"In societies where Robbing Hoods are treated like a celebrity it is but natural to expect political parties to act like a Mafia syndicate" Political Jaywalker "In a nation where corruption is endemic people tend to confuse due process with aiding and abetting criminals" Political Jaywalker "War doesn't determine who is right, war determines who is left" Bertrand Russell "You have just one flash flood of money, you keep your people poor. It's like a time bomb and it's scary" Philippine Lawmaker

Candle Light Prayer for Clean, Honest & Credible 07 Election

Yesterday April 25, 2007 is the start of the Candle Light Prayer for Clean, Honest and Credible elections with Kontra Daya (the group that came up with a list of 22 Bogus Party List) and ecumenical groups converging at the Comelec headquarters’ in Plaza Roma. They held ecumenical service and lighting of candles asking the people to be vigilant as moves to undermine the election persist. The Garci scandal that to this point has been unresolved makes them skeptical of the covenant entered into by the AFP and PPCRV, who wouldn’t be? Everywhere you look it seems that all indications points to some Macao cooking and this people are not even from Macao. Just look at what I saw at my cyber Buddy Schumey’s blog The Philippine Experience post, which was gathered from ANC on Tonypet Albano and Adel Tamano giving the figures during separate interviews:

Election Expenditure Update: Team Unity who boasts of 12-0 sweep has already spent close to P3 Billion in their campaign. The Genuine Opposition for their part has spent P380.

Now who wouldn’t be skeptical, this is outrageous and at a time when huge sectors of society are reduced to poverty this squandering Fooliticians spends money as if it was going out of style. Nothing is sacred in this land of madaya, I hope they are not bragging when they divulge such irrational figures.

And then we have the Justice Secretary of all people and the office he represents truly makes a mockery of our electoral contest a process that is supposed to be the hallmark of the sanctity of peoples voices drowned in vulgar “ignorance” of the law or was it senility. Imagine a Justice Secretary feigning ignorance rationalizing his bribe offer as “common election practice” truly makes Goebbel scream, shake rattle and roll in laughter in his grave for his disciples’ believing in their own concoction. Let me just quote this Inquirer Breaking News and see how pathetic it is:

"I will now keep my mouth shut."

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez on Thursday told reporters he will not longer talk about the P10,000 he offered to barangay (village) captains in Iloilo City for a 12-0 sweep for TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) Unity.

After the justice chief came under fire for the offer, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it would investigate Gonzalez.

Asked about the Comelec's response, Gonzalez said: "Bahala sila [It’s up to them]."

But he said he never thought his offer would be such a big deal because it is a common election practice.

Now how pathetic or revolting is that and to top it all he was even blaming and accusing Radio Bombo for “leaking” the bribe offer when it was he who broadcast the offer in his radio program at DWIZ. Is that a sign of dementia or pure arrogance? He could not even remember what he did and did not even see anything illegal with what he did makes you wonder what kind of justice we have since he is the man in charge of that department.

After all this can we blame Kontra Daya being skeptical with the AFP? Aside from the above development, Fr. Joe Dizon spelled out the reason for their skepticism which I quote:

The AFP-initiated covenant is just a PR gimmick to try to make people forget that the military played a major role in facilitating massive electoral fraud in 2004. The military wants the people to think they are incapable of doing massive cheating for the elections. Of all the signatories in the covenant, it is the AFP which sticks out like a sore thumb.

While we don’t doubt the good intentions of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the other signatories to the covenant for honest and peaceful elections, we certainly feel a great unease over the pronouncements of the AFP. The AFP hasn’t even acknowledged and atoned for its involvement in the

Garci fraud in 2004.

What the AFP says in its covenant is different from what it is doing in reality. The harassment of voters continues. The intimidation of activists remain. How can there be honest and peaceful elections if the AFP is a party to the violence and harassment against voters. We have received reports that the AFP is also conducting election operations in other cities in the provinces.

The covenant may be used to justify the militarization of the Metro. This is a dangerous and worrisome scenario we are looking at. The covenant may backfire on the other signatories and on the voters themselves.

The Plan of AFP to hold community forums next week they feared may just be an excuse of using it as a platform to intensify militarization in the guise of campaigning for clean elections. Really, what business does a Military have in “educating” the voting public when they have not cleared their outfit of their role in the last Garcified election?

Photo courtesy: Arkibong Bayan


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5 Speak Out:

Anonymous said...

i cannot fathom why until now, COMELEC is solid in their state of denial of reports of "sophisticated styles" of vote-buying. the adjective is not meant to elevate the act but rather to point out that these minions are becoming more and more clever just to get away with their sickening acts...or do they think that the populace is just plain stupid...

Anonymous said...

this character Genuino of makati had been campaigning since the first week of March!...their group wouldmak the rounds of Bangkal and other nearby barangays setting up tent and giving away bags with calendars, medicines, t-shirts, canned goods, etc. campaign sortees never fail every weekend ...very very well funded indeed.

Anonymous said...

Gonzales is really arrogant. He was a patient in the hospital where I used to work and he deemed himself above all people that he wouldn't even look you at the eye, if you're a nurse or intern talking to him. He even treats some of his doctors then that way. And his recent statement about his offer of P10,000 as common election practice is truly a mark of an arrogant person. He sees himself as being in a powerful position in the country that's why he's got the guts to say it.

Anonymous said...

the old folks used to say, when someone don't look you in the eye...they usually have done something shameful or have don't others wrongly. their way of masking their misgivings are through arrogance and putting an air of pretense around themselves, which is very typical of the minions surrounding the fake administration.

Unknown said...

wow prudence, that's a revelation, that explains why he thinks he is above the law and the rest of us mortals.

that too soleil, in fairness tho i will not venture into that lest i get threatened with "libel" again, hehehe.

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