THE back-up plan

I didn't see it coming. Like most Filipinos, I grew excited that there is not much problem reported in the 2010 elections. The possibility that the Philippines will have no president in time for the 15th Congress is looming. I fear for my youngest cousin who was born last month. My eldest cousin would be giving birth too, two months from now.

Other issues

In the recently concluded elections, some precincts decided to assign 'priority numbers' to the voters for order and system. There should be no problem with that if only the public was warned way ahead of time that the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) could and would conduct an arrangement of that kind arbitrarily.

Another thing. The 364 foreign observers and 159 foreign journalists who flew to the country to watch for themselves our electoral process were not convinced that it really has been devoid of any manipulation. Minus pogi points for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman and Education and Information Department (EID) director James Jimenez who vouched for the automation of the recently concluded elections.

References

Mar Roxas: a political casualty

Before September 1, 2009, Manuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas was eyed for presidency. Jovito Salonga, Chair Emeritus of the Liberal Party, and Franklin Drilon, the party's chairman, have already endorsed him. But he shelved his presidential aspiration that day to the current president-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. Even though he has topped the 2004 senatorial elections. Even though he was the first politician to earn the trust of nearly 20 million Filipinos. Even though he has already proposed to Korina Sanchez, a frontline broadcast journalist from the ABS-CBN, in a noontime show on April 25, 2009.

He has denied it himself - Pilipina Ako does not know if he should be admired for that. If he was that dead serious in serving his country, well, let's just say that Pilipina Ako would've been happy if he had admitted that there are other reasons why he had given up his quest.

Advantages and disadvantages of an automated election

The Philippines has decided to turn to automated polls to select the 15th president. It had been 40 years that election officers tally and canvass votes manually, making suffrage a matter of survival and a government position vulnerable to divisiveness and corruption.

And so, the country has enacted initiatives to reform the system. But it was only until 1997 that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) was authorized to count and canvass the national and local polls electronically.

Several controversies followed, so it took a decade and two years before the law was implemented. In fact, until the results were shown, its efficiency was disputed. Why would the average Filipino commend the recently concluded elections? Has the Philippines already got what it takes to run machines and let it rule our lives for the next six years? Will the populace cry foul if president-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino didn't win?

There are advantages gained last time. But did it outweigh the disadvantages? There have been less negative comments anymore after the first automated elections...

I would not be surprised if it will be questioned again in 2016.

Elections on the Philippines tomorrow!

My country would be exercising suffrage again tomorrow. It would be the first time we would try casting our ballots through a machine but I am one with the other Filipinos hoping and trusting that this automated elections would push through for the common good. Every country deserves righteousness and a clean elections can do that.

REFERENCE LIST

23 May 2010
Other Issues
http://ph.politicalarena.com/presidential-elections/news/364-foreign-poll-observers-accredited
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=574264
http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/05/17/may-2010-elections-neither-fair-nor-honest-foreign-observers/