Election time

The long wait is finally a few more hours to go. As people get ready to vote and COMELEC is rushing things to the last minute. May 10, 2010 will be at the record books as the 1st automated elections the Philippines have. Pinoys are divided in having so much trust in a COMELEC still with the stigma of Garci, Bedol and Dagdag-Bawas while others are not so trusting anymore. Saving face or not, tomorrow will be vindication day or doomsday.
Millions of pinoys will decide who will lead us for the next 6 years. I'm praying for a peaceful and credible elections but i'm keeping my fingers cross.
I still feel disappointed that our elections are still full of cheating, intimidation and bribery.
We have to stand our ground and be vigilant and watchful. We must not let others dictate what we the people want. Not the feudal lords, not the oligarchs. Not anyone but us. We the people. That's why we vote. Don't freaking sell your votes. Don't let anyone intimidate you.

Go out and vote!

Martial Law?

I got this blog from Ellen Tordisillas, it's an interesting read because in our current society, we have no room for this. Militarism should be stopped.

Raid!

by Michael Tan
Philippine Daily Inquirer

I know some of you are expecting a column about yesterday’s Inquirer forum at UP with the presidential candidates. I have a lot to share about that event, but I have to postpone that article because I want to write about a very urgent issue, one which has implications for the elections.

I’m referring to the raid conducted last Saturday on a health workers’ training seminar organized by an NGO, the Council for Health and Development (CHD), resulting in the arrest of 42 of the workshop participants. That included two physicians, one nurse and one midwife. All the others were community health workers, most of whom were poor farmers or workers who have been trained as paramedics and health educators. The 42 were brought to Camp Panopio in Tanay, Rizal.

The media reports have mostly featured the military’s claims that the workshop participants were rebels and they were being trained to make bombs. There has been little from the detainees themselves because the mass media have been denied access to the prisoners.

My column today mainly uses information from Dr. Delen de la Paz, vice president of Health Action for Human Rights, and press statements from CHD.

The workshop was being held on private property, a farm/resort owned by Dr. Melecia Velmonte, a retired 71-year-old professor emeritus at the UP College of Medicine who often lets health NGOs use her place for such training activities.

Not since martial law have I heard of a military raid on this scale. Dr. Velmonte has been quoted as saying there were at least a hundred soldiers involved when they raided the farm at 6:30 a.m. Many remained in the perimeter of the farm even after the health workers had been hauled off. The military says they had a proper search warrant; CHD says they had none.

What makes the whole incident even more disturbing is that no one was allowed to visit the detainees over the weekend. A few relatives were given permission on Monday and they say that the detainees have been maltreated, with one claiming he was subjected to electric shock during interrogation. Human rights groups are helping relatives and have filed for a writ of habeas corpus with the Supreme Court, which means the military may have to produce the detainees soon.

Escalation?

Until that happens, friends and relatives, as well as many health NGOs, are understandably agitated. Are we seeing a replay of the Marcos dictatorship, where health workers serving the poor are suspected of being subversives? Or is this an escalation of Arroyo-style repression and the regime’s vow to crush the NPA before her term is up?

We tend to associate raids with the police swooping down on prostitution dens, or shabu manufacturers and distributors. But during the Marcos dictatorship, raids were also frequently directed against political dissidents. When martial law was first declared, the military conducted raids throughout the country, arresting people from all walks of life who had been vocal in criticizing Ferdinand Marcos.

The more prominent dissidents at least had some protection because of media coverage and access to lawyers. Soldiers were known to even apologize as they entered homes of such luminaries. Raids in urban poor communities and rural areas were much less civil, soldiers or police storming through the homes (or entire villages) and the military looking for evidence of “subversive” activity, which could be anything from books by Marx to acupuncture needles (because the NPA was known to use alternative forms of medicine). If the military could not find materials, they would often end up “planting” them.

Raids almost always resulted in arrests, and much anxiety on the part of families. After a few months of martial law, it was becoming clear that the military was using torture during interrogation, or worse. This was the time when “salvaging” came into use, a mutation in the meaning of the English word, from “saving” to “executing” or “killing.” Relatives considered themselves lucky if the bodies were found. Others were literally “disappeared,” never to be seen again.

The first few years of martial law were the worst, but with time, organized groups of lawyers, the religious, educators and even doctors began to fight back, pressuring the Marcos government to observe international agreements on human rights.

NGOs were particularly vulnerable to these raids and staff members were trained about their rights, and what moves to make after a raid or arrests. It was not easy defending human rights. I remember that initially to dare to even mention “human rights” was itself considered subversive. Eventually though, “human rights” would enter the language of mainstream Philippine society so that today even government officials use the term.

