Monday, May 14, 2007 

A Mother's Dilemma

by Dyes



something that i wrote in my blog last friday which meeya thought worth posting here....

~~~~~~~

less than four days to go and my kodigo is still blank. this coming Monday, unlike any other Second Mondays of May three, six, nine or even twelve years ago, is most significant because i will now cast my vote as a Mother with my son's future in mind.

what shall be my standards for giving my trust to these persons who would have a hand in steering the future of my son? i certainly do not want my son to grow up in a country with no greens and under the sea. i do not want to see him looked down by foreigners merely because he is a Filipino. and in this sense, i do not want the Filipinos to be branded as corrupt, immoral and without dignity. Yes, many of us may be slaves in foreign lands. but we are not the first to be one. and from history, those nations stood up and became important. I am still expecting that one day, we might achieve such greatness. and, hopefully it will be in my son's lifetime, if not my own.

with this in mind, there is no doubt that i will heed the 10 Commandments. i have been listening to the podcasts of the senatoriables at Inquirer website and viewing Isang Tanong of GMA News these past few days to make a somewhat intelligent vote (since my vote could only be as intelligent as the candidate).

and surprisingly, i must say that a certain political party has impressed me. Their candidates are no nonsense professionals who are running for platforms and what they believe in. Dr. Bautista particularly has moved me through his interview with Lynette Luna wherein he said, "[p]olitics here is so corrupt because politicians make a living out of it. Once a politician is going to depend on politics as a means of making a living, it's going to be treated like a cottage industry where all your sisters, brothers, friends, are going to depend upon you to make a living. And that's the number one biggest cause of corruption in the Philippines. It's become a way of life." And i completely agree with him that politicians made it their family business, especially in local politics. Why else would they ask their son, wife, daughter to run when their term has ended? To remain in power. Name recall is all there is in politics, and they cheapen it more by espousing, more yet encouraging it.

but i guess i was not the only one impressed by them. mike enriquez, a staunch journalist who cannot be bought, gave them airtime this morning in his radio program. mike repeatedly stated that he was not endorsing these candidates, and i do believe him because what he was endorsing was their programs, platforms and how simply they campaign not for gain.

it takes more than opposing the administration to become a good leader. if you do not agree with their programs or how things are becoming, provide an alternative solution at wag kyaw-kyaw na lang ng kyaw-kyaw. a senator's principles must be defined and very well articulated to the people. no more turn-coatism or personality-based decisions.

i do not want my son to grow up with a government as the biggest example of crab mentality or power-tripping. public service is a noble endeavour, and those reserved only for noble wo/men.

is my kodigo filled-up after writing this article? nope, because we really do lack qualified leaders.

~~~~~

As of this date, it seems that those 3 candidates are no longer in the running. Well, at least we tried. And it is a big step toward change, especially if they reach at least a hundred thousand votes. Maybe next time...

Sunday, May 13, 2007 

Balik-bayan?

by TheDivineMissM!



Para sa mga "bagong bayani" tulad ng aking ama, saan pa sila mag ba-balikbayan?

Abra is our hometown, the place I dream of building a resort-like home for my parents to retire in. Nasaan ang pag-asa ng bago at mapayapang buhay?


*******



Fear and loathing on the campaign trail in Abra
By Jason Gutierrez
Agence France-Presse
Last updated 08:21pm (Mla time) 05/13/2007

BANGUED, Philippines--Congressional candidate Cecy Luna wore a St. Benedict medallion around her neck as she wrapped-up her campaign in the northern frontier province of Abra, where public office is considered a birth right protected by hired guns.

Less than two weeks ago, six of Luna's cousins and nephews were cut down in a hail of machine gun fire in a remote Abra village, their bodies left inside their mangled vehicle for hours before they were retrieved.

More than 200 M-14 and M-16 bullets were found around the campaign truck in what police and Luna suspect was a chilling message from her political rival, long-time governor Vicente Valera.

And just 24 hours before polls open around the country in midterm elections, Luna, a 54-year old mother of eight grown children, is not about to take any chances.

Six policemen provided as security escorts by the local elections office hovered around her as she mingled with the crowd in Bangued, Abra's capital town where all political rivals live in close proximity to each other.

Men in dark glasses with hand guns tucked into their waistbands swept across the road, checking for anything that would signal an ambush. Two black pickup trucks carrying men with automatic rifles hidden on the floor prowled the street as residents peeked from their doors and windows.

"My political rival wants me dead. There is a contract out on me, and I fear for my life," Luna told AFP, a slight quiver in her voice betraying her steady gaze. "I am afraid, but I am also adequately protected."

Luna said her friends, uncles, nephews and other volunteers form the core of her security detail, and they would be willing to die for her.

"It is difficult to hire an outsider," she said.

Her predicament is shared by Luna's political ally and candidate for governor, Eustaquio Bersamin, whose brother Luis was the incumbent congressman of the province before being brutally murdered on the steps of a Manila church in December while attending a wedding.

Like Luna, Bersamin suspects Valera of being behind the assassination, a claim that the latter consistently denies. One of the gunmen who was arrested however has told police that Valera paid him and two others five million pesos (about 105,000 dollars) to do the job.

