Amidst reports of the fall-out of the TIM-Smartmatic consortium, bomb attacks, coup rumors on the local scene and the celebrity deaths of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and the ouster of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya via a coup in the international scene, there ought to be what escapes many – the lighter side of things.
GMA runs for Congress. Isn’t that good news? It serves early notice that there will be elections come 2010.
At least, there is only a Prof. Randy David worrying how indeed he can surmount the problem of a patronizing constituency in Pampanga who might still vote for GMA as their next district representative. It also opens wide the door for the more rabid presidential wannabes to focus on their political campaigns with – GMA out of the field. That should in fact automatically remove Erap from the mad race as well.
If GMA runs for yet another elective position lower than the presidency, normally she is expected to resign or deemed resigned upon filing of her candidacy but then again, her term of office is constitutionally prescribed. It is only natural that for every act of the president, legal issues are always raised. It is not as if there is really a resulting power vacuum.
Going manual thereby freezes P11.3 billion in ready budget. The frozen amount may well be appropriated for – more classrooms, more hospital beds, more small boats for the Navy or Coast Guard. Never mind those noodles, those health insurance cards, those packs of rice. Perhaps, poll automation will be realized in the next election cycle and possibly at a much cheaper cost.
There is a good less than a year left for Congress to convene as Con-Ass and amend or revise the Constitution. It must be foolhardy for the House of Representatives to do so now when the political currents are against it. If the House does insist, again, it can only be in conformity with the requirement that the Senate participates and that it votes upon any amendment or revision – separately.
A simple scenario can be drawn. The House of Representatives can vote upon an amendment or revision with the requisite ¾ votes of its own chamber Members. Signs indicate it can muster the number required. On the other hand, Senate is traditionally not predisposed to vote upon any amendment or revision of the Constitution at any point in time. Therefore, Senate will defeat any move for a Charter-Change. Thus, under the ‘mode of voting separately’, the move for cha-cha is deemed defeated.
There is a whole May 2010 to look forward to. Using the power of technology, even a supposed-to-be manual voting may be fast-tracked. Emerging new features of social networking media and the internet can significantly play a role so votes can be counted and reported in real time. In the end, a lot of safety mechanisms can demonstrate how our votes have been safeguarded because there is a – universal viewing screen. The internet will play central role with all the help of other electronic gadgets such as high-end cellphones, podcasts, et cetera.
The whole vote count configuration shall come handy. There will evolve a system of check and balance never before tried. If people ought to mobilize, there will be ‘digital armies’ to serve as ‘gatekeepers’ to insure that election is clean, honest, and fair. There will be even more zealous young or mature voters alike who can safeguard the votes as they are being counted.
But let not history repeat itself in 2010.
Let not those entrusted to canvass the votes behave as though indicatively bound by instruction than by conscience. In short, let us ‘kill’ the puppeteers who pull the strings.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Sana magdilang, angel ka. Tunay na nakakagot na ang kalagayan pampulitika.
Kapag magkaka Dagdag-Bawas na naman, baka maghalo na balat sa tinalupan.
Say hey, Primer,
I was hoping for jokes, but indeed your commentary is more uplifting than all that coup rumor stuff and the notion of scores of generals running around bombing the home country to provoke martial law, then directing their troops to whack the heads of Filipinos who aren’t hiding out at home during curfew like good law-abiding citizens. Nasty people, those curfew violators . . .
Staying on the light side, if martial law is declared soon enough, it will suppress the spread of Swine Flu.
The idea of actually getting to a “normal” election is refreshing. I hope it comes to pass.
Joe
But think of what martial law curfew — everyone off the streets between 8PM to 5AM — will do to population growth?
In fact, have you seen that survey report released last March, 2008? (Survey funded by Malaysian condom manufacturer. Finding — 14.7% of Filipinos (males–age 15 to 55) have sex at least 5 times a week. 14.7%!!! That may be explanation for the high population growth rate in Pinas.
…
… 14.7% drops to 2.1% if you add the phrase
:roll:
“..with a partner”.
ahahahahahahahahahaha
Mike,
methinks we need to factor in the rainy, bed-weather days and power outages. :)
That is very funny!!!!
I gotta remember that one for the next barkadahan.
Mike H,
Drat. You are right. No flu, but more babies.
Better to pursue birth control by stopping martial law.
Joe
Gloria Arroyo has always the propensity for duplicity. That is her
character. Her character is like her skin. She cannot get out of her
own skin. Why would a President want to run for Congress? The
Ulterior Motive is there. She does not want to get out of power.
The person is already addicted to power.
We, who are against any CON ASS, CON CON, etc…will always be
VIGILANT against any Dubious Characters who want to usurp power
in our government. THIS IS OUR COUNTRY. WE HAVE TO SAFEGUARD IT.
Two distinctions may be made.
Addiction means that Politician H bats for a 2nd to 3rd term to get re-elected because after the first term (3 years), he realized that he became richer by 30%-70% of P70 million a year (in the case of congressman) or became richer by 30%-70% of P200 million a year (in the case of senator). So, he makes sure the vicious cycle continues and runs for mayor, or governor after Congress.
Contagion means that the same Politician H makes sure Politician H1 and Politician N1, respectively run for public office as well. H1 is Politician H’s son, daughter or grandchild. Politician N1 is Politician H’s in-laws by marriage to Politician N (his wife). It means casting the wider net – the same family runs for mayor, governorship, House or Senate.
Either case is the best of all possible worlds. Not few are taking both options. Or characterize the House of Representatives and try to trace the long umbilical cord that remains uncut to this day?
That would be a wonderful exercise, tracing the lineages of family or acquaintanceships in the Legislature. Some University should offer that assignment to a PhD candidate. I’d certainly like to see it, especially for Teodoro.
Joe
If that earns me a PhD from any school, I can have it done in a semester.
Ha. That and a couple of statistics courses and other drudgery.
You got Teodoro at your fingertips?
Joe
Erap landslide anyone :lol: