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.
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.
May 20th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
The moment those foreign observers announced their verdict how the election was conducted and left, foreign and local businessmen with their money arrived,the phil. stock exchange is in an all time high since 1927?The peso rose again!!!…how ironic.
May 19th, 2007 at 8:39 am
Hey maybe ricky is right! This has nothing to do with rampant fraud, bombings, shootings and teachers getting burned to death to steal ballots. The problem is these pesky foreigners! Let’s get rid of them, and all their snobbish foreign aid, and all that sullied foreign investment and tourist money. Who needs it?
May 19th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Im ashamed that we again allowed ourselves to be dictated by FOREIGNERS in every aspects of how we as a country and as a people should behave!!!This foreign observers were the judge&jury and convicted the entire Filipino nation as a failure and the sad part is some so called”filipino intellect agreed”.Confusion,sometimes chaotic…of course because we have 30-40 million voters and 800000 candidates!!!It is unfair to compare philippine election to singapore or even afghanistan if we consider the number of voters and candidates and financial resources available.Singapore is like a big theme park(city state).If a foreigner tells us that we are ugly should we believe them?TO ALL FILIPINOS ITS ABOUT TIME WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES.
May 18th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Rene Villar:
In america voting here is computerizer all the candidates names, From President senator and so on is printer on the computer all you have to do is click, click, click. And if you made a mistake you can correct it, After you done voting you can print it so that your votes has been recorder. Nobody can cheat at all….
But if the election in the philippines will be computerizer they make sure that they’re going to make the program so that the can cheat. Its make very easy for them to check its depend on how the program the computer.
But if the program it just like here in the states they can’t cheat at all because after the voters finish voting he/she can print it. I hope in 2010 election philippines election will be computerizer that if Gloria Arroyo, Didn’t succeed on their cheating operation. If they succeed on their cheating operation she’ll be in power forever. Hello, Cha, cha….
May 18th, 2007 at 9:11 am
i am a citizen of philippines but to comment about election it’s very useless to have. it’s very shameful around the world that filipinos are cheaters and killers. we don’t know when will be philippines become like singapore which law is stricktly implemented.