It will be my 1st voting experience as a registered voter. My president is Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro. Why? He is known to have a basis to transcend through the limitations of traditional politics. He is different, innovative, intellectual, unconventional, wise, and optimistic.
He is the standard bearer of LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD Party (The administration party). Many people wouldn't consider him to be president due to the fact that he is associated with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This shouldn't be the case, since the president distanced herself from Gibo and definitely Gibo is not PGMA.Elections is the peak of democracy. Comelec (Commission on Election) is responsible for the management of how the elections will go. It is a constitutional commission.
The following is an excerpt of Article IX of the 1987 Constitution:
C. The Commission on Elections
Section 1. (1) There shall be a Commission on Elections composed of a Chairman and six Commissioners who shall be natural-born citizens of the Philippines and, at the time of their appointment, at least thirty-five years of age, holders of a college degree, and must not have been candidates for any elective positions in the immediately preceding elections. However, a majority thereof, including the Chairman, shall be members of the Philippine Bar who have been engaged in the practice of law for at least ten years.
(2) The Chairman and the Commissioners shall be appointed by the President with the consent of the Commission on Appointments for a term of seven years without reappointment. Of those first appointed, three Members shall hold office for seven years, two Members for five years, and the last Members for three years, without reappointment. Appointment to any vacancy shall be only for the unexpired term of the predecessor. In no case shall any Member be appointed or designated in a temporary or acting capacity.
Section 2. The Commission on Elections shall exercise the following powers and functions:
(1) Enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of an election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum, and recall.
(2) Exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over all contests relating to the elections, returns, and qualifications of all elective regional, provincial, and city officials, and appellate jurisdiction over all contests involving elective municipal officials decided by trial courts of general jurisdiction, or involving elective barangay officials decided by trial courts of limited jurisdiction.
Decisions, final orders, or rulings of the Commission on election contests involving elective municipal and barangay offices shall be final, executory, and not appealable.
(3) Decide, except those involving the right to vote, all questions affecting elections, including determination of the number and location of polling places, appointment of election officials and inspectors, and registration of voters.
(4) Deputize, with the concurrence of the President, law enforcement agencies and instrumentalities of the Government, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, for the exclusive purpose of ensuring free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.
(5) Register, after sufficient publication, political parties, organizations, or coalitions which, in addition to other requirements, must present their platform or program of government; and accredit citizens’ arms of the Commission on Elections. Religious denominations and sects shall not be registered. Those which seek to achieve their goals through violence or unlawful means, or refuse to uphold and adhere to this Constitution, or which are supported by any foreign government shall likewise be refused registration.
Financial contributions from foreign governments and their agencies to political parties, organizations, coalitions, or candidates related to elections, constitute interference in national affairs, and, when accepted, shall be an additional ground for the cancellation of their registration with the Commission, in addition to other penalties that may be prescribed by law.
(6) File, upon a verified complaint, or on its own initiative, petitions in court for inclusion or exclusion of voters; investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute cases of violations of election laws, including acts or omissions constituting election frauds, offenses, and malpractices.
(7) Recommend to the Congress effective measures to minimize election spending, including limitation of places where propaganda materials shall be posted, and to prevent and penalize all forms of election frauds, offenses, malpractices, and nuisance candidacies.
(8) Recommend to the President the removal of any officer or employee it has deputized, or the imposition of any other disciplinary action, for violation or disregard of, or disobedience to, its directive, order, or decision.
(9) Submit to the President and the Congress, a comprehensive report on the conduct of each election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum, or recall.
Section 3. The Commission on Elections may sit en banc or in two divisions, and shall promulgate its rules of procedure in order to expedite disposition of election cases, including pre- proclamation controversies. All such election cases shall be heard and decided in division, provided that motions for reconsideration of decisions shall be decided by the Commission en banc.
Section 4. The Commission may, during the election period, supervise or regulate the enjoyment or utilization of all franchises or permits for the operation of transportation and other public utilities, media of communication or information, all grants, special privileges, or concessions granted by the Government or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or controlled corporation or its subsidiary. Such supervision or regulation shall aim to ensure equal opportunity, and equal rates therefor, for public information campaigns and forums among candidates in connection with the objective of holding free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.
Section 5. No pardon, amnesty, parole, or suspension of sentence for violation of election laws, rules, and regulations shall be granted by the President without the favorable recommendation of the Commission.
Section 6. A free and open party system shall be allowed to evolve according to the free choice of the people, subject to the provisions of this Article.
Section 7. No votes cast in favor of a political party, organization, or coalition shall be valid, except for those registered under the party-list system as provided in this Constitution.
Section 8. Political parties, or organizations or coalitions registered under the party-list system, shall not be represented in the voters’ registration boards, boards of election inspectors, boards of canvassers, or other similar bodies. However, they shall be entitled to appoint poll watchers in accordance with law.
