Gibo — a waste of vote?

In 1986, Corazon C. Aquino took over the reins of government on grand promises of a better future for our country. Six years later, she stepped down as mandated by the constitution and supported the candidacy of Fidel Ramos who acceded to power and led the nation for another six years. After Ramos came the election of Erap with the largest margin of votes since the multi-party system was adopted in the 1987 constitution. Two and a half years into his Presidency, Erap was unconstitutionally ousted and GMA became the de facto President, again, with the support of Cory and her family and the “political church.”  Nine years of GMA and 24 years since Cory came into power, where do we find the Philippines today in terms of: poverty alleviation; job availability in the domestic work-place for our workers; quality of education; human rights violations particularly against  media practitioners; peace and order; and corruption in government? Senator Aquino, Cory, Kamaganak Inc, and the rest of the yellow brigade have supported all those that have been in power since 1986 (except for the 2 1/2 years of Erap) and look where we are now? Sure, we need change but another Aquino, again, looks like more of the same. Ituloy ang laban against what and for whom? For the very few rich to get richer and the majority poor to get poorer?! Who are they trying to fool? Don’t answer that….

I have heard this comment, or the likes of it, too often: “I would vote for Gibo but I don’t want to ‘waste’ my vote on him due to his poor showing in the surveys.”  That kind of thinking could lose Gibo millions of votes. People should vote according to their conscience and conviction and not based on unreliable surveys. It would be a real waste of vote if one were to vote for someone who is not one’s first choice. If we wish the best for the country, we should vote for who we think is the best candidate to lead the country, period. We should also vote for a candidate not only for him or her to win (as much as we would like that), but also to be counted among those that voted for the most capable among the candidates, and for the ideals and platform that candidate espoused. We should treasure our  vote and treat it as a personal statement of one’s belief and conviction and not waste it on a compromise choice.  

It is incomprehensible how some people try to hold Congressman Ferdinand Marcos II (Bongbong) “responsible” for his father’s declaration of Martial Law almost 40 years ago especially now that he is running for Senator. Bongbong was barely fifteen years old when Martial Law was declared in 1972 not to mention he was in England attending to his schooling, perhaps, worrying about tickets for the  Rolling Stones concert as most youngsters his age were concerned with or the likes of it. As for the entire period of  Marcos Rule, it would be best to leave to historians the rendering of a dispassionate accounting of that period in the history of our nation. Bongbong Marcos, in fairness, has declared that he is ready to be judged by the voters not based on anyone’s actions nor on his father’s accomplishments for that matter, but based on his own performance the last 15 years he has been in public office – nine years as Governor of Ilocos Norte and six years as Representative of the 2nd district of the same province. Bongbong’s sterling performance during his years in public service, and the remarkable transformation of the province of Ilocos Norte under his leadership speaks for itself; and should the voters decide based on his track-record, then he will surely be voted to the Senate in the coming elections, half a century after the late President Ferdinand Marcos was first elected to the same post. And as the sun rises from the east, so also will the son from the north.

It’s high time the residents of Tondo get paid some kind of “royalty” every time a politician uses them as props whether in a live rally or in an infomercial or any kind of political propaganda that mentions them or alludes to them. Perhaps, that would be a more viable way out of poverty for them than any of the politicians’ plans and promises. They should get a sharp lawyer  to register the name for them.  That would be another “only in the Philippines” but,  might as well…

As far as logistics for the coming automated elections are concerned, we won’t really know what problems might arise  until they happen as we approach election day; and regarding some aspects of it, like on-time delivery of machines in each polling place (three days before elections), transport of satellite equipment to precincts where cellular signal becomes jammed or unusable, and deployment of replacement machines in cases of machine bog-down, we won’t know that for sure until it happens, or does not happen, come election day. What we have to ensure before the elections is that all contingencies for all possible mishaps are in place and ready to be utilized when and where the need may arise.  On election day itself, we can be sure there will be plenty of problems. It is the ability to address and rectify those problems swiftly  which will spell the difference between success and failure of  the elections, be it  automated or a switch to manual.

Gibo may have to “sell” to the electorate something more than “Galing at Talino” because even if it is true that he has those two traits as in fact he does,  they may not be at the top of the voter’s “shopping list,”  because if it were, how does one explain Bong Revilla’s topping all senatorial survey results?

