio Pacalso (R) Ifugao Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Mt. Province Governor -- Maximo Dalog Vice Governor -- Luis F. Claver Jr. Ilocos Norte Governor -- Michael Marcos Keon Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Ilocos Sur Governor -- Deogracias Victor Savellano Vice Governor -- Geremias Singson La Union Governor -- Manuel C. Ortega (N) Vice Governor -- Eulogio Clarence Martin (N) Batanes Governor -- Proclaimed Governor -- Proclaimed Quirino Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Olongapo City Mayor -- James Gordon Jr.* Aurora Governor -- Bella Flor Angara Castillo Vice Governor -- Gerardo Noveras Tarlac Governor -- Victor Yap Zambales Governor -- Amor Veloso Vice Governor -- Anne Gordon Pampanga Governor -- Eddie T. Panlilio (N) Vice Governor -- Joseller Guiao (R) Batangas Governor -- Vilma Santos Marinduque Governor -- Jose Antonio Nieva Carrion Vice Governor -- Tomas Marito Pizzaro Occ Mindoro Governor -- Josephine Ramirez Sato Vice Governor -- Gene Mendiola Or Mindoro Governor -- Arnan C. Panaligan Vice Governor -- Ma. Estela Felipa Aceron Palawan Governor -- Joel Reyes (R)* Vice Governor -- David Ponce De Leon* Romblon Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Cam Sur Governor -- Luis Raymond Villafuerte* Catanduanes Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Sorsogon Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Iloilo Governor -- Niel Tupas Aklan Governor -- Catalino Marquez* Guimaras Governor -- Felipe Nava Aurelio G. Tionado (R) Neg Occ Governor -- Joseph G. Maranon Vice Governor -- Isidro Zayco Bohol Governor -- Enrico Aumentado Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Cebu Governor -- Gwendolyn Garcia* Neg Or Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Siquijor Governor -- Orlando Afua Jr. Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Biliran Governor -- Rogelio Espina (R) Vice Governor -- Lucila G. Curso Leyte Governor -- Carlos Jericho Petilla (R) Vice Governor -- Ma. Mimietta Bagulaya So Leyte Governor -- Damian Mercado (N) Vice Governor -- Maamo Miguel II E Samar Governror -- Men Evardone Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Zambo City Governor -- Celso Lobregat* Zambo Sibug Governor -- George Hofer (R) Vice Governor -- Rey Oligario (N) Camiguin Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Lanao N Governor -- Rafael Lizarda* Compostela V Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed DavaoN Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed DavaoOr Governor -- Corazon Malanyaon Vice Governor -- Joey Mayo Almario Sarangani Governor -- Proclaimed Vice Governor -- Proclaimed Sulu Governor -- Sakur Tan* N = new candidate R = re-electionist * = for verification

I AM happy that the Inquirer keeps credible columnists like Randy David, Walden Bello, Solita Monsod, MLQ III and a lot more. What I don't understand is that amid the scholarly written articles, there comes Ramon Tulfo writing about the newly elected governor of Pampanga, Father Ed Panlilio, whom he thought was losing in a fair battle. I'm really vexed at the thought that the Inquirer also keeps rotten tomatoes like Ramon Tulfo in their newspaper. Quoting his post:

Priest-turned-politician Eddie Panlilio should shut up if he can't prove his allegations that his closest rival, Board Member Lilia "Baby" Pineda, committed fraud in the Pampanga gubernatorial race. As of this writing, Pineda had widened her lead over Panlilio, with the incumbent, Gov. Mark Lapid, coming in third. (Panlilio was proclaimed the winner last nightâ€â€Å"Editor) Panlilio should stop being a crybaby and admit that he lost in a fair fight. He is barking up the wrong tree since Pineda is not the incumbent. I'm not saying Lapid cheated, but the sitting official usually has the capability to cheat because of power and machinery.

Now, who should shut up? Thank you for telling Father Panlilio to stop being a crybaby, because as of the moment, all his tears are of joy! And who are you to say that Baby Pineda has no capacity to cheat? Come on, I am from Pampanga and I really don't know if you live here. Mr. Tulfo, I think you're the one barking at the wrong tree; anyway, dogs really do that sometimes. The next time you write about the results of elections, see to it that you have correctly seen the COCs. What gave you the idea that Baby Pineda won? Strange, really strange. I will just wait for the apology that you will address to Father Ed. Learn your lesson. Thank you. -- Raffy Punzalan Simbol, Arayat, Pampanga

THE FOREIGN observers' comparison of the Philippines with Afghanistan is really an insult if not biased. They were allowed to observe anywhere here in the Philippines which I think they were not able to do in Afghanistan. I wonder if they were allowed to observe the polls in the villages of Afghanistan or just in the hotels. I would suggest that they leave the Philippines immediately after they get what they want here and go back to Afghanistan where they feel safe. -- Greg Saavedra, Cebu City (via e-mail)

READING the papers and watching the news, it is always about election-related violence all over the country. It seems that there is a lot at stake, most especially in the provinces where there seems to be more violence -- and I think it is also about how much they can get out of the provincial budget. For instance, in Abra -- Abra is a poor province in the country and politicians are really fighting over the posts that they can occupy there but there is no sign of development in that part of the Philippines. It is easier to accept the fights or killings if they are really sincere in serving but no, they are sincere in serving their own wants and needs, which are money and power. I just hope the results were really decided by us -- we who are the ones paying proper taxes, that feed the families of those who are so hungry to place themselves in positions in order to serve themselves.

As a Manileño who has seen three mayors at its helm -- Mel Lopez, Fred Lim and Lito Atienza -- there was no doubt that Atienza built on what Lim has started and brought Manila back into the tourist map and initiated cultural revival and urban development. I once thought that Manila was a lost cause because of urban decay but I was surprised by the transformation of the city -- Roxas Boulevard, the city's plazas and the public wet markets in particular. There is one thing that I disliked during Atienza's term -- it's the proliferation of pedicabs along national and city roads. I hesitantly voted for Ali Atienza, not because I did not appreciate his father's accomplishments, but because of too much politicking and overexposure (like riding on the popularity of Pacquiao who is also losing in his congressional bid). To me, the accomplishments, which are obvious, should speak for themselves. Now that it was clear that Senator Lim is set to take over the governance of Manila and after the Atienzas have accepted the defeat, these are the questions that are bugging my mind and given a chance, I would like to ask Mayor Lim personally:

1. What will happen now to Baywalk and the other projects that beautify Manila?
2. What will happen to Unibersidad de Manila (formerly City College of Manila)? Will it go back to the old PNB building along Escolta?
3. Are we going to see a radical change in governance?

I have high regards for Senator Lim because he changed the image of Ermita and addressed the garbage problem of the city. I also voted for him in his bid for the Senate in the last 2004 elections. Am hoping that he will not be like some of our national leaders whose first project in office is to "undo" what his/her predecessors have accomplished, even if these projects have been beneficial.

