Once again, the Philippines has exercised its popular version of what elections mean -- cheating and violence. The recent display of elections, Philippine style, is another round of a stinking electoral exercise practiced in the previous 2004 elections where the electoral fraud reportedly perpetrated by top officials of this country has not reached satisfactory decision in court.
Here in culture-rich and peaceful Mountain Province where there are no reported cases of murder and violence during elections, accounts and stories of vote-buying however have been heard to have reportedly been done throughout the province.
Talks of 500 to 1500 peso bills are rife over the grapevine to have been given to the electorate and even directly reported to this writer to have been distributed per household.
Not only is there reported direct vote-buying which is an illegal act, but also reports of indirect vote buying perpetrated through the giving of pigs during reunions and other family or community celebrations.
A local tourist here in this tourist town was surprised to know vote-buying happened here knowing that cases of vote-buying were filed with the Commission on Elections. She thought it was only in her hometown in Sorsogon and other poverty stricken places that vote- buying happens.
Sagada, while it is a tourist town is still an agricultural community just like other town or province of this agricultural country. Only a few households derive their income from tourism with a few families operating inns and restaurants, and others serving as tourist guides. The rest of the majority of the populace are farmers while some of the very few are employed in government and in private businesses.
Like the rest of the poverty-stricken Filipinos, Sagada populace are also hit with the effects of poverty such that a 500 peso bill freely given by a supporter of a political candidate or given by the candidate himself is already a blessing enough to buy a half cavan of rice or a 1,500 bill enough to buy a cavan of rice and a kilo of sugar.
To complicate matters, the acceptance of the money comes along with the psychological effect of voting for the one who gives the money, otherwise, it would be a curse not to. With a people who have strong cultural, if not superstitious beliefs of receiving a favor and giving back a favor in return, people become enslaved to this system of conscionable vote selling.
That is why, the advise of some politicians for the electorate not to vote for the one who gives the money does not work especially in this 4th class province. Chances are, the one who gives the money or a cow or a pig always wins and the one who presents a very good platform without giving money, will not win.
Calls for new politics, consultative governance, and democratic participation espoused by losing former congressional aspirants in the province including lawyers Anthony Wooden and David Daoas in the 2004 elections, and engineers Arnold Pilando and Jupiter Dominguez in the recent elections remain to be ideal platforms of good governance which have not taken off the ground.
Even implementation of the Local Government Code involving non-government agencies and participation of constituents in the making of barangay municipal and provincial development plans have not been fully implemented since the law’s passage in 1991.
The assertive involvement of the electorate in making a better community is still to be felt. While the law is there for people to participate in decision making for their own betterment and active involvement, governance has been left in the hands of the ones whom they have elected into office.
Either the electorate is apathetic due to utter helplessness or ignorance, or they have simply considered involvement in decision making the least of their priorities in life. This “stinking political system” says Sagada native Rose Capuyan, will continue with a people enslaved and helpless.
This feeling of helplessness and chosen slavery perpetuates when money or a gift is received from a traditional politician who in turn is voted by the recipient in return during elections.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Friday, May 11, 2007
The Anglican Angle
The demolition of the Anglican church in Sabangan by contractors of the multipurpose gym funded from the pork barrel funds of incumbent Rep. Victor Dominguez has created a situation wherein differing supporters of Mt Province congressional candidates used the issue to propel candidacies of their respective candidates.
Based from campaign sorties, incumbent mayor of Sabangan and candidate for congressman Jupiter Dominguez’ supporters are supporting the mayor for having been at their side during the chaotic times of the church’s demolition in 2006, among other reasons. On the other hand, the candidate congressman’s rivals and their supporters claim the opposite.
Let the events that transpired be given credit to whom these are due. Where the mayor’s support was felt by people who claim it to be so, then let it be. Where Jupiter Dominguez’ rivals says the opposite, the burden is on them to prove it so.
With the issuance of the Anglican Diocesan Convention resolution which forwards a strong political position against Victor Dominguez, this has apparently invited comment from the solon’s supporters as well as those who capitalized on the issue and attacked church leaders for indulging in “hate campaign and partisan propaganda”.
While differing supporters and their candidates have their own political gimmicks and strategies to further their popularity basing their conclusions on the events that transpired from the church’s demolition, what currently stands is the solon’s denial of the church’s existence and consequent denial of a congregation who gather to express their religious faith and beliefs.
Victor Dominguez has repeatedly denied the existence of the Anglican church in Sabangan with claims that the lot where the church stands is owned by the Poblacion of Sabangan.