It’s quite clear that Kris Aquino has the propensity, proclivity and insatiable appetite for taking attention away from whoever in her family is in the news – during her mother’s term as President; during her mother’s illness; during the wake and burial of the former President; and now, during the campaign of her brother Noynoy.  Based on that pattern, this won’t be the end we will be hearing of her love life, petty quarrels, and tribulations in general for the duration of the campaign period; and, if Noynoy wins, expect to be watching more of her  “reality show” in the next six years.  The real tragedy in her on-going “drama” is not to be found in her story but in the fact that media gives it the kind of attention that it does.

Ituloy ang laban against what and for whom!?

IF YOU WISH THE BEST FOR THE COUNTRY , VOTE FOR WHO YOU THINK IS THE BEST, PERIOD

I have heard this comment, or the likes of it, too often: “I would vote for Gibo but I don’t want to ‘waste’ my vote on him due to his poor showing in the surveys.” That kind of thinking could lose Gibo millions of votes. People should vote according to their conscience and conviction and not based on unreliable surveys. It would be a real waste of vote if one were to vote for someone who is not one’s first choice. If we wish the best for the country, we should vote for who we think is the best candidate to lead the country, period. We should also vote for a candidate not only for him or her to win (as much as we would like that), but also to be among those counted to have voted for the same ideals and platform that candidate represented and stood for.  As for his affiliation with GMA, after May 10, GMA is history, smirk and all.

Kamaganak Inc. and the Makati Yellow Brigade are getting ready again, licking their chops and jostling for key positions, official and unofficial, in what they hope will be a Noynoy presidency and a repeat of the good ol’ days of the late 80’s. Meanwhile, the poor and the clueless are once again being sucked into what they want to believe will be, this time, their  true  salvation… for the nth time. Hope, indeed,  springs eternal and during elections, with prodding from the politicians, it gushes. Meanwhile, water and energy are running dry.  

A reminder from a TIME MAGAZINE report in January 1990:

“No favors, no excuses.” That was the motto Corazon Aquino vowed to follow after her People Power movement toppled the corrupt regime of Ferdinand Marcos. But in the tumultuous four years since Aquino became President, charges of incompetence and graft have increasingly tainted her own government. When rebellious soldiers launched the seventh abortive coup against Aquino on Dec. 1, their most pointed complaints focused on the administration’s failure to deliver basic services and on allegations of corruption among the President’s wealthy and influential relatives. The charges, magnified by the Manila rumor mill, have inflicted serious political damage. While the President herself is considered incorruptible, critics accuse her of turning a blind eye to family and friends who are said to be enriching themselves at the public’s expense. “What good is a Blessed Virgin Mary if she is surrounded by Sodom and Gomorrah?” asks one disillusioned official. In a December speech after the coup attempt, even Jaime Cardinal Sin, Aquino’s most important supporter, warned of “a social explosion” unless Aquino swiftly defused “unceasing reports of the abusive roles of presidential relatives.” To regain public confidence in the wake of the abortive coup, Aquino last week sacked nine of 19 Cabinet ministers in the third such shake-up of her presidency. The Cabinet changes, acknowledged press secretary Adolfo Azcuna, were prompted “by the same reasons, perhaps, that precipitated the coup.” None of the ousted ministers had been accused of corruption, but some of their departments were widely considered ineffective, particularly Justice, Transportation and Education, where services had virtually broken down. Aquino also overhauled the Agrarian Reform Department, which has largely failed to deliver on her election promise of land redistribution. To many Filipinos, however, the reshuffling looked too modest to silence claims of scandal in high places. Though many of those tales flow from flimsily documented stories in the Manila press, which now enjoys unprecedented freedom, Filipinos follow them avidly. A frequent target of reports is Aquino’s brother Jose (“Peping”) Cojuangco Jr., a wealthy and powerful congressman. Shortly after Aquino took office, newspaper stories charged that Cojuangco had helped some of his cronies gain control of a lucrative cargo-handling business; he is also suspected of using family ties to get jobs for friends in Manila casinos. Cojuangco has denied any wrongdoing, and neither he nor any other member of the Aquino clan has been charged with a crime. Yet lack of prosecution means little in a country where the rich and powerful are perceived to be above the law. “It would take a first-class fool to testify against someone like Peping Cojuangco,” explains Blas Ople, executive vice president of the opposition Nacionalista Party and a former Minister of Labor under Marcos. In one of the few corruption cases the authorities have pursued, Cojuangco’s wife Margarita was suspected of having taken a $1 million bribe from an Australian businessman last year to help him obtain a gambling-casino license. In the end, the National Bureau of Investigation filed no charges: the probers said the Australian had been duped by a woman who impersonated Cojuangco’s wife. Critics often denounce Aquino’s first creation in office, the Presidential Commission on Good Government, as a bastion of ineptitude. Charged with the recovery of up to $10 billion that Marcos is said to have looted from the treasury, the commission has recovered nearly $1 billion so far but has been accused of abusing its powers. In one case, for example, Ricardo (“Baby”) Lopa, an Aquino brother-in-law who controlled a profitable Nissan auto- assembly plant and 38 other companies before they were seized by the Marcos regime in the early 1970s, was allowed to buy the firms back for only $227,000 within days after Aquino became President. A public outcry forced the commission to re-examine the deal with Lopa, who died of cancer last November. It found no evidence of improper behavior.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,969186-2,00.html#ixzz0gkPVtAdQ

THE LAST 24 YEARS…

In 1986, Corazon C. Aquino took over the reins of government on promises of a better future for our country. Six years later, she stepped down as provided by the constitution and supported the candidacy of Fidel Ramos who acceded to power and led for another six years. After Ramos came the election of Erap with the largest margin ever since the multi-party system was incorporated in the 1987 constitution. Two and a half years later, Erap was unconstitutionally ousted and GMA became the de facto President, again, with the support of Cory and her family and their supporters. Nine years into the Presidency of GMA and 24 years since Cory came into power, where do we find the Philippines today in terms of poverty alleviation, job availability for our workers, quality of education, human rights record, peace and order, and corruption in government? Does Noynoy agree with GMA (Noynoy and those around  him were among those that conspired to oust Erap and install GMA) that we are in a better situation now than we were before? If not, what is he asking the Filipinos to continue to support? He, Cory, Kamaganak Inc, and the rest of the yellow brigade have supported all those that have been in power since 1986 (except for the 2 1/2 years of Erap) and look where we are now? Ituloy ang laban against what and for whom?? For the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer?! Are we blind?? Don’t answer that….

POVERTY’S THE SAME AFTER 26 YEARS 
By Mahar Mangahas
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:25:00 11/07/2009

THE SWS SEPTEMBER 2009 SURVEY FINDING that 53 percent of Filipino households call themselves mahirap (poor), released this week, indicates that there has been practically no progress in the fight against poverty in the last 26 years.
The new poverty reading is from the 87th in a series of national surveys that started in April 1983, when the self-rating method was first applied nationwide, by the Development Academy of the Philippines. The original survey found 55 percent of household heads calling their families poor. The starting point of 55 and the latest point 53 are statistically the same.

candidate jesus nazareno

GIBO TEODORO AND THE YOUTH VOTE….

The youth, comprising close to 60% of the registered voters, may yet be GIBO TEODORO’s key to victory, more so than, or in conjunction with, the much touted Lakas-Kampi CMD machinery. Candidates for local positions are notorious for “dropping” their party’s standard bearer if they appear to be hindrances to their own respective victories. But if Teodoro’s numbers go up to within striking distance, even from a 3rd place position by end March, then the local candidates of Lakas-Kampi CMD will support him all the way and that formidable machinery could indeed make the difference and push him to victory. But the key is still with the youth — the only sector with the kind of numbers to help Gibo in the catch-up he needs to obtain that is convincing to his party-mates. So far,  luckily for him or as a result of a deliberate strategy, it is the one sector that seems to be coalescing behind him in a major way. This one-two punch scenario could very well materialize to the surprise of not a few pundits and to the chagrin of his opponents that may not see it coming. There is enough time for major changes in the presidential ratings to occur. Abangan…

THE BLACK NAZARENE PROCESSION  AND NOYNOY…

A certain Jesus Nazareno, who claims to be the “son” of the Black Nazarene, has asked the Liberal Party to advise Noynoy Aquino to withdraw from the race so that he (Mr. Nazareno) can replace him as the Liberal Party’s standard bearer. Nazareno explained that since the procession of “his father” (the Black Nazarene) last January was larger than that of Cory’s, that should make him more qualified than Noynoy to run for President and attract more voters. He also added that the “massacre” that took place in “Hacienda Heaven” involving Lucifer and his followers, unlike the Hacienda Luisita massacre, is well justified and documented in the bible no less. He also said that different from the C5 controversy surrounding Villar, the road built from purgatory  to heaven benefits millions of people while not using a single centavo of government money and that the price of property in heaven was not affected an iota because it has always been, well, priceless. Notwithstanding his rather skewed and amusing argument and rationale, we guess that since we are all children of God (Jesus, the Black Nazarene), that should at least qualify Mr. Nazareno as, indeed, a son of the Black Nazarene.