WE now know neither money nor fame is a guarantee. Guns and goons are not anymore as effective and neither are platformless party machineries. An iron grip on the Comelec, DILG, or Ombudsman has its payback. The people now know. The losers in this election bring significance to the unfolding of our electoral maturity. You play an important part in this semblance of political change that starts with choosing wisely. If you are a self-serving greedy loser, you will think twice before again staking your money on a campaign to win stolen money in public office. If you are an idealist loser, you will have more fire in your heart to serve the people because there is hope in the electorate horizon. To the voters who were bought, you are the bigger losers. You are without dignity. You received a few hundreds so people can steal from you for years. What a loser. You are without intelligence. But you are also significant because you are a dying breed. There will be fewer gamblers in the future, and you will start voting like the others did. You have hope -- eventually. But let me single out Richard Gomez, whom I had labeled as a showbiz nitwit loser at the start of the campaign. I have always seen him as arrogant. True, he thought he could win by sheer fan factor, but it is highly impossible that he was not asked by any party to run under their banner. Just like Kiko, Goma did not prostitute himself on account of what they both had under their sleeves. Goma has impressed me in the way he is taking his defeat. Humble and sportsmanlike, he showed us that he has fire in his heart to serve the people. Your loss is a victory for us in that you have made us feel that you are not in there for the money. That is a very rare gift that a politician can ever offer the people most especially during these times. We all are still losers because of all those bad incumbents. They will try to morph into the ghosts of the 2007 vote, but until we promote ourselves from Wise Choosers to Alert Constituents, we will still be losers. Let us all take away that "L" laban sign off our foreheads and raise it up once again -- like how we fought Marcos -- until the incumbents respect us.

HELLO, fellow kababayans, it's but fitting to share our resources especially from the landlocked province of Bukidnon relating to the May 14 elections. If it is allowed, I want to share with you the results which are posted on our website www.reactkaamulan.org/natelection2007. We constantly update the link to accommodate kababayans abroad requesting to post provincial and local election results. Hope this can be helpful. Thanks and more power, Inquirer Bloggers!

HISTORY repeats itself like a broken record. Before, it was conjugal dictatorship and cronies. Then, it was Kamag-anak, Inc. Now, we call it political dynasty. Really, there's nothing new under the sun. The Estradas had set a bad precedent when mother and son won simultaneous seats in the Senate. In the recent election, we saw senatoriables with kin already sitting in the Senate. That's one the reasons why I did not vote for Alan Cayetano, Vic Magsaysay and Koko Pimentel (See my previous blog entry: http://inquirerbloggers.net/eleksyon2007/2007/05/16/why-i-did-not-vote-for-pichay-cayetano-et-al/). In our country, we see fathers sitting as mayors with their children sitting as congressmen. In one city, four brothers ran for mayor, congressmen for both of its districts, and party-list representative. When the local official finishes his third term, he makes his wife run for the position. Then we also discover that some of the nominees of the party-lists are children of congressmen. Why do we tolerate this? Before the election I went to Bicol. I asked a pedicab driver why he would vote for Dato Arroyo. He answered, "Siyempre anak siya ng pangulo. Eh di mas malakas sa taas." (Of course, he is the son of the president. So he must be well-connected up there.) What if Dato loses this election? Does that mean the President will neglect that district in Bicol? That is why political dynasty is so unfair. Now, these politicians claim that there's no law against it. Granted, it may not be illegal. But it is immoral. Democracy is about equality. Where is equality in political dynasty? Is there equality when power is concentrated on just a few influential families? I heard Alan Cayetano say that kings pass on power to their sons. Mr. Cayetano, we are not under a monarchy. Well, at least in a monarchy, the king dies first before the prince takes over. Why not wait for your sister to step down before you run for senator? How can siblings (or father and son as in the case of the Pimentels) be a fair representative of the entire country? Where's equality in that? They claim that they are qualified. Fine. "Sila lang ba ang mga anak ng Diyos?" (Are they the only children of God?) Are they the only ones qualified? Plus, they are not just banking on their qualifications. They are taking advantage of name recall. That's undue advantage. Did they focus solely on their qualifications in their campaign? Really now? Did the voters vote for them solely because they are qualified? Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. claimed that political dynasty is not prohibited by the ten commandments. Well, Mr. Senator, it is. God said, "Thou shalt not steal." Isn't political dynasty stealing the opportunity to serve from others? At least, Senator Panfilo Lacson had the moral courage not to allow one of his sons to run for a local elective position. He told his son not to run while he is a senator. It seems to me that it's all about power. I believe they just could not let go of power, that they just want to perpetuate themselves in power, that they lust for power so much that they want more of it. That's why any anti-dynasty bill is doomed to failure even before it is put on paper.

DESPITE trying to put our best foot forward, we have come up short again as a nation in proving that democracy is strong in our nation. Even with the relatively "calm" and "peaceful" election this time around, this did not deter the usual anomalies in the election process from taking place. Vote buying, using children during election day, and voter disenfranchisement were just some of the usual activities that were observed. As reported in PCIJ,

ASIAN foreign observers expressed deep regret over the failure of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to conduct peaceful, honest and orderly elections last May 14 in the six provinces of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

And the observation did not end in ARMM, as I reported on Tingog.com; other reports included: Voters disenfranchised in Tondo, soldiers harassing foreign observers at a Cebu checkpoint, observers being caught in midst of soldiers and crowd in Guimba, blatant cheating and chaos in Lanao Del Sur polls, as well as irregularities in Quezon... Not that any election is perfect, but it seems the international media picked up on Arroyo's statement the other day, and concluded that the election was fairly peaceful. It's good to note, however, that some foreign observers do have confidence that our election process will improve, and one observer also emphasized a move toward computerized elections.

MANUEL L. Quezon III, who maintains the joint INQUIRER.net blog Current together with John Nery, gives a summary of past Philippine elections in his latest blog post. Here's an excerpt:

In a democracy, it's the will of the majority that decides to vote, that counts.

The other interesting thing is, is it premature to write the obituary on the command vote? In 1998, I wrote that as far as presidential elections were concerned, the days of party machinery determining the outcome were over (the aberration would prove to be 2004: and that was a questionable election). This election marks 100 years since we've had lower house elections; and 66 years since the first national senatorial election. We are only a young democracy in terms of our personal memories. I've put together a summary of the elections from 1907-2004, and it is in the context of all these past races that the present one should be considered. Please take a look (unfortunately, 1971 is a kind of "ghost year," I've never been able to find the House results for that year, though we have the Senate results).

LIKE every patriotic citizen, am awaiting every update on the national and local canvassing of votes. Am interested not only in those who will barge into the Magic 12; equally important is the "attitude" of the early leaders, tailenders and their supporters. These news articles from INQUIRER.net caught my attention:

• GO spokesman in early celebration over looming win for bets
• GO spokesman loses cool in run-in with reporters

I listened with admiration to this guy as he debated with his counterparts during the campaign trail. I would willingly vote for him if he ran for senator. However, with these reports, I don't know if this is reflective of the group he represents. Is this plain arrogance, a childish reaction or the guy is just tired and has been experiencing a lot of stress lately? The events that will unfold in the next few days may give us the answer.

THE WIKIPEDIA entry of Genuine Opposition senatorial candidate Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano has apparently been defaced. A check on the History tab that shows all the changes that have been made to Cayetano's Wikipedia entry shows that the defacing was made on May 16. Under the "Education and other personal information" section, the user added this entry: Allan Peter Cayetano is also known as "Apeng Daldal", "KSP Musmos" and "Walking Microphone." Under "Work Experience," the user added: Stand up comedian at Laughline (1995-97). Meanwhile, under "Voting record," the user added the entry: Walang naisulat na batas. Busy sa papansin sa media. [Did not write any laws. Busy getting the media attention.] The changes to these three sections were all made on May 16, using the same IP address. Wikipedia is a user-generated online encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Entries on sensitive topics that are prone to vandalism, or which have been repeatedly defaced, may be locked by Wikipedia administrators so that changes can't be made to the entry.

BREAKING News from INQUIRER.net reporter Veronica Uy:

The Commission on Elections has asked the two television networks ABS-CBN and GMA 7 to stop the quick counts as they are "unauthorized."

Details to follow. Keep visiting the Eleksyon 2007 running account for updates.

THERE are two observations about the elections which at first seem disconnected but are in fact intertwined. And when you bring these two together, it points to a paradox that is disturbing for a young democracy such as ours: People are becoming more capable voters, but fewer people are voting. How do we work our way out of that? Let us first go through the twin phenomena informing this paradox. All that glitters isn't gold First, celebrities don't seem to fare as well as they used to. Montano, Gomez and Pacquiao are all bankable names but apparently people haven't been as quick to vote for them. Even Singson, who I consider a celebrity more than anything else, hasn't fared well beyond the Ilocos provinces (the results of which would be telling once we get them). And while we have yet to see how the votes for Visayas and Mindanao shape Montano's and Gomez's tallies, the trend in Manila is clear and I called their defeat months ago. Pacquiao, who took quite a beating in my blog, is now taking a real beating from Darlene Custodio as well. My interest in that battle was not a matter of politics; I'm not voting in that district after all. My interest has been more of an observer, wanting to analyze why people such as Pacquiao persist and arguing why they shouldn't. I admit, there is some vindication to be had here but that is meaningless until the people of the 1st district of South Cotabato find the change they seek. It just happens that Pacquiao is not one to give it. People were wise enough not to trust a boxer who had nothing much besides hard work, discipline and an overly confident "Maybe I can do it" heading into politics. After all, in voting for popular candidates such as these, people invest their trust, a currency that hasn't proven enough in the past to ensure political change. Look at what happened with Estrada. In closing this point, the following excerpt from an Inquirer report summarizes this aspect of the decline of populism quite well.

Educator Bro. Manny de Leon said the emerging poll results would indicate that popularity alone would not spell victory in an election. He said that Custodio was no match to Pacquiao in popularity but she compensated for that weakness by using her solid machinery. "The political machinery of the Antoninos is still strong. They had a well-organized campaign down to the purok level and they sustained it up to the finish line," De Leon said. "I am inclined to believe that people want nothing but real change. But we have no choice. The people are wise enough to vote for (one) who is more competent." According to De Leon, another drawback of Pacquiao's political bid was the perception that he was a yes-man of Malacañang. De Leon's view was supported by Fr. Angel Buenavides, spokesperson of the Diocese of Marbel.

Counterintuitive democracy The second observation to be made is the decline in the voters' turnout which is pegged at 75%, down from 77% in 2004 and 85% in 2001. This also goes for the overseas absentee voters where there is a drastic drop from 65% in 2004 to a dismal 15% now. A caveat has to be made about the OAV however, since voter mobility (workers moving from one country to another) is one major reason why a lot didn't get to vote. Citing some articles now,

In the first issue of "Election Forensics 2007", Professor Bobby Tuazon of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) said the continuing decrease in the turnout of voters showed that the people are getting more disillusioned. The cause of disillusionment, according to Tuazon, include reports of missing or misplaced names, missing precincts, unreadable master list, harassment from supporters of candidates, police and the military, and violence. "With recent surveys showing 70-percent of Filipinos predicting the occurrence of massive fraud in the mid-term elections, there is a high probability of an increasing number of the electorate staying away from the polls. This pessimism and other factors would explain the possible low turnout in the May 14 polls," Tuazon said. (source: Advocacy group cites disillusionment for low voter turnout)

Only 78,360 out of the 504,110 overseas Filipinos who registered for the May 14 election, or 15.5 percent, actually voted. But Ambassador Generoso Calonge, vice chair of the Overseas Absentee Voting Secretariat, said the fact that more than half a million overseas Filipinos registered for the poll exercise was already a success. "The election is composed of two things, registration and actual voting. The fact that 504,110 availed of the privilege to register is a big accomplishment..they may have not chosen to exercise that [voting] right but they signified their intention to vote," Calonge said. "The mission of government is to provide the opportunity. Like in a highway, even if there is no car passing, you provide the opportunity for a better environment for driving," Calonge said. Colange said the low turnout this year may have been due to the high mobility of overseas Filipinos, particularly workers, who transfer from one employment to another and from one country to another. Absentee voter turnout only 15.5% -- DFA

I think it is quite counterintuitive to argue that a decreasing voter turnout is good for democracy. Even if the results are more manageable, can one really advocate that less people vote, or worse, that only capable and intelligent voters vote? Do we allow the less determine what is good for the more? This may sound absurd but the strange thing is that there is some merit to this argument -- if we were in the 18th and 19th centuries and limited suffrage to certain elites, colors, faiths and genders. I always say that we are a young and learning democracy, but I couldn't take myself to say that we must devolve our democracy. After all, the problem with Philippine democracy is not with the people who value it but with the institutions that manage it. The recent elections have made this clear: Many people really wanted to vote but not many of them could. A lot of people couldn't find their names or their precincts. And as stated in the CenPEG study, people weren't too optimistic about how their votes would be handled. People are not pessimistic because they are simply being pessimistic; the system simply did not give them enough reason to believe that their votes mattered. The right to vote So people are becoming more capable voters, but fewer people are voting. Now, more than ever, the right of suffrage must be guaranteed. By guaranteeing that right, it isn't enough to "provide the highway" as Ambassador Calonge would say. That highway must have signs to guide drivers to their destinations, and should allow fueling exits and emergency shoulders. It is one thing to put up a highway, it is another to put up a highway that works. Just take the old North Luzon Expressway before and after its rehabilitation; people don't mind paying the higher toll fees since it works pretty well. Taking off from this metaphor now, reforming the Comelec is a foregone conclusion. But as to why we can't take confident strides into automating our elections is beyond me. The cynics have come to the most reasonable conclusion -- that perhaps this will jeopardize many candidates' monopoly on cheating. This is a political psychology we must simply transcend and we begin that by injecting new blood into the political system. I hope the youth catch my challenge here. But beyond reforming the Comelec, another solution can be gleamed from one of the most effective management dogmas: play to your strengths and manage your weaknesses. And the greatest strength of Philippine democracy would be our people. Deep down, we believe in democracy. The ethos of our political culture can be summarized in two words: People Power. The way forward I propose is something that will take time and effort. What our general public needs is a political education that will enlighten them on various democratic process and principles. After all, half the reason why people give in to vote buying or cheating is because they cannot perceive the wrong they do when the do so. (The other half is that they need to put food on their table, so I'll let the economy -- and its support groups -- do its work.) I volunteer every election for the PPCRV and I really wish that more work be done in teaching the voters how and why they should vote since that is the first thing that comes to mind with the phrase "responsible voting" (RV). There really is so much we can do to make our elections work. Let us not allow our institutions to be the excuse why our democracy fails. In the end, it's all about the people. Many are willing to vote, but not many can't. I don't know about you, but that's half the problem solved. The real paradox here is how badly we want our democracy to work but not many are willing to pitch in. That's where you come in.

