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
May 29th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
[...] Eleksyon 2007 Blog: Politics, now and then… [...]
May 29th, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Amen, Lean! And let me add…
More than 24 years ago when I left UP Diliman, politics was indeed the “life” of student gatherings on Campus and somehwere else around Metro Manila (and should still be the same). But with today’s Philippine political climate, I kind of compare it to Sadam Hussien’s regime, where those who disagree with him and his policies, disappears, and critics silenced for good. GMA’s access to military and police prove that she’s the “Commander-in-Chief” and manipulate them to her advantage- and not to serve the people.
None of these politicians, current and soon-to-be proclaimed, run on specific platform/s. They invested their millions knowing that their self-interests will be served once they’re in office. Only REAL CHANGE has to happen in people’s heart and determination to get rid of these so-called “public servants”. Forcing them to step down- yes, all three branches, including the military and local government- and hold them accountable for their immoral activities so we, the people, can steer the country for a better future.
May 29th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
‘Garci’ men take custody of ERs from 13 Lanao Sur towns
By Aries Rufo
05/29/2007 | 11:56 AM
Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us Newsbreak: Deviating from standard procedure, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) over the weekend took in its custody the election returns from the 13 towns in Lanao del Sur that held special elections last May 26. This was meant to secure the documents from partisan activity.
But there’s a hitch: some members of the task force who were assigned to retrieve the documents were said to be the same election officials involved in the alleged tampering of votes in the 2004 presidential polls.
The election returns (ERs) from the 13 municipalities that held special elections last May 26 are now in the custody of the Comelec’s Special Action Group (SAG) that was formed to oversee the conduct of last Saturday’s polls.
This came as a result of a directive from Rene Sarmiento, the Comelec commissioner in charge of the special elections in the province. Saying that the move was meant to protect the documents from manipulation, Sarmiento ordered Rosalinda Baliquig, acting provincial treasurer, to surrender the ERs to the SAG.
Sarmiento issued the directive Sunday but Newsbreak gathered that Jubiel Surmieda, a division chief at the Comelec’s law department in Manila and member of the SAG, attempted to secure the accountable forms as early as Saturday night.
This created “a little controversy,” Baliquig told Newsbreak, as Surmieda moved without written authorization from Sarmiento. Senior Comelec officials describe Surmieda as part of the “inner circle” of disgraced former Commissioner Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano.
Based on standard procedure, the provincial treasurer is the appointed custodian of the ballots, ERs and certificate of canvass (COC). From the provincial treasurer, the ballots and ERs are given to the municipal treasurers, who then distribute these to the Board of Election Inspectors an hour before voting.
The COCs, on the other hand, are turned over to the board of canvassers before the canvass begins.
Not the First Time
On Sunday, without written authorization, SAG member Renault Macarambon was able to gather some ERs from the provincial capitol by having the municipal treasurers sign a document stating that the accountable forms had been turned over to him. Macarambon is also a known associate of Garcillano.
It was only around 1 p.m of Sunday, May 27, that Teofisto Elnas Jr., a member of SAG, was able to present to Balaquig the directive signed by Sarmiento, which ordered the acting provincial treasurer to surrender the remaining ERs to the SAG. Elnas told Newsbreak that they wanted to secure the ERs to prevent any possible manipulation by unscrupulous people.
A Comelec senior official said it was not the first time that the poll body deviated from a standard election procedure. To preserve the integrity of poll documents, the poll body used to do this in previous elections in the troubled Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Sought for comment, Sarmiento confirmed that he issued the directive on the ERs as advised by the SAG, which is headed by deputy executive for operations Jose Tolentino Jr.
The Comelec commissioner said that the SAG recommended that they secure the ERs considering the “special” situation in Lanao del Sur. (SAG head Tolentino was the Comelec’s technical adviser in the botched poll modernization program. He was among those investigated–but not charged–in the multibillion-peso MegaPacific deal which has been dismissed by the Ombudsman.)
Sarmiento acknowledged that he was not aware that some of the SAG members are close associates of Garcillano, tagged as the mastermind in the alleged manipulation of votes in the 2004 elections to favor President Arroyo.
Hello, Garci
Renault Macarambon, one of the SAG members, was among the Comelec officials whose name was mentioned in the “Hello, Garci” tape. The wiretapped conversations showed Garcillano coordinating moves with his trusted men to fabricate election results in Mindanao provinces.
In his conversation with a certain “Danny” on May 25, 2004, Garcillano named one “Lou Macarambon” as the one who would take care of the remaining election results in Lanao del Sur purportedly to ensure the victory of then senatorial candidate Robert Barbers. “Mananalo siya talaga. Nandun si Lou Macarambon eh. Pababantayan ko (He will really win there. Lou Macarambon is there. I will make him ensure it).
Comelec sources identified this “Lou Macarambon” as Renault Macarambon, who was then the vice-chair of the Lanao del Sur board of canvassers. (Although considered an opposition country, President Arroyo got 128,301 votes versus Fernando Poe’s measly 43,302 in Lanao del Sur during the 2004 polls. Incidentally, the chair of the Lanao del Sur provincial board of canvassers at that time was Rey Sumalipao, who is now on “floating status” as regional elections director in ARMM.)
After the 2004 elections, Macarambon was promoted as chief of the Comelec’s Elections and Barangay Affairs Department.
Dispelling suggestions that the integrity of the documents now with SAG has been compromised, Sarmiento said he gave a verbal order to secure the ERs as early as last Saturday, which could explain the eagerness of some SAG members to get the ERs that night.
He said the SAG members may have acted with dispatch that day even before he could write down his directive.
Sarmiento said the ERs are properly accounted for and are being kept at the Comelec’s monitoring office inside the Marawi Resort Hotel.
Told that the integrity of some of the SAG members is being doubted because of their alleged involvement in cheating in the 2004 elections, Sarmiento said he was not aware of this. He said the SAG members have been helpful in helping him supervise the special elections in Lanao del Sur.
And even if some Comelec officials were involved in past irregularities, Sarmiento said, “There is always redemption.” - Newsbreak
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Fr: Salina
This is how the cheat works!!!