Bongbong marcos to the senate?

It is beyond comprehension how some people try to hold Congressman Ferdinand Marcos II (Bongbong) “responsible” for his father’s declaration of Martial Law almost 40 years ago especially now that he is running for Senator. Bongbong was barely fifteen years old when Martial Law was declared in 1972 not to mention he was in England attending to his schooling, perhaps, worrying about tickets for the  Rolling Stones concert as most youngsters his age were concerned with or the likes of it. As for the entire period of the controversial Marcos Rule, it would be best to leave to historians the rendering of a dispassionate accounting of that period in the history of our nation when President Marcos was at the helm of government. Bongbong Marcos, in fairness, has declared that he is ready to be judged by the voters not based on anyone’s actions nor on his father’s achievements, but based on his own performance the last 15 years he has been in public office – nine years as Governor of Ilocos Norte and six years as Representative of the 2nd district of the same province. Bongbong’s sterling performance during his years in public service, and the remarkable transformation of the province of Ilocos Norte under his leadership (from 3rd to 1st class and the first windfarm in Southeast Asia, etc.), speak for themselves; and should the voters decide based on his track-record, then he will surely be voted to the Senate in the coming elections, half a century after the late President Ferdinand Marcos was first elected to the same post. And as the sun rises, so also will the son.

Lack of a clear message

The Aquino camp blames “lack of a clear message” in their infomercials that has caused Villar to catch up in the surveys. True, or partially true. People have yet to hear a single argument in favor of Noynoy that does not mention his mother or father. They lament the fact that while his opponents present to the electorate their respective track records, accomplishments, and vision, praises given to Noynoy by his supporters have little to do with him but are, rather, traits attributed to his parents. That worked for him during the wake and burial of the late President Aquino when strong emotions ruled.  But as the intensity and strength of the sympathy for the Aquino clan began to wane, so did the support for Noynoy. His bid for the highest office of the land was rooted mainly on the death of Cory and now, his handlers are scrambling to find him a secondary launching pad. But since Senator Aquino was never even considered by his party mates to be their Vice Presidential candidate let alone  their standard bearer (not until the death of Cory), where will they now anchor his run for the Presidency? Track record? Capability? Experience? Those qualities are what the Liberal Party originally said Mar had among all their party-mates and, perhaps, rightly so. It must be remembered that at no time before the large crowds came out to mourn Cory’s death was Noynoy in the radar screen of the political leadership of the Liberal Party. They simply did not see him as someone prepared to be the next President. It will now be interesting to see how his handlers spin a new “story-line,” and craft a new “offensive” for him that would sustain (and this is the operative word — sustain) the viability of his campaign all the way to election day. Abangan.

As far as logistics issues are concerned regarding the automated elections, we won’t really know that until much later and as we go along; and regarding some aspects of it, like on-time delivery of machines in each polling place (three days before elections), transport of satellite equipment to precincts where cellular signal becomes jammed or unusable, and deployment of replacement machines in cases of machine bog-down, we won’t know that for sure until it happens, or does not happen, come election day. What we have to ensure before the elections is that all these contingencies are in place and ready to be utilized when and where the need may arise.  On election day itself, we can be sure there will be problems. It is the ability to address and solve those problems which will spell the difference between success or failure of the elections.

Where we stand today on Automated Elections

The month of February will be a “telling” month for the success of a fully automated election in May 2010. There are deadlines for two essential tasks: the printing of ballots (delayed for a second time); and, the delivery of all the machines, both due this month — the 7^th and 21^st respectively.  Simultaneous to these will be more tests of more machines in various areas of the country.

On the technical side, the transmission aspect is still worrisome in cases where signal is weak and the need for satellite transmission arises. There is still also the issue of the source code and whether there’s enough time to have it reviewed by third party experts from abroad. And thirdly, the need for personal verification given by the machine of the correct reading of each one’s ballot –  a kind of receipt after one inserts one’s ballot into the PCOS machine showing that what one wrote in the ballot is the same as what the machine read.