Elections

Raids on NGOs continued after the dictatorship fell but a democratic regime meant more safeguards. Under the Arroyo administration, the raids stepped up again, together with other human rights violations. These repressive acts became so widespread that the European Union sent in an investigating team who did confirm a pattern of political repression. A government investigation commission headed by Jose Melo (now Comelec chair) was less conclusive, but did acknowledge there were human rights abuses.

Delen de la Paz tells me that when she went around asking for help from government officials, the standard reply she got was: “But they were NPA.” Now even if these workers were NPA, which I doubt, the raids and arrests have to be governed by legal processes. Those who were arrested should have been given immediate access to relatives, as well as to legal and medical support.

In the years after the Marcos dictatorship, I have not heard of a raid on this scale, with so many arrests and with such brazen violation of the rights of detainees. This raid does not augur well for the election campaign. Many candidates will be outspoken in criticizing the government and incumbent government officials. If arbitrariness and impunity are allowed to rule, those in power can easily use the “NPA” tag on anyone who disagrees with them, and can have the military round them up in raids.

We have to pin our candidates down on their positions about human rights. So far, I have only read of statements from Bayan representatives, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and Sen. Pia Cayetano, all decrying the raid. Will our presidential candidates, all potential commanders in chief of the Armed Forces, be ready to walk their talk about defending human rights?

Habang nakikinig sa forum ng mga gustong maging Presidente

Nakikinig ako kanina ng PDI presidential forum sa radio. Hindi ko maiwasan isipin na mas masaya ang pulong kung nandun si ERAP. He'll light up that boring forum.
Yung pagtatanong ay maganda, liban lang, sana debate talaga sila. As it is there was no rebuttal. Parang interview ang nangyari. Jamby and Dick swiped Villar to no end. Noynoy was asked about the separation of state and religion. Yung iba forgettable talaga. I just found out that J.C. Delos Reyes' children goes to public school. That's good. My son also goes to public school. No choice and we must adjust. My daughter malamang next school year lilipat na rin.
Eddie Villanueva still doesn't make sense and really sounds like a pious and self righteous man. Sayang di tinanong kung san galing pondo nya. Or the fact na yung church fund and ginamit nya sa kampanya.
All in all, it really lacked the comedic element which Erap could have provided. Although my mind's already made up on who to vote, we need these kinds of forums to better know who these presidentiables are and what their respective platforms can do.
Good pm.

Programa de Gobyerno

This is my wish list for the coming president:

1.) Free Education for the masses for all levels.
2.) Free or Affordable housing for every one.
3.) Affordable prices for basic commodities.
4.) Pollution free power.
5.) No graft and corruption, or persecute those caught.
6.) Realistic and sustainable economic advances.
7.) Better roads and infrastructures.
8.) Self reliant Agriculture sector.
9.) Manageble population growth

I'll probably add more since only a genie can give such things now.....

My last 3-day adventure

I started doing the applications for renewal for business permits of our clients since Tuesday. I went to get Barangay clearances and the actual getting in line and start the process of applying. Since last week, I've been readying those clients assigned to me.
Observing the process inside city hall (that's Sta Rosa, Laguna), lots of people are applying since the deadline is fast approaching. Good thing if you know a few people inside, or even if you don't the process is fast enough.
Some municipal people accept gifts from applicants but others don't or at least not seen outside. I remember my former boss who told me, If you get offers for the work you do, accept it. Nothing bad about it. But if you ask for gifts in exchange for favours then that's extortion.
From a private corporation point of view, you avoid those stuffs but rarely could deny suppliers from giving you something. For government people, it's different because public servants should at least have an image of honesty.
This morning, when I was waiting for my papers to be processed, I heard someone who signs the application said to another applicant that she's getting hungry. And she straightly said for me to give the encoders something for snacks. Well since favors are favors and you can only give as high as P500 it's ok. Just to get a move on and finish my task. I did the process, I waited in line even if I did pay someone something, I didn't let anyone else do my work for me.
At least it's for services rendered, you know how much these encoders earn for government work?
This is my first time to do this sort of job. So I'm just observing as I go by. You cannot believe the gall of BIR examiners. But that is another story, and I have more paper work to do today.

Villar is Gloria's boy?

Been having a discussion with friends over Manny Villar's commercial on TV. Man, whoever thought of that ad is one sick fellow. I mean, having kids sing that Manny can make all of us rich is too good to be true. It's downright a lie.
I'm wary of would-be messiahs who come to us common people with dreams of grandeur and false promises. Like Gloria Arroyo before him, he spouts the same thing she does.
Survey shows that Manny is gaining ground next to Noynoy. His funding is enormous. Being the richest senator can do that.
Villar is also involved in the overprice of the C-5 road project in which his subdivisions are the beneficiaries.

check this out:

Yellow Pad -- By Filomeno S. Sta Ana III

Villar’s leadership

Manny Villar is on a roll. The latest survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) shows that he has narrowed the gap between him and Noynoy Aquino, the frontrunner, to 11%. The survey came in the wake of a media blitzkrieg during the holiday season.