Section 9. Unless otherwise fixed by the Commission in special cases, the election period shall commence ninety days before the day of election and shall end thirty days thereafter.
Section 10. Bona fide candidates for any public office shall be free from any form of harassment and discrimination.
Section 11. Funds certified by the Commission as necessary to defray the expenses for holding regular and special elections, plebiscites, initiatives, referenda, and recalls, shall be provided in the regular or special appropriations and, once approved, shall be released automatically upon certification by the Chairman of the Commission.
Here are the constitutional provisions about the right of suffrage:
Article V
SuffrageSection 1. Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines, not otherwise disqualified by law, who are at least eighteen years of age, and who shall have resided in the Philippines for at least one year and in the place wherein they propose to vote, for at least six months immediately preceding the election. No literacy, property, or other substantive requirement shall be imposed on the exercise of suffrage.
Section 2. The Congress shall provide a system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.
The Congress shall also design a procedure for the disabled and the illiterates to vote without the assistance of other persons. Until then, they shall be allowed to vote under existing laws and such rules as the Commission on Elections may promulgate to protect the secrecy of the ballot.
The Constitution is the main and ultimate foundation upon establishing the territory, the sovereignty, the people of the state. It is the highest law of the land.
Smartmatic-TIM is the partner of Comelec in this years elections. Smartmatic is the one who will print the ballots, distribute the PCOS (Precinct Count Optical Scanner) machines. They make the automated elections possible.
People are sick and worried about the Comelec and Smartmatic with their preparations. We should accept that they are really doing their best, even though, imperfections spring out everywhere in the country. Burning of PCOS machines, reconfiguration of Compact Flash Cards. People are worried that "Failure of Elections" is possible, even though Comelec is indeed overconfident about the avoidance of such event. I would like to thank the Comelec to attempt to go into a leap of faith into the unknown.
Campaigning around the country with different parties and independent candidates seemed to be very stressing to all. Black propaganda is the electoral manifestation of Crab Mentality, we Filipinos have.
The surveys represents the miniscule fraction of the whole voting population. It is unreliable and inaccurate. They too are extremely underrepresented. The respondents are chosen randomly. Results differ and the statistical treatment is simply descriptive, improperly and biasedly analyzed. They are just tools of luring people to something bad. They are for lazy Filipinos who doesn't care what the candidates are preaching for.
Despite problems within the week before the Election day, people continue to look for alternatives ,but however, in the end, considered unconstitutional. All options are dry. Elections must push through as it is mandated by the constitution, so they say. I guess quantity is a higher priority than the quality and credibility of the elections for the Comelec.
Corruption seems to be a problem in the Philippines. Some people claim that we should battle corruption. Corruption is actually an attitude deep in the Filipino psyche that we are easily tempted and less disciplined. We are weak and we should start listening to what the foreigners have to say about our country. They say that we are not proud of our country, which is very true.
True nationalism doesn't exist in people power, but our dedication as citizens of the Republic of the Philippines to uphold the constitutional duty to preserve the culture and our allegiance to the republic. What we do to our country depends on the national interest of the people. Let no disgrace nor cowardice inhibit our patriotic mission of valor and loyalty. True nationalism exists in the pride and essence of being-Filipino. We have had many sui generis and it has been great to have them in our race.
"The great "legitimizer" of the government is the ballot, not the bullet"- Ninoy Aquino
"There are many things we do not want about the world. Let us not just mourn them. Let us change them."- Ferdinand Edralin Marcos
"Filipinos don't realize that victory is the child of struggle, that joy blooms from suffering, and redemption is a product of sacrifice."- Dr. Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado
Here are the other presidential aspirants:
1) Nicanor "Nick" Perlas (Independent)
2) Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III (Liberal Party)
3) Ma. Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal (Independent)
4) Manuel "Manny" Villar (Nationalista Party)
5) Richard "Dick" Gordon (Bagumbayan - Volunteers for a New Philippines)
6) Eduardo "Bro. Eddie" Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas)
7) Joseph M. "Erap" Estrada Ejercito (Pwersa sa Masang Pilipino)
8) John Carlos G. "JC" Delos Reyes (Ang Kapatiran Party)
Here what a contemporary philosopher had to say about democracy:
"Democracy is intended to make men's tenure of power temporary and dependent upon popular approval."- Bertrand Russell
Here are my tweets concerning the election in chronological order:
1) Politics are filthy and dirty events contributed by the humanely agents called Civilized Barbarians. I think we Filipinos are more matured that people power will be less powerful and many people have learned the experience of history.
3) Despite the assurances of the success of Mondays polls, it is very obvious that the Comelec is extremely overconfident with their decisions. Politics shows that Filipinos are the epitome of crab mentality, anti-nationalism, extreme personalism, procrastination and ningas cogon. We do not need unity in the country. What we need is a mere appreciation of what we do to our country for the better of our race.
6) The youth of today is experiencing the death of democracy. Juan de la Cruz has finally stepped into the Inferno of politics. He struggles.
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