While it is a legal controversy of who owns the lot where the church building stands, whether it is the Poblacion of Sabangan or the Anglican church, the solon has blinded his eyes to the congregation of St Peter’s church who regularly conduct their church services at the very building which was demolished.
This is every evident on some 50 Anglican families who go to church every Sunday and who have been baptized Anglicans in the wooden one-story building, since the Anglican church was established in 1958 up to the moment. This is very evident also on the assignments of the many Anglican priests who have served in St Peter’s church year in and year out.
Bishop Renato Abibico of the Anglican diocese of northern Luzon, and who hails from Sabangan, himself says that he was a regular worshipper of the demolished church building which was then referred to as “pwestoan” in 1965.
The very act of denying the existence of St Peter’s church is denying the existence of the very people who have lived and continued to live in Sabangan. It is denying the existence of the very people who may have voted for the solon in the past 30 years of his term as solon of this 5th class province. It is denying the very principles of the divine law apart from State law, which makes up policies of the government where he sits as congressman.
Thus, the solon’s pronouncements were seen as having violated the very fundamental, human, universal, and constitutional rights to worship and religion which basically composes our essence as human beings. This notwithstanding, let the Anglicans separately pursue with reason their individual choices of candidates this coming May 14 elections as part of their right to suffrage
Based from campaign sorties, incumbent mayor of Sabangan and candidate for congressman Jupiter Dominguez’ supporters are supporting the mayor for having been at their side during the chaotic times of the church’s demolition in 2006, among other reasons. On the other hand, the candidate congressman’s rivals and their supporters claim the opposite.
Let the events that transpired be given credit to whom these are due. Where the mayor’s support was felt by people who claim it to be so, then let it be. Where Jupiter Dominguez’ rivals says the opposite, the burden is on them to prove it so.
With the issuance of the Anglican Diocesan Convention resolution which forwards a strong political position against Victor Dominguez, this has apparently invited comment from the solon’s supporters as well as those who capitalized on the issue and attacked church leaders for indulging in “hate campaign and partisan propaganda”.
While differing supporters and their candidates have their own political gimmicks and strategies to further their popularity basing their conclusions on the events that transpired from the church’s demolition, what currently stands is the solon’s denial of the church’s existence and consequent denial of a congregation who gather to express their religious faith and beliefs.
Victor Dominguez has repeatedly denied the existence of the Anglican church in Sabangan with claims that the lot where the church stands is owned by the Poblacion of Sabangan.
While it is a legal controversy of who owns the lot where the church building stands, whether it is the Poblacion of Sabangan or the Anglican church, the solon has blinded his eyes to the congregation of St Peter’s church who regularly conduct their church services at the very building which was demolished.
This is every evident on some 50 Anglican families who go to church every Sunday and who have been baptized Anglicans in the wooden one-story building, since the Anglican church was established in 1958 up to the moment. This is very evident also on the assignments of the many Anglican priests who have served in St Peter’s church year in and year out.
Bishop Renato Abibico of the Anglican diocese of northern Luzon, and who hails from Sabangan, himself says that he was a regular worshipper of the demolished church building which was then referred to as “pwestoan” in 1965.
The very act of denying the existence of St Peter’s church is denying the existence of the very people who have lived and continued to live in Sabangan. It is denying the existence of the very people who may have voted for the solon in the past 30 years of his term as solon of this 5th class province. It is denying the very principles of the divine law apart from State law, which makes up policies of the government where he sits as congressman.
Thus, the solon’s pronouncements were seen as having violated the very fundamental, human, universal, and constitutional rights to worship and religion which basically composes our essence as human beings. This notwithstanding, let the Anglicans separately pursue with reason their individual choices of candidates this coming May 14 elections as part of their right to suffrage
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Pustaan, mangabak ni Juan
Pustaan ta. Mangabak ni Juan. Napigsa isuna idiay southern ken northern barangays. Adu ti kabagyan na idiay ken naikamang pay isuna idiay southern. Awanen ni Pedro….. kurakot gamin isuna isunga awanen ti pagkagawis na idiay ili.
Presumptions of who will win and who will be defeated this coming May 14 elections are favorite and passionate topics during breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.
Assumptions range from the length and breadth of the candidate’s relatives to the thickness of his money. So the more relatives a candidate has, the more votes he/she has. That is why in culture-rich places, relatives try to prevent a relative from running in the same position in order to let their relative-candidate win.
But even if one has many relatives but a rival candidate has money to buy votes, chances are the moneyed candidate will buy the votes of his rival’s many relatives.
Vote buying has time and again influenced and taken over the choices of the electorate for a free and honest elections. It has corrupted minds and downgraded the electorates to mere commodities to be purchased like one kilo of sugar or half cavan of rice.
One aspiring congressman advised the crowd during a rally to get the money because that is a “balato”, but don’t vote for the candidate who gives the money. Anyway, as the candidate said, you spend that money in three days only but leave you to suffer in three years.
This issue of vote buying whether or not to get the money has been a moral question which has bugged moralists who want to straighten things out. While it would be totally best not to get the money at all and leave a clean conscience and a sound moral base of living harmoniously, it also leaves a grey area of concluding that the money belongs to the people anyway (as it may come from corrupted government funds) so why not get the money, but not to vote for the candidate who buys your vote.
But hey, getting the money maybe applicable in some areas where the vote-buying candidate is not vindictive of the money he gave and will let the voter enjoy a breath of fresh air the next day. The corrupt candidate’s corrupted followers may be closely guarding you if you have voted for their candidate and if not, you better watch out, you may find yourself not enjoying another breath of fresh air.
Vote buying definitely has to be condemned to the hilt! It has done nothing for the betterment of the people, of the community, of this country. It has downgraded people to mere objects of merchandise.
Chances are the vote-buying candidate is a corrupt public official. Where did he get he money to buy your votes and where will he get the money to get his money back? Your answer is as good as mine. Its another round of corruption. Which means your municipality, your province, your city, and this country will still be counted among the poorest countries which had never learned its lesson to advance and move for a better province or city where such is the case.
Presumptions of who will win and who will be defeated this coming May 14 elections are favorite and passionate topics during breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner.
Assumptions range from the length and breadth of the candidate’s relatives to the thickness of his money. So the more relatives a candidate has, the more votes he/she has. That is why in culture-rich places, relatives try to prevent a relative from running in the same position in order to let their relative-candidate win.
But even if one has many relatives but a rival candidate has money to buy votes, chances are the moneyed candidate will buy the votes of his rival’s many relatives.
Vote buying has time and again influenced and taken over the choices of the electorate for a free and honest elections. It has corrupted minds and downgraded the electorates to mere commodities to be purchased like one kilo of sugar or half cavan of rice.
One aspiring congressman advised the crowd during a rally to get the money because that is a “balato”, but don’t vote for the candidate who gives the money. Anyway, as the candidate said, you spend that money in three days only but leave you to suffer in three years.
This issue of vote buying whether or not to get the money has been a moral question which has bugged moralists who want to straighten things out. While it would be totally best not to get the money at all and leave a clean conscience and a sound moral base of living harmoniously, it also leaves a grey area of concluding that the money belongs to the people anyway (as it may come from corrupted government funds) so why not get the money, but not to vote for the candidate who buys your vote.
But hey, getting the money maybe applicable in some areas where the vote-buying candidate is not vindictive of the money he gave and will let the voter enjoy a breath of fresh air the next day. The corrupt candidate’s corrupted followers may be closely guarding you if you have voted for their candidate and if not, you better watch out, you may find yourself not enjoying another breath of fresh air.
Vote buying definitely has to be condemned to the hilt! It has done nothing for the betterment of the people, of the community, of this country. It has downgraded people to mere objects of merchandise.
Chances are the vote-buying candidate is a corrupt public official. Where did he get he money to buy your votes and where will he get the money to get his money back? Your answer is as good as mine. Its another round of corruption. Which means your municipality, your province, your city, and this country will still be counted among the poorest countries which had never learned its lesson to advance and move for a better province or city where such is the case.
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Consultative Politics
Consultative politics is making a wave among some political aspirants. While this is so, the need for consultative and participatory politics is becoming clearer as a right among the populace earlier made pronounced by the need for sectoral representatives party list groups in Congress. What is traditional politics is now fading down the drain with perceptions and actualizations of better systems and better approaches of governance getting clearer.
Congressional aspirant for Baguio City lawyer Jose Molintas said governance should not be confined to people whom we elect and democracy should not end after elections. It should be participatory and continuing.
A new system of approach to our common problems and at the same time remove corruption is what is needed, the incumbent city councilor said. An anticipatory government shall not only be focus on day to day problems but also prepare for the future. When we get everyone to discuss, we believe that we are more prepared for the future, the aspiring congressional candidate heading the Koalisyon Kontra sa Korupsyon said.
The human rights lawyer said conduct of a regular if not weekly fora among sectoral representatives of Working Groups among the residents of Baguio is needed to be in place. Such group should have the mandate to receive and discuss reports and make recommendations to the City Council and the Congressman to act upon.