As for logistical issues, we won’t really know that until much later and as we go along; and regarding some aspects of it, like on-time delivery of machines in each polling place (three days before elections), and deployment of replacement machines in cases of machine bog down, we won’t know that for sure until it happens, or does not happen, come election day.

 And then there’s the switching from automated to manual in areas of failure of the automated system. Questions regarding the correct reading of “voters intent” which in the case of the PCOS machines, the calibration of the scanner is to be set to at least  50% “shaded” of the circle beside the candidates name for it to be counted which, in the case of a manual count, will have to be read by the human eye. Can the eye tell the difference between 49% shaded and 51% shaded? There is also the question of the effect of a few precincts in manual mode mixed with automated transmission from other precincts on the canvassing by the servers in the municipal and provincial level.

The training of teachers and “IT experts” in the mechanics of automated voting has also been postponed while the information dissemination to the public has finally began. There’s still enough time to do all these and the Nike slogan is what is most appropriate here: “Just do it!”

 Many other questions remain to be satisfactorily answered before we can claim that, yes, the voters will be going to the polls confident that they are participating in elections that will be fair and credible – the main reason for switching to full automation to begin with. There are still a lot of loose ends that need to be tied. In fairness to Smartmatic, they have not been remiss yet on any “deliverables” in their contractual obligations.

On the one hand, we still have enough time to get answers on all the issues raised, and get this right; but on the other hand, elections is fast approaching.  For now, two things are required of us: patience and continued vigilance.

Nuisance Sister of a Candidate

First it was Kris Aquino’s marital problems made public due to her confrontation with her husband’s supposed “admirer” that caught the media’s attention. This was followed by the leak of the Senate’s Ethics committee report on the “C-5 re-routing, insertion, over-pricing” controversy censuring Villar for unethical behavior. Then there was the filing of a strong protest with the Comelec by the Liberal Party on the inclusion of KBL Acosta as a legitimate candidate for President. (The inclusion of Acosta dislodges Aquino’s name from top of the ballot’s list  of Prsidential candidates to choose from printed in alphabetical order.) Soon after came  the junking of the petition to disqualify Erap as promulgated by the Comelec’s Second Division; and more recently, the Live coverage of the Senate hearing on a couple of propositions regarding the ethics issue against Villar that turned into a shouting match between the anti and pro Villar factions and a walk out by Senator Santiago after she castigated the entire senate, Senator Enrile in particular. Enrile in turn accused Villar of attempting to bribe him in connection with the same Ethics report with Villar vehemently denying this.  All of these developments occurred in a span of only a week. When the official campaign period begins, the candidates will be allowed to use the V word (vote) and their commercials, no longer “infomercials,”  will inevitably be more pointed and direct. With more than three and a half months to go before the May elections, the old dictum, “in politics a week is a long time,”  rings truer as the campaign begins to heat up.  Unless there’s been a miraculous change in the behavior of most politicians, expect to witness nasty mudslinging coming from the various political camps making candidates vulnerable to drastic changes in the way they are perceived and, consequently, steep fluctuations in subsequent surveys to come. If a week is, indeed, a long time in politics, three and a half months can seem like a  lifetime; and in this country, especially, anything can happen…short of  presidential candidates Acosta and De los Reyes leading the pack in the next survey. Abangan…

It would seem the so-called youth vote is again beginning to gel after it fragmented when Senator Chiz Escudero withdrew from the Presidential race. The reason for this is the youth’s growing attraction to the candidacy of former Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. What’s happening is that every student campus Teodoro visits gains him more and more admirers and committed supporters among the students that are able to see him and listen to him. That should not be surprising because Teodoro is the most articulate among the presidential candidates and has the best grasp of the issues and problems besetting our country today. His physical demeanor, his good looks and that of his wife, of course, also add to the attraction. The youth vote, if it can be harnessed to act in unison as a solid voting bloc, is, by sheer number, bigger and more powerful than any other sector, political party or machinery existing in our political landscape. The youth, comprising close to 60% of the registered voters, may yet be Teodoro’s key to victory, even more so than the much touted Lakas-Kampi CMD machinery which, on the other hand, could provide him the edge in case of a close fight. It would be extreme folly for his opponents to count him out this early in the game.