I THINK that since the election is now over save for the counting we can now do a post-election evaluation. Maybe candidates can learn a thing or two from this. I did not vote for Pichay because he apparently spent so much for his political ads. This worried me. Where will he get the money to recoup his "investments"? Also, there were so many ads that I feel it backfired. I got fed up hearing him promise that he dreams of fulfilling my dreams. But it seems the only way for him to do that is that I must first fulfill his dream of becoming a senator. I did not vote for Sonia Roco because of her "para silang autistic" remark aired over national TV. That's a very callous statement. She claimed in her apology that she was not poking fun at children with special needs. But the fact that she used the word autistic had hurt me. By the way, autistic is not the politically correct term. It's "children with autism." Because we have to see the child beyond his or her autism. I did not vote for Alan Peter Cayetano. Every time I hear him, he always attacks. What will he do in the Senate? Attack some more? He got suspended in the last Congress for his false accusations against the First Gentleman. My dear lawmaker, "tsismis" (or gossip) should have no room in a lawmaker's mind. Leave that to showbiz gossip writers. You cannot make laws based on "tsismis." Verify your facts first. Gather evidence before calling for an investigation. That way you will save us taxpayers our time and money. Cayetano came across as a witch hunter, not a fiscalizer that he tried to package himself. Plus, I cannot stomach his arguments against the political dynasty issue thrown at him. He claimed that, before he ran, he challenged PGMA that if she will not allow her sons to run for Congress, he will also not run as senator. That's baloney! If he really thinks that political dynasty is wrong, he should not run. Period. This political dynasty issue is also the reason why I did not vote for Koko Pimentel and Vic Magsaysay. They already have relatives sitting in the Senate. Can't they wait for their relatives to step down before running for the senate? I did not vote for Loren Legarda for she came off to me as someone out to be in power no matter what's the price. Whenever I see her, I see ambition written all over her face. She cried when the envelope was not opened in the Estrada impeachment trial. But during the campaign, I saw her all smiles while Erap is raising her hand. Where's her convictions? Were they for convenience or expediency? I did not vote for Antonio Trillanes not only for the Oakwood mutiny but also he came across as arrogant. First, he claimed it would be a slap for PGMA if he wins while campaigning behind bars. But then he applied for bail. It appeared to me that it was all for media sound bites. Well, some of these candidates may have won in this election. I just hope my perceptions are wrong. But I think I will not regret dumping them. It's my vote. It's my choice.

IT is quite alarming that in almost 48 hours since the 2007 elections began, the Commission on Elections has not yet issued a count of votes in Banisilan, North Cotabato, Mindanao. Is there a need for the common tao (or better yet the voters) to get worried over this? What could warrant such a delay of action in the counting of votes?

YESTERDAY, I managed to extricate myself from a business lunch meeting so that I can cast my vote. I arrived at the Philippine Embassy (Singapore) at around 2:15 p.m., only to be told that I was not on the list of overseas absentee voters (OAVs) with returned ballots. I registered as an OAV in 2005, and my name was on the 2005 OAV list, I told the poor, hapless embassy staff, who had to endure the wrath of a number of OAVs like me because they were miraculously "deleted" by the Commission on Elections from the master list. I told her in no uncertain terms that I am here to do my duty for my country and I will not leave until I cast my vote, so please be kind enough to give me a ballot quick! While she went off to find a ballot for me, most of the OAVs that were waiting outside were lamenting our situation. One woman said the government is getting worse, and as usual things are topsy-turvy. We were all in agreement that something must be done to save the Philippines from this present administration, whose cheating tactics has crossed foreign shores. The "mailing of ballots" system that they implemented was mired with discrepancies. I do not understand which list the Comelec used when they sent out the ballots to OAVs in Singapore. They certainly never used the 2005 list, because I never got my voter's kit. After a while, the embassy staff managed to give me a kit that was destined for a seafarer (I work as a journalist here in Singapore). Immediately I sat down to write my choices. Halfway through writing my choices, I noticed that the embassy actually dispensed of the "shields" that provided privacy for the voters, and that some voters actually sat together in one or two tables and dictated their choices to one another. In short, nagkokopyahan! And I have to be blunt; the choices are mostly from the GO. For that brief moment, I realized that marami na palang OFW na mulat na sa mga nangyayari sa bansa, and that in their own way, they took time out from their work just to vote (kahit wala sa listahan), because they care for the future of the country. Sana mabasa ito ng mga mananalo sa halalan, at sana ma-realize nila that malaki ang utang nila sa taong bayan, at obligasyon nilang bayaran ang utang na ito… with interest.

I AM supposed to be deep in my review for something. But instead, I find myself glued to the tube for the latest election results. And, on the road, my radio is on the AM band. I've never felt so damn involved with any elections and to think I've been voting for so long. I voted 8 from GO, 2 independents and 2 from TU. And hey, only 3 three my candidates didn't make it to the top 12 -- well, as of this moment. Roco seems to be stuck at 15. Zubiri has been making big strides from the late teens and is now actually 13th. But boohoo to Kiram, it would probably take a miracle to get him closer even to 12. I voted for him because I wanted Muslims to have a representation in the Senate; unfortunately my vote fell in the minority. I read somewhere that Escudero got into the coveted slot because he is a deadringer for Bamboo. Well, if he were, he'd probably be Bamboo after a plastic surgery gone awry. Don't get me wrong. I am a fan of Chiz but my point is... I don't like him because of his similarities with Bamboo (hello!). I like Chiz because of his brains. Probably also because he is so articulate. I like guys with spunk and who kick ass. In his case, not just an ordinary ass but the president's no less. I mean, he led the impeachment trials, right? I bet he would try again once he gets installed in the Senate. Way to go. I am not a fan of Cayetano. I haven't forgotten the BW scandal which involved his dad (may he rest in peace). But, I find his plight to nail PGMA admirable. A greenhorn practically raring to slam himself into a concrete wall (figuratively and literally!) And that thing with the other Peter Cayetano. Just plain hilarious! Later.

NOW that the votes have been cast, I think it's high time for us to reflect as a nation, particularly on the processes, events and experiences of this election. Worth pondering is the amount of money involved in this election. With millions of Filipinos living below the poverty level, millions of families struggling to survive a day, it is a sin, if not a crime for candidates to have spent hundreds of millions of pesos for election propaganda materials. Several photos from INQ.net and reports from TFC show sophisticated posters and expensive TV adverts, obviously costing candidates a lot of money, not to mention the environmental harm production of such materials might have caused. Hindi nasusukat ang kalidad ng serbisyo ng isang lider ( I am deliberately shying away from the use of the word "politician" as it means nothing to me!) sa ganda ng kanyang mga leaflets o posters o TV commercials. In London where I currently reside, propaganda materials come in the form of e-mails or correspondences that come by post, simply stating candidates' views on important issues, together with their qualifications. Likewise, I think it's high time for stakeholders -- state, media, church and the academe -- to pool their resources together and come up with an honest-to-goodness voters' education program. That is, if we all share the same dream of pushing this country forward. It is obvious how a lot of candidates are exploiting our countrymen, banking on their desperate state of poverty and ignorance and yes, for all the world to see! Shame, really.

I WAS looking at your vote counts, national level. As of this [writing], the highest [tally for] senator was Escudero with a vote count of 50, 000 +. The vote count of ABS-CBN and STI, as of this [writing], is already 200,000. I am a diehard GMA and Inquirer fan. Why is it that this is happening? Is it because Inquirer/GMA had fewer volunteers than the other network? Your coverage by the way was very, very good. Keep up the good work, Kapuso. Sa ating iisang boto, mababago natin ang bayan.

I SURELY hope that the election returns would not take a whole month to reach the Comelec [Commission on Elections] from the various provinces of the Republic of the Philippines. This has happened in the last election where Fernando Poe Jr., who ran against [Gloria Macapagal-]Arroyo for president, got zero votes in Lanao del Sur. The election results took one month to add and tally, showing Arroyo winning over Mr. Poe. Garcillano and his cohorts at Comelec in 2004 did democracy and the Filipino people great dishonor and shame by rigging the election results. -- Alfonso Demayo, Vancouver (via e-mail)

THERE are disturbing reports regarding vote buying in Caba, La Union this Election Day. I heard from my sources that those competing for mayoral positions were giving people 500 to 1, 000 pesos. I hope the authorities investigate this as soon as possible. The municipality of Caba does not deserve to be led by a leader who won his/her position through vote buying.