A friend of mine, an executive in a major television network, conservatively estimates that Villar has spent P2 billion since the third quarter of 2009 for his media campaign. (Other estimates are on the high side, ranging between P3 billion and P4 billion.)

His ads are very populist. In one ad, responding to Michael V’s complaint about the prohibitive cost of education, Villar says that college education must be free. Why Villar focuses on college education, not on basic education, which is a bigger problem, is easy to answer. Villar wants to get the vote of college students. Elementary and high school children don’t vote.

Populist rhetoric works during elections; that was part of Gloria Arroyo’s tactics in 2004. She ordered a price subsidy on electricity, mainly benefiting the rich and the non-poor; she wasted billions of pesos for dole-out; she stalled revenue-enhancement reforms so she would be popular. All this led to a fiscal crisis, and the people had to suffer from the consequences of Arroyo’s irresponsible populism. But Arroyo won the elections -- her populist rhetoric and action attracted votes, though the decisive factor was the cheating.

Villar is doing a Gloria. Villar, like Gloria, is a master of populist language bordering on demagoguery. He even adopts the program of the Left so he can get its command votes. In his obsession to win the presidency, this multibillionaire has wooed a force that regards him a class enemy. (Incidentally, Gloria also forged tactical ties with the Left in the 2004 elections.)

And Villar is doing to Noynoy what Gloria did to Fernando Poe, Jr. in 2004: question the leadership qualities of his main rival.

The Villar camp attributes the gain from the latest SWS survey to "the shift in voting preference over the last three weeks in December as respondents start to put a premium on proven competence, leadership and accomplishments." And in a televised debate that was staged immediately after the release of the SWS survey, Villar highlighted again the issue of competence and leadership.

The problem is that Villar’s propaganda on leadership will backfire.

One of the enduring quotes from Winston Churchill is: "The price of greatness is responsibility." Villar, however, has exhibited recklessness and waste, not responsibility.

Let’s take another look at his ad where he promises free college education. If only the Philippine government were very rich in revenues, free college education would have been a viable option. But because of the severe lack of resources, the next administration must specify the priority spending. And undoubtedly, basic education must be the top priority because it has a bigger impact on poverty reduction and has higher social returns.

It is the mark of irresponsibility for Villar to promise many good things like free college education, without identifying where he will get the resources.

Villar would have a more responsive contribution to society, at the same time he would gain political capital, if he devoted the billions that he spends on ads to the housing and education projects initiated by civil society -- like Tony Meloto’s Gawad Kalinga on housing and Nene Geuvara’s Synergeia on basic education. Let an undergrad economics student calculate the opportunity costs of the billions that Villar spent for his media campaign at a very early stage of the campaign.

Villar is thus the opposite of a good leader who knows how to husband resources and use such resources efficiently.

Villar also boasts of his performance in the Senate to boost his claim of being a good leader. But let us not forget how Villar turned against the very institution that he once led as he resisted the Senate inquiry into the controversial C5 project. The C5 controversy, at the very least, exposed Villar’s conflict of interest with regard to the budget insertion.

In fact, Villar did a Gloria act by boycotting the Senate inquiry and by condemning his fellow senators for prejudging the case. This was the same way Gloria rejected the Senate in relation to the notorious ZTE-NBN deal.

At any rate, Villar is correct in making leadership a main issue in the elections. He may be a good manager, but he misses the point that what we need now is someone who will rebuild the institutions that Gloria has destroyed.

And there’s the rub. Villar’s leadership is no different from Gloria’s.

To repeat what Churchill said, "the price of greatness is responsibility." We can also quote Dwight Eisenhower, Churchill’s ally during World War II: "The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office."

Unfortunately, Villar has neither responsibility nor integrity. He does not adhere to the ethics of honesty, uprightness, and transparency. He makes money do the talking, but he veers away from obligations, accountabilities, and tradeoffs. He is another Gloria.

Why am I not surprised?

The trial for the Maguindanao Massacre has started today. The principle suspected master mind Andal Ampatuan Jr has pleaded not guilty. This is going to be a long circus of a trial. And while lawyers and government prosecutors battle it out in the legal arena, the family of the almost 60 victims wait for justice to be done.
I'm really not surprised that Ampatuan pleaded not guilty. He has the resources to make this trial a prolonged one. This will be dragging on and on for years IMHO.
People are angry and restless, this is a real test for our judicial system.