Saturday, March 24, 2007

THE COMELEC AND THE CITIZENRY

THE COMELEC AND THE CITIZENRY

Dear Mr. Jimenez,



Many Filipinos have already watched the recent political advertisements that had been shown on national TV. One of such commercials have a “military man” endorsing Cong. Migs Zubiri to be voted as senator in the coming election. I do know that soldiers are prohibited from endorsing any candidate in front of the media. And, yet, a military man is endorsing Migs Zubiri to be voted as senator in the coming election. Such commercial has been shown so many times already now in national TV. How would the COMELEC deal with such questionable forms of campaigning in a political election? The COMELEC should be responsible enough in doing its tasks and responsibilities. The COMELEC is an important component of an effective and working democracy. If such a commission has some or many defects, it means that democracy is not running effectively in a country. Can we say that the current COMELEC in the Philippines is free from any defect? Many Filipinos were asked by several survey-groups on the issue of the COMELEC’s credibility in safeguarding the integrity of future elections here in our country. The over-all majority of those who had been surveyed replied that the COMELEC lacks the credibility to safeguard the integrity of future elections in this country. What then would the COMELEC do to make the Filipino people become fully-convinced that it (the COMELEC) can really be trusted as an important part of an effective and working democracy? The answer would be a “dialogue” between the citizenry and the COMELEC. The COMELEC must listen to the grievances and the suggestions of the citizenry regarding the political-election system of our country. Many wise people from the COMELEC brought out the idea of having an “open-chat system” with concerned the concerned citizens of this country through the so-called “BAGONG BOTANTE WEB PAGE”. But the very name of such web page would mean that most, if not all, of those who will chat with some officials of the COMELEC are “new voters” who had never experienced how to be disenfranchised or expelled from voting in a political election due to “identification-problems”. The COMELEC should have a week or two in making a “direct dialogue” with the concerned citizens of this country in trying to work out ways to reform the election-system of our country. The COMELEC officials can hold sessions with the “concerned citizens” before the holding of the mid-year election. I, personally, as a plain and law-abiding citizen of this country, would also want to discuss my own opinions, that is if given the chance by the COMELEC officials, on how to reform the political-election system and how to ensure the integrity and credibility of every political election in our country.
How I wish this suggestion of an open dialogue between the citizenry and the COMELEC will be listened upon by all the commissioners of the COMELEC. I can volunteer myself to appear personally before the COMELEC officials in explaining the wisdom of this suggestion. I hope that it is not yet too late for the citizenry and the COMELEC to hold a week-long dialogue in making the coming mid-year election become truly credible, clean, peaceful, fair and orderly. Mr. Jimenez, please make this message become known immediately to your immediate superiors there at the COMELEC. I know that I’m not a national celebrity in this country to convey this suggestion to the COMELEC officials. But I have to convey this message to the COMELEC, because I’m a constitution-lover and a law-abiding citizen of this country. Again, Mr. Jimenez, please make this message become known immediately to your immediate superiors at the COMELEC. My constructive criticisms about the COMELEC’s flaws in the holding of political elections in our country could be seen and read at this web page:
http://www.rummelpinera.blogspot.com . Just click such web page right away to enter the mentioned site immediately. Thanks.


Such letter was posted by me at the blog called "INSIDE COMELEC" on March 20, 2007. I don't know if some COMELEC officials would care to bother at all on such letter of mine. I do hope that they have read that one.

5 comments:

vic said...

fclwdgI doubt it very much if the Comelec Officials ever give importance to the Citizens suggestions or criticism, because most of the time they get offended for even suggesting that their ties are not properly aligned. That's how they think how smart they are, but the results of their effort betray their pretensions.

I lived for the past 30 years here in Canada and to compare the comelecs and our election Canada officials, just like comparing arrogant well paid public servants as to our mostly unknown dedicated and to be honest, never heard a single issue of them regarding cheating, bribery or criminal acts. And I'm wondering why it could be done here and so impossible to do over there. Is it embedded in our cultures? Or we just get away with out suffering the consequence?

Anonymous said...