CHECK out this video of the Department of Education Election Task Force central office taken by INQUIRER.net reporter Alex Villafania. And here's an excerpt from his story:

MANILA, Philippines--The Department of Education (DepEd) is trying to determine whether the allowances for teachers who are working as election officers this Monday will be released by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), an official said. Ramon Bacani, DepEd undersecretary for regional operations, said that the agency has no direct involvement in the release teachers' honorarium.

Here are the results of the initial, partial, unofficial AMA quick count results as of 4: 22:17 p.m. Keep visiting the Eleksyon 2007 Tallies page for the latest results: 1. LEGARDA, LOREN, 565 2. VILLAR, MANUEL BAMBA JR, 553 3. ESCUDERO, FRANCIS JOSEPH A, 548 4. ANGARA, EDGARDO J, 535 5. LACSON, PANFILO M, 517 6. PANGILINAN, FRANCIS N, 504 7. AQUINO, BENIGNO SIMEON III C, 491 8. ARROYO, JOKER P, 484 9. DEFENSOR, MICHAEL T, 396 10. RECTO, RALPH G, 396 11. TRILLANES, ANTONIO IV F, 396 12. CAYETANO, ALAN PETER P, 378 13. ZUBIRI, JUAN MIGUEL F , 368 14. HONASAN, GREGORIO B, 326 15. PIMENTEL, AQUILINO DL, 318

HERE are the results of the latest partial, unofficial AMA quick count tally: 1. ESCUDERO, FRANCIS JOSEPH A, 183 2. LEGARDA, LOREN, 174 3. ARROYO, JOKER P , 161 4. ANGARA, EDGARDO J, 147 5, LACSON, PANFILO M , 141 6. VILLAR, MANUEL BAMBA JR, 136 7. RECTO, RALPH G, 130 8. PANGILINAN, FRANCIS N, 128 9. DEFENSOR, MICHAEL T, 121 10. TRILLANES, ANTONIO IV F, 121 11. AQUINO, BENIGNO SIMEON III C, 116 12. HONASAN, GREGORIO B, 102 13. ZUBIRI, JUAN MIGUEL F , 99 14. CAYETANO, ALAN PETER P , 87 15. ROCO, SONIA M, 86 16. SOTTO, VICENTE C, 82 17. PIMENTEL, AQUILINO DL, 75 18. OSMEÃÆ'‘A, JOHN HENRY C, 63 19. PICHAY, PROSPERO JR A, 60 20. MAGSAYSAY, VICENTE P, 53 21. ORETA, TERESA TAO A , 45 22. SINGSON, LUIS C, 43 23. MONTANO,CESAR M., 42 24. GOMEZ, RICHARD I , 41 25. COSETENG, ANNA DOMINIQUE, 40 26. KIRAM, JAMALUI III D , 14 27. WOOD, VICTOR, 11 28. PAREDES, ZOSIMO JESUS II , 10 29. BAUTISTA, MARTIN D , 9 30. CHAVEZ, MELCHOR G , 8 31. CAYETANO, JOSELITO P, 7 32. CANTAL, FELIX C, 5 33. ESTRELLA, ANTONIO L , 5 34. LOZANO, OLIVER O , 4 35. ORPILLA, EDUARDO F, 3 36. SISON, ADRIAN O, 2 37. ENCISO, RUBEN C, 2 Keep visiting the Eleksyon 2007 running account for updates.

I AM an OFW [overseas Filipino worker] working here in Nigeria. I am so proud and glad to observe our countrymen's enthusiasm in participating in our election exercise.

EVERY election day, I get lazy to vote. This year, we moved from Makati to Pasig City and the voting center is right across our house. There is no reason for me to be lazy. The problem is I forgot to re-register. But still I took a chance. I checked my name on the list of registered voters. It took quite some time to locate. The election watcher explained that the voters' names are listed alphabetically according to street address. How crazy. After 10 minutes, he found my family name but the voter's name belonged to my husband. My name wasn't listed but I relayed the good news to my husband that he could vote. Eager to vote, my husband just crossed the street from our house while I followed and took photos of the voting center. View more photos of Philippine Elections 2007 right across our house. After 3 p.m., I will check the voting tally results.

THERE is no doubt that this election is different from previous elections that we have had before. With the rise of the Web 2.0 phenomenon and the increasing access that Filipinos have to video cell phones, camera phones, as well as the Internet, we are in a better position to behave like citizen journalists. So, when I say bring your weapons, I'm not telling you to bring guns and ammunition. What I am advocating is that during Election Day, during the counting, and the days after, be vigilant. As I write at tingog.com,

...arm yourself with camera phones, contact bloggers and media outlets if you notice any fraudulent and criminal activities. Upload videos of illegal activities to Youtube. This is a special moment in our history because for the first time, I think citizen media can play some part in the election watch, albeit maybe just a minor role.

Great media institutions are already doing their part. GMA Network, INQUIRER.net and the Philippine Daily Inquirer are all working overtime to bring everyone the latest news. But they can't be everywhere. But you, the ordinary Filipino citizen, armed with your camera phone or your video phone, can capture fraudulent and illegal activities on the spot... So, don't just sit there, take part, and help make the election a fair and honest one.

HERE'S an excerpt from INQUIRER.net reporter Joel Guinto's story:

MANILA, Philippines--The campaign against loose firearms in the 2007 elections has so far resulted in the recovery of 2,176 firearms, 195 explosives, and 303 bladed weapons, police records showed. The campaign has also led to the arrest of 2,301 suspects, according to the same records. Of the 2,176 firearms, 1,446 are high-powered while 730 are low-powered. The 195 explosives include 108 improvised explosive devices and 87 grenades, according to the police tally as of Sunday, the eve of the mid-term elections.

HERE'S a video of the National Movement for Free Elections headquarters in La Salle Greenhills, which was still mostly empty this morning when this was taken. All systems are go for the quick count which is set to start this evening. Video taken by INQUIRER.net reporter Alex Villafania. Go here to view more Eleksyon 2007 videos.

"GET Out and Vote" is probably the first sentence I learned as a toddler. Posters of "Get out and Vote" in yellow and white colors were plastered all over our house. My dad used to lead the Citizen's Quick Count in Cebu, the equivalent of today's civilian quick count. I lost count of the names. Is it NAMFREL? Though dad was not involved in politics, the civic duty of citizen's tabulation rested on his sharp mathematical skills. I tagged along with my dad to those quick count centers. The numbers tallied on the board excited me. Strange thing. I probably grew to love numbers because of my father. I can add a long list of numbers without the use of calculators because the latter just slows the tabulation. Memories of Election Day remind me so much of my dad that's why I wrote this today. My blog entry is Get Out and vote yet I can't vote. Not because I don't want to vote. I stupidly forgot to re-register. Still in denial, I checked my name at the online COMELEC Precint finder. And what do you know? My name is not listed of course but my husband's name is. My husband claims he never re-registered. Now how did that happen? Read more?

HERE'S an excerpt from the article written by Kate Pedroso of Inquirer Research based on the results of the Social Weather Systems survey.

MANILA, Philippines -- Most of the voters who were aware of election observers for Monday's polls prefer that the observers be Filipino, while a fourth prefer that they be both Filipino and foreign, according to a Social Weather Stations survey conducted last month. One in every five Filipino voters (21 percent) have "heard or read of May 2007 election observers," the SWS survey conducted from April 14 to 17 showed. Of this number, 67 percent preferred Filipino observers, 24 percent preferred both Filipino and foreign observers, while 8 percent preferred foreign observers. Awareness about election observers was higher in Mindanao (27 percent), among members of classes ABC (30 percent) and among college graduates (28 percent).