With respect to corruption, congressional aspirant for Baguio City lawyer Mauricio Domogan said systems are already in place to curb corruption so the question should not only be thrown to those in government but also to those in the private sector. You might not know as the private sector could also be the source of corruption, he said.
The incumbent solon added “Possibly we can adapt other systems that can improve the situation but it all depends on who are running the affairs of government. We need to educate the private sector that they can get what they want even without doing something illegal.”
***
In Mountain Province, aspiring congressman and incumbent mayor of Sabangan town Jupiter Dominguez has a down to earth way of looking at participatory politics. He said consultative systems and knowing what your constituents’ problems and demands are age-old systems which need revitalization. “The peoples’ concerns can be determined by being with them, talking to them naturally in conversational and informal chats, and turning the issues which they present in formal systems. Consultative systems need to be revitalized as this system had not been felt by the populace of the greater Mt. Province in the previous years in national legislation,” Jupiter said.
Volunteer support networks can be formed in the barangays and municipalities to complement elected officials in government articulate their demands and bring these to municipal and provincial development councils and legislative units, the aspiring congressman elaborated.
***
In the same line, aspiring governor for Mt Province Bonifacio Lacwasan is forwarding his Barangay Muna platform of government. The incumbent chairman of the Association of Barangay Chairmen and currently a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Mt Province lamented his resolution forwarded to the provincial legislative body in March 2006 calling for a yearly subsidy of P100,000 from the 20% development funds of the Province per barangay, faced difficulty of reaching 3rd reading despite unanimous endorsement from barangay captains of the province
Congressional aspirant for Baguio City lawyer Jose Molintas said governance should not be confined to people whom we elect and democracy should not end after elections. It should be participatory and continuing.
A new system of approach to our common problems and at the same time remove corruption is what is needed, the incumbent city councilor said. An anticipatory government shall not only be focus on day to day problems but also prepare for the future. When we get everyone to discuss, we believe that we are more prepared for the future, the aspiring congressional candidate heading the Koalisyon Kontra sa Korupsyon said.
The human rights lawyer said conduct of a regular if not weekly fora among sectoral representatives of Working Groups among the residents of Baguio is needed to be in place. Such group should have the mandate to receive and discuss reports and make recommendations to the City Council and the Congressman to act upon.
With respect to corruption, congressional aspirant for Baguio City lawyer Mauricio Domogan said systems are already in place to curb corruption so the question should not only be thrown to those in government but also to those in the private sector. You might not know as the private sector could also be the source of corruption, he said.
The incumbent solon added “Possibly we can adapt other systems that can improve the situation but it all depends on who are running the affairs of government. We need to educate the private sector that they can get what they want even without doing something illegal.”
***
In Mountain Province, aspiring congressman and incumbent mayor of Sabangan town Jupiter Dominguez has a down to earth way of looking at participatory politics. He said consultative systems and knowing what your constituents’ problems and demands are age-old systems which need revitalization. “The peoples’ concerns can be determined by being with them, talking to them naturally in conversational and informal chats, and turning the issues which they present in formal systems. Consultative systems need to be revitalized as this system had not been felt by the populace of the greater Mt. Province in the previous years in national legislation,” Jupiter said.
Volunteer support networks can be formed in the barangays and municipalities to complement elected officials in government articulate their demands and bring these to municipal and provincial development councils and legislative units, the aspiring congressman elaborated.
***
In the same line, aspiring governor for Mt Province Bonifacio Lacwasan is forwarding his Barangay Muna platform of government. The incumbent chairman of the Association of Barangay Chairmen and currently a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Mt Province lamented his resolution forwarded to the provincial legislative body in March 2006 calling for a yearly subsidy of P100,000 from the 20% development funds of the Province per barangay, faced difficulty of reaching 3rd reading despite unanimous endorsement from barangay captains of the province
Saturday, May 5, 2007
The Anglican Angle
The demolition of the Anglican church in Sabangan by contractors of the multipurpose gym funded from the pork barrel funds of incumbent Rep. Victor Dominguez has created a situation wherein differing supporters of Mt Province congressional candidates used the issue to propel candidacies of their respective candidates.
Based from campaign sorties, incumbent mayor of Sabangan and candidate for congressman Jupiter Dominguez’ supporters are supporting the mayor for having been at their side during the chaotic times of the church’s demolition in 2006, among other reasons. On the other hand, the candidate congressman’s rivals and their supporters claim the opposite.