As part of the preparations for the procession of the Black Nazarene that took place last January 9, 2010, the PNP announced that they had installed a GPS device on the float carrying the statue of the Black Nazarene to know its exact location at any given time. That’s like trying to determine where a full-grown elephant is within a basketball court. This was a procession involving hundreds of thousands of frenzied devotees screaming and jostling to get as close as possible to the float traveling at a snail’s pace speed of about 1 km/hr, and weaving through streets covering a radius of not more than 10 km. The event was covered Live on radio and TV.  Ahhh…siguro naman hindi na kailangan ng space-based global navigation satellite system to know its precise location, no? Meanwhile, three procession-related deaths were reported that day. GPS?! Riiight! Nice try, though.

It’s quite clear that Kris Aquino has the propensity, proclivity and insatiable appetite for taking attention away from whoever in her family is in the news – during her mother’s term as President; during her mother’s illness; during the wake and burial of the former President; and now, during the campaign of her brother Noynoy.  Based on that pattern, this won’t be the end we will be hearing of her love life and tribulations for the duration of the campaign period; and, if Noynoy wins, expect to be watching more of her  “reality show” in the next six years.  The problem with that is the narrative is neither unique, remarkable or educational; the story is rather common to, and typical of many couples’ quarrels minus the celebrity status. It has little entertainment value in itself if not for her being the daughter of Cory and Ninoy, a TV celebrity (thanks to being daughter of then Prez Aquino when she debuted in the industry), and now, sister of presidential candidate and survey  front-runner, Senator Noynoy Aquino.  The real tragedy in this drama is not to be found in her story but in the story within the story: why media gives it the attention that it does.

     

         

 

POLITICAL STRATEGIES FOR THE CAMPAIGN SEASON

There are a growing number of people drawn in by the wave of sympathy for the Aquino family upon the death of former President Aquino that morphed into support for Noynoy’s bid for the Presidency, that are now having second thoughts about his candidacy. The newfound doubts and misgivings stem from the fact that to date, five months into the death of Mrs. Aquino, they have yet to hear a single argument in favor of Noynoy that does not mention his mother or father.  They lament the fact that while his opponents present to the electorate their respective track records, accomplishments, and vision,  praises given to Noynoy by his supporters have little to do with him but  are, rather, traits attributed to his parents. It is true that emotions are quicker to react than the intellect  to any given situation, so it is the hope of Noynoy’s handlers that the emotions that accompanied the death of the former President will still be the in the minds and hearts of the majority come election day. If by May 10, 2010, Noynoy’s handlers are able to make Cory’s death seem like it had happened “only yesterday” (they will be counting on their ally, ABS-CBN, to do their part), then their campaign strategy would have succeeded. Their work is cut out for them.

According to a friend of ours, it was reported in a tabloid that a certain Jesus Nazareno, who claimed to be the “son” of the Black Nazarene, has asked the Liberal Party to advise Noynoy Aquino to withdraw from the race so that he (Mr. Nazareno) can replace him as the Liberal Party’s standard bearer. Nazareno explained that since the procession of “his father” was larger than that of Cory’s, that should make him more qualified than Noynoy to be President and able to attract more voters. Well, we guess that since we are all children of God (Jesus, the Black Nazarene), that should qualify Mr. Nazareno as, indeed, a son of the Black Nazarene. Only in the Philippines!

If one were to look objectively at each Presidential candidate’s intellectual capability, track record, and credibility, it should not be difficult to conclude that Gibo Teodoro is the most qualified among all of them to be the next President of the Philippines and, one might add, has the potential of a great leader. Sadly, voters, and not a few, will resist voting for him if only to send a message to GMA that they have not forgotten the numerous accusations of graft and corruption involving the first family. Many also still remember her involvement in the alleged cheating (Hello Garci) in the last Presidential elections. And for these reasons, it is a pity that the country would have missed-out on the chance of good if not great leadership from a candidate whose only fault is his association with GMA. There’s no other way to put it: his affiliation with GMA is proving to be the “kiss of death.”  Gibo will have to convince the electorate that a vote for him does not translate to forgiveness of GMA’s “sins.”  How he manages that, the gentleman that he is, might require the cooperation of GMA herself which in turn will require a large dose of humility from her. In other words, she will have to accept public utterances coming  from Gibo that assures the voters that if he wins, he will not interfere or intercede  on her behalf in the graft and corruption charges that may be filed against her or her family after she has stepped down. His work, requiring the most delicate political “balancing act,” is, likewise, cut out for him.