GREETINGS! Politics in our country is one of the dirtiest marks we have. Like the indelible ink used during the election, so is politics. Why? For one honest reason, some politicians want to gratify themselves with positions because along with that position comes money that could make them rich (though some don't have experience and knowledge to run the government wisely). Some have resorted to killings and mudslinging to preserve the political agenda and group. Why do we need to suffer like this every time we have election? It is obvious that politics in our country is very weak... morally weak. Why do people kill for the sake of the position? We are not enemies. We are one race and blood. We are Filipinos! If we don't stop doing this we can never go far. Why? Think of a person who injure himself and slaps himself, [resulting in] a lot of bruises... he can never go far. For the crisis we have in our nation, guns are not the answer! To kill our fellow man for the sake of the position we are aiming at will not do us any good. It will only incapacitate us, it will disable and will result in a more pitiable condition where [we will become a] laughingstock. It's not solely the politician who suffers, anyway, but the whole Filipino. The peace we are aiming at can be achieved not by military force, not by war but by us individual persons. Peace can be achieved if we make a decision to become a peacemaker and peacekeeper ourselves. Where there is peace in your heart, that will influence your family, then, your community, down to the provincial and regional, [level] finally to your country. Though I am not living in the Philippines anymore, I am still thinking of me having to spend my life there when I retire. I am looking forward to a better Philippines with peace and prosperity. God bless the Philippines! -- Vhee Cabanting, Torrance, California (via e-mail)

HERE'S an excerpt from Neal Cruz's Philippine Daily Inquirer column piece:

MANILA, Philippines - This is it, the moment of truth! Today is the time to exercise your right to choose your leaders. Go to the voting precincts and vote for your candidates. Choose the candidates who you think will serve your community best. Don't sell your vote. The candidate who offers, directly or indirectly, to buy your vote is no good. He is not yet in office and he is already violating the law. If you vote for him and he wins, he will do more of the same. He will bribe his way through life. He is corrupting you. He is one of the persons who cause so much corruption in our government. And he is one reason you and many others are suffering.

If you accept his offer, you yourself will be violating the law. The law punishes not only the vote-buyer but also the vote-seller, that's you. For a few hundred pesos you will spend a number of days in jail. You will have a prison record, a blot on your reputation for as long as you live. You will be called a "jailbird, an ex-convict." All for a few hundred pesos, which would be spent and gone by tomorrow anyway. And you will have that nagging guilty feeling for the rest of your life.

Check out INQUIRER.net's Eleksyon 2007 running account.

AS I was listing my choices for the coming senatorial and local elections, I felt a sense of hopelessness. There are only two people on my list:

• a very old man who should have retired but felt that no one can fill in his shoes yet; and
• someone who dared not to be proclaimed by presidents he previously asked to resign (nevertheless, if he is not married to a megastar he would not have that "principle."

All the rest were… enough to make me feel that I should start joining the queue to Canada, Australia, New Zealand or wherever. Among "senatoriables" there are turncoats on all sides, people with no principles, no platforms, and no political parties.

• We have bright young lawyers who talk too much but work too little (if they did their homework, they could have impeached GMA)…
• We have returning political veterans who never achieved anything substantial other than spark EDSA Dos by blocking the opening of the second envelope…
• We have children and relatives of heroes… but we all have heroes' blood in all of us…
• We have millionaires who swindled banks, depositors and house buyers to accumulate wealth (sipag at tyaga… at maraming pagbalimbing)…
• We have populists… they do not understand a single word they are harking (ever thought about the consequences of abolishing VAT or not paying our national debt)…
• We have local government officials who came from provinces that are not known for their progress or unparalleled development…
• We have political neophytes with no clear understanding of the legislative process…
• We have glorious men in uniform whose greatness was shot down because of women in their lives (one was asked by his mother to stop a mutiny, the other was caught in his female friend's house)…
• We have action stars who brawl on national TV and it is not part of a movie or a show…
• We have a dumb bar topnotcher who disgraces two universities with his un-common sense

(From INQUIRER podcast interview: OK, since I'm a lawyer, and I know the basic structure of our government. I'm running for senator, that's the legislative branch. The case of Estrada belongs to the judicial branch, and there is a wall of separation between the two branches. Then, well as an aspiring senator I should not comment cases pending before courts. I will let the justices of the Sandiganbayan... objectively and impartially decide the case of president Joseph Estrada. But since, on a personal note, since Erap is my wedding sponsor, ninong ko, I wish him all the best, and my wish is for him to be acquitted.)

ALL the Commissioner [Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos] needs is political will and the Magsaysay no-nonsense, to-hell-with-niceties attitude... and above all, a little common sense. All he has to do is cancel all gun permits -- absolutely all, not even handguns for candidates and bodyguards. Replace the entire PNP [Philippine National Police] and AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] elements in Abra and replace them with new PMA [Philippine Military Academy] graduates as officers with their handpicked men, all without anything to do with Abra, no relatives, no in-laws, preferably from Visayas or Mindanao or from the Tagalog area or Bicol in Luzon. Then enforce the law without fear or favor or politics and throw the book at everybody. Candidates without guns or bodyguards will be the first to flee the province. Then Abalos will be rid of the root of the problem -- the politicians running for office. Then other candidates with no inclination to violence can be elected to office in Abra in a democratic, non-violent exercise of suffrage.A ll these are within his powers as Comelec Commissioner. If these are not within his powers, the welfare of the country and the good of the people which are the highest source of power confer upon him such extraordinary powers in extraordinary times. Abalos can apply the same formula to all other troubled provinces. Abalos, who prides himself in being a former golf caddy, is in a unique position to clean up Philippine elections in the provinces -- never mind the national contests -- and sweep away violent provincial dynasties from power, thus rendering an invaluable service to the Filipino people, if only to redeem himself from his failed and discredited election computerization program. Abalos can make a name for himself and step out from President Arroyo's shadow to do something really heroic and revolutionary for his country and for his grandchildren to be proud of him once again. He can sweep away the country's violent political dynasties. Magsaysay could have done it. But of course, Abalos is no Magsaysay. Or, can Abalos do a Magsaysay? -- Enrique Angeles, Buena Park, California (via e-mail)

QUALIFICATIONS of a candidate running for public office should be more than his/her ability to read and write. Yes, it's true that voters are responsible for choosing somebody whom they believe are best qualified for a certain public position especially congressional and senatorial. I believe that there should be a law that would allow only the competent and educated people to run for public office. By being competent, it means that he/she has a proper grasp of what lawmaking, leadership and public enforcement mean and that he/ she can withstand an ardous wit-whirling debate. On the other hand, being educated implies that he/she has at least a college degree. There are concepts taught in college that make an individual capable of understanding society and human nature better: Sociology and Psychology, for instance. It is especially essential for someone who will serve people and be a major influence on society to appreciate and fully comprehend such concepts (society and human nature.) because if not we will be under the power of ignorant people. Aside from that, since education is the primary concern of everyone, wouldn't it be ironic to advocate the importance of education if the candidate himself/herself hasn't had a decent one? He or she hasn't even got herself one so how sure are we that he/she truly understood its importance? I don't think it is necessary that all our public officials be lawyers or some hotshot political or social analyst. In fact, I believe that it would be better if our public officials will come from different professions so that the concerns of each would be attended fairly. But again, of course, they should possess the aforementioned qualifications. With all these said, I wish to express my dismay at political aspirants who are better off as athletes, celebrities and ordinary citizens. We should have the "cream of the crop" candidates to choose from because we deserve the best.