Original message from Ray:
>
> What will make me leave the
> Philippines. .. An Open Letter to Every
> Filipino
>
> Dear Fellow Filipino,
> Good day to all of you! Before I begin
> my letter... just a
> disclaimer, for people who know me they
> know that I love the
> Philippines very much and I am not
> really one who rants and
> complaints to high heavens about what
> is happening to our country
> and does nothing about it, in fact, I
> feel that at my relatively
> young age of 27, I have done much
> service to the Philippines by
> setting up Pathways to Higher Education
> which has sent more than 500
> poor but deserving students to college
> and AHON Foundation which has
> already built two public elementary
> school libraries that have
> benefitted more than 3,500 students.
> Yet, after seeing how events in
> our nation have transpired the past few
> weeks and talking with some
> friends, I feel the urge to share with
> you my own thoughts and
> feelings.
> Over the weekend, we saw the completion
> of two major political
> alliances for this coming Senate
> Elections that has just began here
> in the Philippines . Now we have two
> political forces with familiar
> faces nonetheless on opposite sides of
> the fences. On one end, you
> have Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta
> who were two major stalwarts
> of the opposition and the FPJ Campaign
> in 2004 hobnobbing with the
> woman (Pres. GMA) whom they claimed to
> have cheated FPJ in the last
> Presidential Elections.On the other
> side of the fence, you see Manny
> Villar, the former house speaker who
> was actually responsible for
> impeaching Erap now part of the United
> Opposition who is led by no
> less than... Erap himself. Now if you
> don't see anything wrong with
> this picture then you must be one of
> the many Filipinos who have
> accepted this very sad reality that
> there is indeed no permanent
> ideals that our government leaders
> stand up for but rather they just
> go where there self-interests can best
> be served.
> It is this kind of politics why I no
> longer wonder why good people
> like Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Mayor
> Jesse Robredo of Naga City or
> outstanding Bulacan Governor Josie Dela
> Cruz will find it hard or
> worse, never be elected to national
> positions.
> It is with these in mind that I'd like
> to share with you what are
> events this coming May elections that
> will make me consider leaving
> the Philippines :
> 1.) If former COMELEC Commissioner
> Virgilio Garcillano of Hello
> Garci fame wins in his bid to become
> Congressman of
> Bukidnon...seeking to replace a good
> man no less in incumbent Cong.
> Neric Acosta... We would really be the
> laughing stock of the whole
> world if we allow a man with the
> reputation of Garci to be one of
> our so called "Honorable Gentlemen".
> 2.) If Dancing Queen Tessie Aquino
> Oreta reclaims her seat at the
> Senate... I hope that all of us would
> still remember that dance that
> she did during the 2001 impeachment
> hearings after they voted to
> overrule the decision of then Chief
> Justice Davide... let us make
> sure that people like her never make it
> to the Senate again.
> 3.) If Richard Gomez becomes a
> senator... what does he know about
> making laws? We already have the likes
> of Bong Revilla and Lito
> Lapid in the Senate and their
> performance or lack of it would be
> reason enough not to elect another
> actor who has no prior experience
> in government to the distinguished
> halls of the Senate.
> 4.) If Gringo Honasan wins again....
> have we not learned our lesson?
> I cannot believe that just because
> someone is charismatic then we
> will just elect him to become one of
> our senators despite the fact
> that he has time and again caused so
> much instability in our
> country... if we want a military junta
> similar to that
> 5.) If Manny Pacquiao becomes
> Congressman of General Santos City...
> everybody loves Manny the Boxing Champ
> but Manny the Lawmaker? Lets
> be realistic here, Manny is our Hero
> alright but I think it takes
> more than just great boxing skills and
> a desire to serve to be able
> to make appropriate laws that would
> help uplift the lives of the
> many Filipinos who live in Poverty.
> 6.) If Lito Lapid wins for Mayor of
> Makati City... I don't like Jojo
> Binay as well but Lito Lapid as city
> mayor of the country's finance
> and business center?!?! And do you
> really think he is from Makati
> and has good plans for the city? The
> Arroyos asking someone like him
> to run just goes to show you how much
> love and concern this
> government has for our country.
> 7.) If Chavit Singson becomes a
> Senator, Illegal Gambling =
> Chavit... enough said.
> Now if all of these 7 things happen
> during this coming elections
> then don't be surprised if I decide to
> leave this country that I
> love dearly. Like I said during the
> first part of my letter, I feel
> that I have done much for this country
> but I think its time that
> Filipinos become more vigilant and
> critical in selecting our leaders
> for the sake of our future and the
> generations that will go beyond
> us. So I appeal to every Filipino who
> asks what can I actually do
> for my country... Choose and vote for
> the right people this coming
> elections, huwag na tayong magpaloko sa
> mga kandidatong maganda lang
> ang jingle o gwapo lang sa mga poster.
> Let us choose leaders who
> have a good track record for service
> and who are genuinely committed
> towards serving our country.
> Manindigan naman tayong lahat para sa
> ating Kinabukasan at para sa
> Kapakanan ng ating Bayan!
> Thank you very much for your time in
> reading this letter.
> Sincerely,
> Harvey S. Keh
>
>
> KAILANGANG MABASA ITO NG 80 MILLIONG
> PILIPINO !!! IPASA NYO NG
> IPASA !!!
>
>
>
>
> "Earth's crammed with heaven,
> And every common bush afire with God;
> And only he who sees takes off his
> shoes;
> The rest sit around it and pluck
> blackberries. " (ebbrowning)
>

Anonymous said...

getting out of this country (Philippines) will not make you do good,
nor acquire peace and security for yourself, for your family to enjoy
the confort zone you wish to have in this life time.

anywhere in the world, there is moral crisis... there is exploitation
of which the capitalist dominates democracy.

good for the Philippines that we have such a topsy-turvy governance, a
type of situation where a call for change is an opportunity.

Maharlika is the best place for a peaceful revolution.. . we should not take for
granted this opportunity in our lifetime.

struggle is the essence of life... to take up the struggle to serve
humanity is the best confort zone in life...

do the best we can.....

Anonymous said...

The democratic institutions in the Philippines have to be strengthened and revitalized......


But actions are necessary for such to happen.

Anonymous said...

The current Arroyo regime has neglected the "human-rights' issues" that the international community has been complaining about. So many unresolved political killings had happened during the reign of Mrs. Arroyo. But where is justice for those who had been killed? And the fact remains that legal political opposition and objective journalism are still being harassed by the Arroyo regime. Please support AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL's call that the Arroyo regime should ensure that human-rights will never be violated again by the military and the next administration that will replace the unpopular Arroyo regime. HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE WHOLE WORLD!
-----------Sabrena David