Let the events that transpired be given credit to whom these are due. Where the mayor’s support was felt by people who claim it to be so, then let it be. Where Jupiter Dominguez’ rivals says the opposite, the burden is on them to prove it so.
With the issuance of the Anglican Diocesan Convention resolution which forwards a strong political position against Victor Dominguez, this has apparently invited comment from the solon’s supporters as well as those who capitalized on the issue and attacked church leaders for indulging in “hate campaign and partisan propaganda”.
While differing supporters and their candidates have their own political gimmicks and strategies to further their popularity basing their conclusions on the events that transpired from the church’s demolition, what currently stands is the solon’s denial of the church’s existence and consequent denial of a congregation who gather to express their religious faith and beliefs.
Victor Dominguez has repeatedly denied the existence of the Anglican church in Sabangan with claims that the lot where the church stands is owned by the Poblacion of Sabangan.
While it is a legal controversy of who owns the lot where the church building stands, whether it is the Poblacion of Sabangan or the Anglican church, the solon has blinded his eyes to the congregation of St Peter’s church who regularly conduct their church services at the very building which was demolished.
This is every evident on some 50 Anglican families who go to church every Sunday and who have been baptized Anglicans in the wooden one-story building, since the Anglican church was established in 1958 up to the moment. This is very evident also on the assignments of the many Anglican priests who have served in St Peter’s church year in and year out.
Bishop Renato Abibico of the Anglican diocese of northern Luzon, and who hails from Sabangan, himself says that he was a regular worshipper of the demolished church building which was then referred to as “pwestoan” in 1965.
The very act of denying the existence of St Peter’s church is denying the existence of the very people who have lived and continued to live in Sabangan. It is denying the existence of the very people who may have voted for the solon in the past 30 years of his term as solon of this 5th class province. It is denying the very principles of the divine law apart from State law, which makes up policies of the government where he sits as congressman.
Thus, the solon’s pronouncements were seen as having violated the very fundamental, human, universal, and constitutional rights to worship and religion which basically composes our essence as human beings. This notwithstanding, let the Anglicans separately pursue with reason their individual choices of candidates this coming May 14 elections as part of their right to suffrage.
Based from campaign sorties, incumbent mayor of Sabangan and candidate for congressman Jupiter Dominguez’ supporters are supporting the mayor for having been at their side during the chaotic times of the church’s demolition in 2006, among other reasons. On the other hand, the candidate congressman’s rivals and their supporters claim the opposite.
Let the events that transpired be given credit to whom these are due. Where the mayor’s support was felt by people who claim it to be so, then let it be. Where Jupiter Dominguez’ rivals says the opposite, the burden is on them to prove it so.
With the issuance of the Anglican Diocesan Convention resolution which forwards a strong political position against Victor Dominguez, this has apparently invited comment from the solon’s supporters as well as those who capitalized on the issue and attacked church leaders for indulging in “hate campaign and partisan propaganda”.
While differing supporters and their candidates have their own political gimmicks and strategies to further their popularity basing their conclusions on the events that transpired from the church’s demolition, what currently stands is the solon’s denial of the church’s existence and consequent denial of a congregation who gather to express their religious faith and beliefs.
Victor Dominguez has repeatedly denied the existence of the Anglican church in Sabangan with claims that the lot where the church stands is owned by the Poblacion of Sabangan.
While it is a legal controversy of who owns the lot where the church building stands, whether it is the Poblacion of Sabangan or the Anglican church, the solon has blinded his eyes to the congregation of St Peter’s church who regularly conduct their church services at the very building which was demolished.
This is every evident on some 50 Anglican families who go to church every Sunday and who have been baptized Anglicans in the wooden one-story building, since the Anglican church was established in 1958 up to the moment. This is very evident also on the assignments of the many Anglican priests who have served in St Peter’s church year in and year out.
Bishop Renato Abibico of the Anglican diocese of northern Luzon, and who hails from Sabangan, himself says that he was a regular worshipper of the demolished church building which was then referred to as “pwestoan” in 1965.
The very act of denying the existence of St Peter’s church is denying the existence of the very people who have lived and continued to live in Sabangan. It is denying the existence of the very people who may have voted for the solon in the past 30 years of his term as solon of this 5th class province. It is denying the very principles of the divine law apart from State law, which makes up policies of the government where he sits as congressman.
Thus, the solon’s pronouncements were seen as having violated the very fundamental, human, universal, and constitutional rights to worship and religion which basically composes our essence as human beings. This notwithstanding, let the Anglicans separately pursue with reason their individual choices of candidates this coming May 14 elections as part of their right to suffrage.
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