PEOPLE are so angry -- and that's what scares me about the elections. My mom always told me nothing good ever came out of anger. I don't understand who came up with the opposition tagline "Plan Co Revolt," but it certainly doesn't bode well for the future if those angry oppositionists win most of the Senate seats up for grabs. We'll have rallies everyday, no law will be passed in the Senate because they'd want to do endless investigations and privilege speeches, they'd invade the evening news with endless complaints. All the more that the Senate will be useless as an institution. On May 14, let's vote with sobriety and good sense. Let's review the candidates' records in legislation -- if they passed good laws, or if they did zilch.

ON MONDAY, we're going to vote again and exercise our sacred right to vote. Hoping our chosen candidates are the right ones and hoping that other voters would choose the right candidates for the coveted positions. The lesson we've learned from the past elections should never be forgotten. Some had violence, widespread fraud and vote buying. But despite these, Juan de la Cruz is still standing and smiling, holding a lighted candle symbolizing hope and changes for the good. As a citizen of this country, my vote is my hope. Please respect my vote.

I WANT to thank the Inquirer for summarizing the violence related to elections here at the Opinion pages. It strikes a nerve, not because it reminds older people of the Martial Law era -- it strikes a nerve because the disappearances and the killings confirm long-held notions that democracy is a foreign idea to our people and human rights gets thrown by the wayside when strong emtions (e.g. the passion for power) begin to surface. Our rulers, from the older ones to our current political leaders have learned to reign in a heavily emotional populace, a populace whose only given rights have always been and remain in the realm of feelings and emotions (we've never been given the right, nor felt that we have it, to think, think for ourselves, use reason as a necessary tool for civilization.) Ours is a race that has suffered from racial discrimination under the Spanish and Americans and continue to suffer such discrimination. We are not given the right, nor do we allow ourselves the right, to think freely and with sincerity. We are given the right (the only right given to us and the only right we allow ourselves) to feel sincerely and passionately. I give this to you as the reason why all these assassinations, murders and killing sprees are tolerated by the public, a public that numbers in the tens of millions against a government and elite, including the law enforcement bodies and the military who are in the hundreds of thousands. A populace capable enough in earning their daily bread thousands of miles away from home seems incapable of putting a stop to national saboteurs, especially these murderous and thieving politicians. They are not incapable, and in fact have more than enough power to put these big-time criminals on their knees begging for legal clemency. They have the power; the people have always had the power. What they don't have is self-respect and the ability, the right, to think for themselves. We are a free country on paper but our people do not think and act free. A free people won't let an army with a thousand tanks and helicopter gunships take away their civil liberties. But Filipinos let these thugs armed with often-misfiring M16 rifles take away everything but their right to feel. Merely being saddened, shocked and afraid of what's happening as the election nears is not enough -- and it shouldn't be enough -- for a free people in a free country. These third-rate feudal lords are a poor excuse to be afraid. So why are we afraid? A religous people, a people who believe in God. Why are we afraid of fighting for our freedom and for our country, for our right to be prosperous and live in peace? People, don't be shy to use your God-given and constitutional liberties. We have never been an inferior race. Too peace-loving, maybe. Too afraid of our own potential for monstrous arrogance (that other cultures glory in) to take charge in a dire situation that is becoming even more dire. Fighting for our dignity, integrity, our soul, is a good excuse for risking our lives. Living in indignity, without honor, lied to by leaders as a matter of course, disrespected by thieves and murderers -- this is not the kind of life that a civilized people deserve. We are a democratic people. We are a people who can hold their heads up high before the freest people in the world. Our freedom, our intelligence, our morality, our spirit exist without foreign aid. Most of all, our dignity resides in every child born even in absolute, gut-clenching poverty. And we allow greedy mongrels, disrespectful armed thugs and shameless political families to take everything away from us? -- Brian Brotarlo, Iloilo City (via e-mail)

THE MAY 2007 election is fast approaching. Campaign materials of politicians running for different positions are all over wherever you go. Political advertisements of famous senatorial candidates are frequently shown on TV and are heard on radio stations. Local politicians running for a seat are doing house-to-house campaigns. They are trying to reach the common people asking for their vote in the coming election with a promise to make our community a better place to live in. They assure the people of free education and peace and order. They promise to eradicate crime, corruption, poverty and to provide better services to the common people. Senatorial candidates like �Prospero Pichay� with his tagline: "‘Maniwala ka matutupad ang pangarap mo�;" Joker Arroyo: "Ââ€Å"Pag bad ka lagot ka�;" Loren Legarda: "Ââ€Å"Tanging si Loren lang, hindi magsasawa na maglingkod�;" and a whole lot more are full of empty promises. All of them are promising a better future and a progressive country, which is far from what is true. Politicians in the past have promised the same sweet nothings. It was like a promised land that could never be reached. But where have they left us? They finished their term and left us with so many unsolved problems like poverty, crime and corruption. There was a decline in the quality of education and erosion of moral values. Suppression of the freedom of speech is being experienced and worse are incidences of extra judicial killings. Ââ€Å"Let's wait until the cows come home�, this is what their promises are like. I wish politicians that are currently running for positions were really sincere and serious in carrying out their platforms. People are really fed up with politiciansÂ’' empty promises. I think that it is high time now for us Filipinos to be more discriminating in our choice of candidates to vote for. We should look for lawmakers who are not only knowledgeable in the law but also have a strong sense of patriotism like that of our heroes like Jose Rizal and the others who have fought for our freedom. LetÂ’'s look for candidates with a heart and with fear of God. If all politicians possess all these characteristics, they would never cheat and steal from the government. Politicians who are of high integrity and are principled would never take advantage of their high positions. They would never sell our country to foreigners who are just after our rich natural resources. We should know well the candidates that we are to vote for. I believe that some politicians do not have the qualities of a good leader. Many of them do not have any good intentions in serving the country. They just want to be in power and to amass wealth. Many of them also want to build political dynasties so they can stay in position to protect their personal business and use their power for other personal purposes. Once they are in power they forget their responsibilities and promises to the common people. They forget the real purpose why they are elected, and that is to serve the people. Unfortunately, the reality is most of the time the opposite of what they have promised. They are using their positions to amass wealth and power instead of serving the country, serving the people. They are unmindful of the consequences of their actions to the whole country. I wonder how they can sleep peacefully over all the unscrupulous things they are doing! I think it'Â’s about time for us to make a difference in this coming election. We can make a change through our votes. The future of our country lies in our hands�. We should not be blinded by the empty promises and the popularity of the politicians. LetÂ’'s scrutinize their backgrounds and their track records. Let us look at them in terms of what they can do for our country. We should elect leaders who are principled and of great integrity. Let us learn our lessons from the past. Let us vote wisely. Let us exercise our right to vote because our vote really matters. Think of our future. Now is the chance to make a difference. -- Ave Jaerel T. Parungao, Valenzuela City (via e-mail)

WHO is running for senator? Noynoy [Benigno Aquino III] or Ninoy [Benigno Aquino Jr.]? Can he (Noynoy) not run and campaign for senator with his own merits? Kahit pa anong sinabi ni Ninoy sa iyo, kung isa man sa mga ito ay wala sa iyo, wala ka pa rin! Bakit hindi ka na lang mag-kandidato sa sariling kayod mo? Kailangan mo pang sumandal sa mga ginawa ng ama mo? Wala ka bang sarili? Ang laki-laki mo na nagpapatulong ka pa sa tatay mo. -- Bernie Bituin, Edmond, Alberto, Canada (via e-mail)

A FIREFIGHT broke out in the compound of Jesus Is Lord leader Eddie Villanueva, whose son Eduaro "Jon-Jon" Villanueva Jr. is running for mayor of Bocaue, Bulacan. Here's an excerpt from the Breaking News story of INQUIRER.net reporter Thea Alberto:

Villanueva said he suspected military men to be behind the attack, but Chief Superintendent Ismael Rafanan, Central Luzon police director, said that still had be to be determined by an investigation.