"Of course I am afraid for my life. But I have friends who protect me because somebody has to stand up to this tyranny," said Bersamin, whose campaign slogan is the commandment "Thou shall not kill."

Both know that they are going against a well-entrenched, powerful politician in Valera, who has controlled this impoverished, landlocked province in northern Luzon for two decades.

"I am innocent of these charges," Valera said, but has restricted his movements to ease tensions.

A lawyer by profession, Valera was first named officer in charge of this unruly mountain area in 1986, when a popular revolt removed dictator Ferdinand Marcos from the presidency.

Marcos however had for years allowed the area to sink deep into poverty exacerbated by an anti-Marcos communist guerrilla movement that later degenerated into general lawlessness in its interior towns.

Surrounded by the towering mountain ranges of the Ilocos in the west and the Cordilleras east, Abra's extremely rugged terrain has made it an ideal base for hired guns whose loyalties can be bought with a hand gun and who would kill for as little as 5,000 pesos (about 105 dollars).

The Valeras and Bersamins are powerful clans who once dreamt of bringing Abra into the 21st century. But politics and greed have driven a deadly wedge between them, one that will likely last for generations to come.

A race to control millions in funds being funnelled into the region, as well as the vast and still untapped mineral reserves here are often cited as chief causes of heated political rivalry.

"Patronage politics here is a dirty game. It is money, money, money. Whoever can hire the most number of armed men and who can intimidate and buy votes win," said a local lawyer from a prominent family who did not want to be named.

"Political families believe that public office is a birth right, and is passed from one member to another during elections," he said.

A check with poll officials showed that in Abra's 27 municipalities, nearly all candidates are either relatives or rivals from close families. In two towns, two mothers are pitted against their own sons for mayoralty posts, while in another, a mayor is being challenged by his estranged wife.

Police said that 10 political families controlled private armed groups in Abra, and they have become either too elusive or powerful that going after them could be a death wish.

Tension was high on the eve of the elections, and while Valera was safely protected in his hilltop ranch overlooking the majestic Abra river and its flood plains, Luna and Bersamin pounded the streets to ensure people's support.

But whoever wins in the elections, the cycle of violence will likely continue.


Copyright 2007 Agence France-Presse.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007 

Are You Ready?

by MrsPartyGirl



The Philippine elections are only a few days away. What's your gameplan?

As a Filipino living overseas, I am literally removed from the local political arena. However, I still try to keep myself abreast with the election situation at home. I'm grateful that there are opportunites for me to do so, even remotely. For instance, I highly subscribe to GMA7's voters education programming. I commend GMA7 for coming up with shows like "Philippine Agenda" and "Isang Tanong". The shows are relevant, straightforward, and exceptionally thought-provoking.

For a change, I am quite pleased to observe that our countrymen seem to be showing an active interest in involving themselves in this electoral exercise. I hope this is a sign of our nation's growing political maturity. We'll see after the elections if this proves to be true.

Anyway, I am posting the "Isang Tanong" and "Pito-Pito sa Mayo" episodes here. After watching these, it's clear that some of the senatoriables have their own (personal) issues to put forward, and some are even addressing micro-issues that are best left to the attention of local governments. Per se, I think that's not bad. However, if one is aiming for a national position, it's not enough that one has a specific agenda. A candidate's platform should encompass a greater number issues, to benefit the greater number of people. Also, I can feel that some senatoriables have a genuine desire to serve the country but are greatly overshadowed by those who are naturally good public speakers (i.e. magaling mambola). I guess, it really takes a great deal of scrutiny and introspection to separate bona fide from the bluster.

Of course, you may or may not agree with me.

Anyway, there are 12 blank spaces on the ballot. You decide.



Videos grabbed from GMANews.TV


ISANG TANONG: EPISODE 1 (Aired 29 April 2007)

Isang Tanong: Martin Bautista, Miguel Zubiri, Chiz Escudero

Isang Tanong: Antonio Trillanes IV, Nikki Coseteng, Ed Angara

Isang Tanong: Noynoy Aquino III, Felix Cantal, Bobby Enciso

Isang Tanong: Alan Cayetano and Adrian Sison

Isang Tanong: Sonia Roco and Chavit Singson

Isang Tanong: Bakit Ikaw Ang Dapat Iboto?



ISANG TANONG: EPISODE 2 (Aired 06 May 2007)

Isang Tanong: Loren Legarda, Mike Defensor, and Richard Gomez

Isang Tanong: Ping Lacson, Zosimo Paredes, and Victor Wood

Isang Tanong: Cesar Montano, Oliver Lozano, and Butch Pichay

Isang Tanong: Kiko Pangilinan, Mel Chavez, and Tessie Oreta

Isang Tanong: Koko Pimentel and Ed Orpilla

Isang Tanong: Bakit Ikaw and Dapat Iboto?



The PITO-PITO SA MAYO Segments can be viewed HERE.

About This Weblog

    Previously, a blog about how life has treated us after our last duel on the piste. Now, unmasked, we reveal ourselves as political scientists first, fencers second.

    Our country is the Philippines - where the University that brought us together stands. Though we'd rather pretend that eveything is fine, it is not.

    We've laid down our swords and sharpened our words. Now we raise our mightier pens and say: en garde.

    For Pinas. Our guts, your glory.
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