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 Filipinos wore facemasks in public places. Hand sanitizers, alcohol, and flu vaccines, meanwhile, became popular consumer items.

Today, the swine flu threat is no longer a top security and health concern in the Philippines. Yet the Philippines is by no means free of the threat, which could actually be exacerbated by the elections in May. Indeed, even though swine flu vaccines are supposedly available today, this isn’t a guarantee that a new pandemic can be prevented.

So, what’s the connection between the virus and the election?

Handshaking is the most effective and most common form of election campaigning in the Philippines. Politicians and candidates love to shake hands and kiss babies in order to prove their ‘genuine’ affection for the poor and ordinary voters. If candidates want to win, they have to meet and shake the hands of their constituents in public markets, town plazas, schools, and inside the homes of voters.

There are more than 80,000 candidates vying for only 17,000 seats. This means there are 80,000 individuals who are physically interacting with 50 million voters everyday. This could also mean that there are 80,000 individuals who are potential carriers of deadly viruses. The number could be higher if we include the supporters and families of candidates. Each candidate has hundreds of supporters and family members who also interact with voters.

National candidates (for President, Vice President, Senator, Partylist groups) pose a greater risk because they frequently travel throughout the country.

Yet, while last year people were afraid to touch others because of the swine flu scare, today everybody seems to have forgotten the virus as handshaking becomes popular again as we approach the elections. There are no more thermal scanners in airports and government buildings and churchgoers are now holding hands again during mass. Filipinos are no longer buying facemasks and hand sanitizers in large quantities. In short, people have become complacent and lax again in promoting personal hygiene and public health.

Perhaps health officials should advise candidates to regularly wash hands before conducting handshaking campaigns every day. The public should also be warned to sanitize their hands after shaking candidates’ hands. Parents shouldn’t allow their babies to be kissed by young or old politicians.

It seems candidates are not just guilty of delivering dishonest campaign speeches, they could be guilty as well of carrying and spreading deadly viruses in the country. Can health authorities declare candidates as health hazards?

Twittering candidates

In 2007, detained rebel soldier Antonio Trillanes was not allowed to campaign outside his prison cell when he ran for senator. But Trillanes was still able to discuss his platform by maximizing Friendster, the most popular social networking site in the Philippines. Trillanes is still in detention, but he is now a senator.

Learning from the campaign strategy of Trillanes, candidates today are also using various social media tools to bolster their chances of winning in the elections. While many analysts look down on the effectiveness of online campaigning, politicians can no longer ignore the cyber community.

Friendster itself is less popular today because of the meteoric rise of Facebook. In fact, all major candidates have Facebook accounts. Another useful and popular election tool is the microblogging platform Twitter. Plurk is more famous among Filipinos, but politicians and their supporters prefer Twitter.

There are five types of Twitter users in the 2010 elections: 1) candidates; 2) online team of candidates; 3) core supporters of candidates; 4) media; and 5) voters.

Few candidates personally manage their Twitter accounts. Usually, candidates hire a web team to handle their emails, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites. The popularity of a candidate’s Twitter profile can be measured by the number of re-tweets and followers it has.

Candidates use Twitter to update voters about the campaign activities. Volunteers can also be recruited through Twitter. Furthermore, it can disseminate party slogans through viral campaigns and provide a glimpse of what the candidates are thinking, feeling, or doing on a particular day and time. It is an effective vote-getting platform because it humanizes the candidates. It also offers an opportunity for voters to engage the candidates directly.

Overall, Twitter campaigning is now a recommended strategy for national candidates. But candidates must calibrate this type of campaigning by asking their supporters to refrain from sending unsolicited tweet messages and redundant tweet reactions. Candidates should also refrain from swamping the web with false information and deceitful campaign messages. Online citizens are easily turned-off by these underhanded propaganda tactics.

Who are some of the twittering candidates and what have they been tweeting?

Adel Tamano, who is running for senator: ‘enjoyed my market tour at Roxas market and Isabela province. The people were very warm and courteous. I wish every market was like this’

Ruffy Biazon, another senatorial candidate: ‘My throat hurts a bit..not from the campaign speeches but from karaoke night. I’m really not made for this’

Mar Roxas, vice presidential candidate: ‘Now in San Jose, Antique. Crowd is overwhelming! In the heat of afternoon sun, they’re out in the streets to greet & wave at us. Memorable!’

Loren Legarda, another vice presidential candidate: ‘The cleanest body of water in the world, Kawasan river, is a joy to behold. It’s found in Badian, Cebu. I wish all rivers are that way.’

Jejomar Binay, also a vice presidential candidate: ‘@icon128 Was great news indeed that social networking sites become potent instruments in responding to natural&man-made calamities.’