"That's what they [Villanueva] claim..but we are still conducting investigations to precisely point what really happened..and who started the firefight," said Rafanan in a phone interview. Rafanan also said that what transpired was not an attack. "It was not an attack. There was a misunderstanding sa grupo nila dahil yata sa pagdidikit ng mga posters [There was a misunderstanding in their group over the posting of campaign posters] ," said Rafanan.

THE SECOND week of the ongoing Overseas Absentee Voting ended this evening. While there was a slight increase in the number of voters who cast their votes this week compared to last [week] at the embassy here in Riyadh, still it is much lower than we expected. But the sight of three company buses transporting voters to the embassy was a good sign, and we hope the remaining two weeks will really see more company buses bringing in more voters.

Ask anybody, especially government officials, what they think is the reason why the turnout of voters has been very low, [and] the most common answers you will get are that: many overseas Filipinos think that since this election is not a presidential election it is not so important; many think that it is useless to cast their votes because these will not be counted anyway; and many say "nakakatamad naman kasing pumunta sa embassy." At one point I did believe that maybe those are the valid reasons. But this afternoon, I realized that those earlier statements may not be the reasons at all... In relation to our Go Out and Vote campaign here in Riyadh, we designed a campaign ad that centered on why we should cast our votes. The message was conveyed by the following lines that were printed on the poster/flyer:

Ipaabot ang nagkakaisang tinig Gamitin ang karapatang marinig Ang Boto mo, pahalagahan mo. We had the poster designed by a young OFW for free, but the printing of the four-color poster cost us SR 2.50 each for the A4 size, and SR 50 for the A3 size. By Thursday night we had the number of posters we needed ready. This morning we started placing those posters in areas around Riyadh where many Filipinos usually hang out especially during weekends. In one supermarket the Filipino cashier commented: "Nag-umpisa na pala ang botohan?" In one restaurant one employee asked, "Taga-Comelec po kayo?," while a jolly barker in the fastfood center said, "Huwag kayong magalala, kabayan, akong bahala dyan," referring to the poster that we stuck on a suggestion box. When I heard the supermarket cashier say, "nag-umpisa na pala ang botohan," I asked myself how many Filipinos like him are not aware that the overseas absentee voting period already started two weeks ago; maybe a hundred, or maybe a couple of thousands? Could this not be the main reason why there is a low turnout of voters? What really made me smile was the question from the waiter at the Thai restaurant. When asked, "taga-Comelec po kayo?" we simply said we are not from Comelec, but are from various OFW organizations. But he's got a point. Bakit nga ba kami ang nagdidikit ng mga OAV posters na yon at hindi ang mga taga Political section ng embahada? [Comelec] Commissioner [Florentino] Tuason [Jr., chairman of the Committee on Overseas Absentee Voting,] proudly announced during the OAV Forum at Intramuros last March that the OAV cost per voter this year compared to that of 2004 is very very much lower. That of course was great for the budget department. But given the experience of 2004, the Comelec could have spent some amount on information materials like posters and flyers. If posters were sent to the Posts a month before the start of the voting period, and the Posts were able to distribute these to the major companies and community organizations, as well as display some in areas where Filipinos usually hang out -- like what we did today, chances are the turnout could be better than what we are witnessing now.

But if Comelec cannot even send postal voting materials and voters ID on time, can we expect them to be able to think of those little, yet very important, things?

It [makes my heart] bleed when I think of how little the government cares about us who are sacrificing to be away from home just to [let] the Philippines survive. Perhaps when the bleeding stops, time will have been ripe. But for now, today is just another day.

THAT'S what former Senate president Jovito Salonga fears. Here's an excerpt from the Philippine Daily Inquirer story:

MANILA, Philippines--President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's decision to call out the military to help police disband private armies, man 24-hour checkpoints and stop political killings has prompted ex-Senate President Jovito Salonga to warn that the May 14 elections could turn out to be as "violent and fraudulent" as the Marcos-era polls.

In an open letter sent Tuesday to the President through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Salonga called on Ms Arroyo to ensure the peace and the credibility of the midterm elections so as not to worsen current problems, including the continuing killings. Salonga said Ms Arroyo's order for more checkpoints nationwide was "what [the dictator Ferdinand] Marcos also ordered in the 1969 elections, described by Newsweek (Nov. 24, 1969) and Time (Feb. 16, 1970) as the dirtiest, most violent and most corrupt in modern Filipino history."

IS it wise to tap the military for poll duty in the coming elections? Here's what the Philippine Navy's second-in-command had to say in this article by INQUIRER.net reporter Joel Guinto.

"As far as we are concerned, we don't want election duties, so there will be no issue against the Armed Forces," Navy vice commander Rear Admiral Amable Tolentino told reporters Wednesday. "Even if we just do our jobs, it will be linked to the election issue."

"If possible, we don't want to be involved [in the elections], but we have the MoA [memorandum of agreement]. We still have to offer our capability and assets if needed," said Tolentino, who inspected disaster response troops in this Navy base south of Manila. The Navy vice chief was referring to the MoA signed by the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in October 2006, which limits the role of soldiers during elections to responding to "serious armed threats" as determined by the poll body.

A NEWSPAPER columnist once likened Ang Kapatiran's uphill olitical struggle to that of King Leonidas and his 300 Spartans. Yes, the attle of Thermopylae highlighted in a grand manner a people's stand for alor and dignity. More[over], it emphasized the importance of severe planning and intelligent pride in waging a campaign. In the end, King Leonidas would have benefited much from this wisdom. His enlightenment came severely late. It takes more than good intentions to join an electoral contest; you must be in it to win –to paraphrase an American presidential contender. You must fire up the passions of your listeners and followers, and bring them to some fruition of your expressed ideals. The young voters of this day are not as idealistic as those of our time. They have a need to envisage a clear path to results. A true sign of this determination is an effectively waged campaign. I am indeed disappointed to hear Ang Kapatiran candidates proclaim they intentionally avoid resorting to traditional ways of campaigning. Traditions of politics have paved the way for even the most non-traditional political ideas. What is most important is to get the message and inspiration across. Does Ang Kapatiran get this? What is the point of running a race if you lock yourself inside a bubble hoping to bounce first to the finish line? On the day after the elections, I sincerely hope that this fledgling but optimistic political party does not end up blaming the "unprepared electorate." Real change agents, on average, opt for better post-campaign assessments, and stand up for their mistakes. Nevertheless, we must continue to support brave Filipinos like Bautista, Paredes and Sison who compete for honor. They compose the best team of candidates out there. But they really must stop focusing on the sacrifice aspect of their campaign, and provide more creative solutions. Filipinos are very willing to be led, and once you as a leader fail to provide a clear direction to Filipinos, you open the door for corruption to creep in. I beg of the Kapatiran party, please amaze us. Do not waste your opportunity to inspire and effect change. Filipinos know how to listen and we certainly hear you, but you have to persistently rouse us from our slumber and apathy. You have to push the boundaries to surmount the challenges of corruption and a country'’s loss of honor. -- Jerome Mark Gonzales, Quezon City (via e-mail)