It is beyond comprehension how some people try to hold Congressman Ferdinand Marcos II (Bongbong) “responsible” for his father’s declaration of Martial Law almost 40 years ago especially now that he is running for Senator. Bongbong was barely fifteen years old when Martial Law was declared in 1972 not to mention he was in England attending to his schooling, perhaps, worrying about tickets for the  Rolling Stones concert as most youngsters his age were concerned with or the likes of it. As for the entire period of the controversial Marcos Rule, it would be best to leave to historians the rendering of a dispassionate accounting of that period in the history of our nation. Bongbong Marcos, in fairness, has declared that he is ready to be judged by the voters not based on anyone’s actions nor even on his father’s achievements, but based on his own performance the last 15 years he has been in public office – nine years as Governor of Ilocos Norte and six years as Representative of the 2nd district of the same province. His sterling performance during those years in office and the enviable transformation of his province under his leadership speak for themselves, and should the voters decide based on that record, then he will surely be elected to the Senate in the coming elections, half a century after his father was first elected to the same post. As the sun rises, so also will the son.

“Shabu” and the Philippines

There is not a single town left in our entire archipelago where you cannot find the drug, Shabu (meta-amphetamine); or, if there still are, they are  few and far between. From jeepney and taxi drivers to students to business executives to government employees and officials,  the users are everywhere and number in the millions.  It is the drug of choice of 90% of substance abusers in the Philippines. According to PDEA and PNP officials, the sale of Shabu in this country has reached 200 kilos (200,000 grams) a day worth P1B in the wholesale market. That translates to about P1.4B street price or a profit of P400M a day divided among the sellers of the drug.  Of course, the big drug lords have their profits  tucked into the P1B wholesale price so the total amount of profits going into the pockets of people in the trade reaches about P700M a day. Lets be conservative and bring that down to half a billion pesos a day — gross profit. How much of that goes to “protection money” expense? Lets say half of that or 250M Pesos a day goes to people that are able to shield the drug lords and pushers from the law. Who are the recipients of this “protection money” or put another way, who are in a position to give “protection” to the drug lords? Logically, “protection” can only come from people in power:  politicians, law enforcers, judges or, in other words, top officials of all three branches of government including the police and the military. Again, we repeat, that’s 250M Pesos a day to pay-off various government officials every single day!  That’s enough to give 50 Governors, 50 Mayors, 50 PNP and AFP Officers, 50 Congressmen, 10 Senators, 10 Cabinet Secretaries, 20 Judges, and 10 Generals P1M A DAY — P1M each a day!! You can juggle the hypothetical  numbers around — increase the number of this group by subtracting from that group or bring down the amount of P1M to half a million Pesos a day but distributed to twice that number of officials, or however you want to “disburse” the P250M a day — remember, A DAY!  The point is, there is enough to go around to bribe a very large number of very high government officials with big sums of money to look the other way to ensure the continued trade of this highly addictive drug that is tearing at the very fabric of our society, and assuring that our growth as a nation remains stunted. And the demand for this drug from all sectors of society  (the poor buy P100 bags– tingi) keeps on growing  as our population increases. Meanwhile, profits from the drug continue to grease the palms of our officials guaranteeing a future that sees no end to this national scourge…until it will be too late. We are entering the 25th year since Shabu found its way into the Philippines and we have seen how it has grown from a few hundred users to hundreds of thousands to the monster that it is now. This is no longer just a legal, moral, or “narco-politics”  issue involving officials in all levels of government not to mention a generation of drug addicts; it involves the economic, social, psycho-physical, and even spiritual growth and well being of a whole people – the Filipino people. As Churchill said: “Healthy citizens are the greatest assets any country can have.”  What opium did to China (no thanks to England), Shabu can do to the Philippines if it has not done so already or will soon do.

Will Erap Eventually Withdraw from the Race?

It used to be that the favorite Christmas carol of Filipinos was “White Christmas,” an absolute absurdity because as much as we would be “dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the one I used to know,” the fact is, it will never snow here in our tropical islands not to mention it never did (“…just like the one I used to know”). It seems the popularity of that Christmas carol waned as the hope, of not a few, for Philippine Statehood slowly dissipated. In both respects, we’ve finally come to our senses.

