Category Archives: election

Flashpoints: Philippines and Thailand

By admin | May 20, 2010

I’ve written several articles for The Diplomat about the Philippine 2010 elections. Some of them have been reposted in this blog. In the past week, I submitted these short election updates: 1. So Far, Not so Bad 2. Disenfranchised Voters 3. Philippine Elections: The Good, the Bad, and the Funny 4. Replace or Retain Voting […]

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Price of freedom

By admin | May 9, 2010

…written in 2007 If you believe in democracy, then vote on May 14. If you want deserving candidates to win, then encourage others to vote as well. If you want to remove incompetent leaders, then volunteer to guard the counting of votes. This is our duty as responsible citizens. Our vigilance is the price of […]

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Family feuds

By admin | May 6, 2010

Membership in a political party isn’t required to win in Philippine elections since political families are more influential in delivering votes for their relatives and anointed candidates. In small municipalities, the candidate who belongs to the biggest family is sure of winning in the polls. If there are several big families in a city or […]

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Battle of the mothers

By admin | May 5, 2010

Mothers are effective campaigners on behalf of their politician children–they can gather sympathy votes by displaying their love for their children and they can vouch for the sincerity and humanity of their politician children, especially those embroiled in controversy. Last Monday, 86-year-old Curita Villar addressed the media for the first time at her Las Pinas […]

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Lights, Camera…Elections!

By admin | April 30, 2010

Don’t mix politics and entertainment? Think again. Actor Joseph Estrada became president in 1998 while his showbiz pal, Fernando Poe Jr., almost became one in 2004. TV stars topped the senate race in 1992, 1998, 2001 and 2007. There are three actors in the senate today and all of them are running for re-election. Based […]

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Animals and dark lords

By admin | April 23, 2010

Should animal rights activists be concerned with how Filipino politicians describe their enemies as animals? To bolster his anti-corruption campaign message, senatorial candidate Teofisto Guingona III made a somewhat funny TV ad which showed him punching an animated crocodile. At the end of the video, Guingona shouts that he is angry at crocodiles (‘Galit ako […]

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Octogenarians and soldiers

By admin | April 18, 2010

Albay province governor and presidential adviser Joey Salceda is happy to note that candidates in the 2010 elections are younger compared to those in previous elections. The average age of presidential aspirants in 2004 was 60.25. The candidates were Fernando Poe Jr., 65; Panfilo Lacson, 57; Raul S. Roco, 63; and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 56. The […]

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Season of mudslinging

By admin | April 17, 2010

Written in 2007…. Politics is addition. The longer you stay in public office, the more number of enemies you will attract. There are no permanent friends and enemies; only the desire for power and absolute power. A politician thinks this way: “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. During elections, every candidate is a […]

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Schooling in Siok

By admin | April 12, 2010

Graduation rites are important but they should not be extravagant. Even education officials recognize the need to conduct simple graduation activities. But many schools still want a grand celebration and this necessitates the collection of graduation fees from students. Student are able to finish basic education without paying tuition but they can’t get their diplomas […]

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Swine Flu, Twitter and elections

By admin | April 7, 2010

Last year, the swine flu (AH1N1) pandemic created widespread panic around the world. In the Philippines, the swine flu scare prompted the government to install thermal scanners in airports and government buildings. Catholic church officials discouraged the holding of hands inside churches as a precautionary measure against the spread of the deadly virus, while many […]

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