In the wake of Tiger Woods’ scandalous “transgressions,” he has decided to change his nickname but still keep it within the cat family — Cheetah. He also announced his indefinite leave from professional golf; he will be resting his balls and keeping away from the holes for now to concentrate on his life as a husband and father. From our talks with friends regarding Tiger’s womanizing, we would say there are as many men envious of him as there are women who now find him disgusting. Whatever we might think of him now, we all ought to remember that our opinions are just that, mere opinions that can change from day to day depending on what’s happening in our respective personal lives which we should all be reflecting on instead of Tiger’s private life. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” And for the new year, we share this other simple quote: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, and hope for tomorrow.”  On that note, we wish everyone a HAPPY, PROSPEROUS, AND SERENE NEW YEAR — 2010. Cheers!!

Mexico City, capital of a country as catholic as ours, has just legalized gay marriage beginning February of 2010 while we here in the Philippines (the Comelec specifically) nixed the petition of gay organization, Ang Ladlad, for Party List status on grounds of “morality” accusing the members of being “immoral.” Never mind the Comelec’s legal mandate and guidelines regarding eligibility of candidates and qualification rules for Party List status, but for the Comelec to call anyone “immoral” is as laughable as it is pathetic. The Comelec lecturing us on morality is akin to Ampatuan, Jr. giving a harangue advocating pacifism. Don’t the Comelec commissioners get any feedback on how the majority of Filipinos perceive them? Are not the Comelec lawyers aware of the difference between Church Doctrine and State Law and the Constitutional provision that separates them? Even  gay – as in happy, of course – priests know the difference; well, at least, some of them.

During the “talent portion” of political rallies here in the Philippines where the main candidates do a song or dance number, it might be “refreshing”  to see a candidate eat fire or charm a snake into dancing, for a change. That would at least show that the candidate has a capacity for innovation even if eating fire, like singing or dancing, does nothing to demonstrate the ability of a candidate to govern, nor does it say anything about his or her credibility, albeit,  one could say, the flute-song was at least credible to the snake.  Of course, that’s still neither here nor there. Lets see… what about a candidate places his head inside the wide-open mouth of a lion? We know a lot of people would like to see some candidates try that…and then watch the lion do what is needed to prevent  a locked jaw. How about doing cartwheels on top of an elephant?  Oh… well, just some thoughts.  Sorry about that

Moving on to the battle for the Presidency, there is a scenario which, if it does occur, would seal the election for the Presidential candidate that would be the beneficiary of the said scenario. It goes like this: by around March, when Erap finds himself still stuck in 3rd or 4th place and Gibo or Villar within striking distance to come out on top, Erap decides to withdraw in favor of… guess who. Do a process of elimination and the answer should come easy: Noynoy. Hence, we will have another Aquino as President and Erap, a year after, is appointed Senior Presidential Adviser or “Tzar  for the  Alleviation of Poverty”  or some masa upliftment agency or program. Nice and dandy for both, huh? One wins the Presidency while the other wins the chance to redeem himself (short of becoming President again) which, we believe, is the sole reason he is running in the first place. Politics is, indeed, addition.

There is not a single city left in our entire archipelago where you cannot find the drug, Shabu (meta-amphetamine), for sale. From jeepney and taxi drivers to students to business executives to government employees and officials and to policemen themselves,  the users are everywhere and number in the millions.  It is the drug of choice of 90% of substance abusers in the Philippines. According to PDEA and PNP officials, the sale of Shabu in this country has reached 200 kilos (200,000 grams) a day worth P1B in the wholesale market. We are entering the 25th year since Shabu found its way into the Philippines and we have seen how it has grown from a few hundred users to hundreds of thousands to the monster that it is now. Everybody has at least one relative, friend or neighbor that uses this drug. The government’s war against Shabu is like a Goliath (drug lords) pitted against a David (government) with no sling-shot and whose arms have been amputated.  This is no longer just a legal, moral, or “narco-politics”  issue involving drug lords in cahoots with officials in all levels of government, not to mention a nation with millions of unproductive or underproductive drug addicts; it is a scourge that compromises the economic, social, psycho-physical, and even spiritual well being of a whole people – the Filipino people. As Churchill said: “healthy citizens are the greatest assets any country can have.”  What opium did to China (no thanks to Churchill’s ancestors), Shabu can do to the Philippines if it has not done so already or will soon do.