Alex Tinsay, media broadcaster who is running for senator: ‘So nice to be welcomed by my daughters back here at home. They’re still awake and we’re spending quality time. Had a chance to bond with my wife Judy and son John as they went with me to Davao. I’m so grateful for their care and support’

Joey de Venecia III, senatoriable: ‘Elated and flattered to hear my fellow Pangasinenses shout they would want to have a Pangansinense as Senator after 12 long years w/o one.’

Eduardo Piano, running for city councilor: ‘a firm handshake, eye contact, sincere smile, and a line or two: “good morning”, “how are you?” — a candidate to prospective voter’

Pia Cayetano, running for reelection as senator: ‘Got home in the wee hours from Pangasinan. Im getting used to eating and sleeping on the road.. Then working on my blog after midnight.’

Liza Maza, a senatorial candidate: ‘I am appealing to the PUP (Polytechnic University of the Philippines) Board of Regents to recognize the right of the students to accessible education and junk the proposed tuition…’

Mel Mathay, candidate for city mayor: ‘today is the start of the official local campaign, i started the day with a mass for blessings’

Related articles:

Thermal scanning and politics
postblogism
2007 cybercampaigning

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Rotating brownouts and politics

By admin | April 4, 2010

A spectre is haunting the Philippine islands – the spectre of rotating brownouts.

Luzon is continually plagued by 1-3 hours of brownouts everyday. Even Mega Manila, the seat of government and major economic hub of the country, suffers from daily power blackouts. The whole of Mindanao was recently put under state of calamity because of the power supply crisis. How cruel, the powerless have literally no power in their homes.

I am writing this blog entry in South Cotabato where residents are forced to endure 10-12 hours of power disruptions. Just imagine the social and economic impact of the rotating brownouts. Small entrepreneurs cannot buy power generators, government offices cannot provide sustained services, consumers cannot watch TV or sleep comfortably, and even election candidates cannot hold campaign rallies in the evening because of the power woes.

Is climate change the real reason why several major plants conked out in the past few months? Is there a genuine power supply crisis or is there a sinister plot by clever people to create a believable crisis in order to justify shock therapies like higher power rates, bloated contracts with Independent Power Producer, and the revival of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant? So many vested interests are trying to use the energy crisis to make money or gain more power.

Some people suggested that the rotating brownout is the country’s daily Earth Hour pledge. Oo nga naman, araw-araw may Earth Hour sa bansa. Sobra pa nga ng isang oras eh. Others joked that it is a ploy by the administration to refresh the memories of the people about the 10-12 hours of brownouts during the term of “Calamity Cory” in order to weaken the candidacy of Noynoy.

Whether the power crisis is genuine or not, it is an indictment on the state of governance in the Philippines. It exposes the lack of vision of the current and previous administrations. Don’t blame mother nature and high fertility rates, matagal na nating alam na may pagbabago sa klima at mahilig gumawa ng baby ang mga Pinoy. Why didn’t the government anticipate the current power shortage?

The spectre of rotating brownout is not a technical problem; it is a political issue involving greedy oligarchs and power-hungry dynasts. Therefore, the crisis requires a political solution.

Usage of the term ‘rotating brownout’ always pertains to a technical matter but actually the term is very political. It is an apt metaphor for the type of politics in the country. The term can refer to the kind of leadership practiced by politicians, especially during elections.

If the goal of politics should be the empowerment of the people, then what we have in the Philippines is “rotating politics.” Politics comes alive only when politicians visit their constituents during the campaign period every three years or every ribbon cutting ceremony. But for the rest of the year, “politics” is invisible or dead.

Good governance should lead to a fair distribution of resources in the cities and provinces but “rotating politics” produces only lopsided economic development. Infrastructure projects and public funds are treated as gifts to be given by the president to loyal underlings in the provinces. And so local politicians patiently wait for their turn to receive precious government funds from the president when she visits a province or city. Sorry na lang kung di makabisita si presidente, sa susunod na skedyul na lang. This is rotating politics.

At the local level, politicians are like rotating brownouts. May iskedyul ang pagdating nila sa mga baryo during fiesta, graduation, Christmas party and ofcourse during election campaign period. But unlike rotating brownouts which bring darkness to communities, politicians always “bring home the bacon.” They distribute cash gifts, scholarships, movie tickets, water pumps, fertilizer (no condoms, magagalit ang Obispo). They bring entertainment and happiness during campaign sorties. The visit proves the so-called goodness of politicians (but the people need good governance!) and sympathy of leaders to the plight of the poor (not charity, but justice!).

The opposite of rotating brownouts is adequate energy supply and efficient energy infrastructure. The opposite of rotating politics is good governance. Political power should not be equated with the opportunity to mingle with and laugh at politicians during weddings, funerals and Christmas parties. It should refer to the ability of citizens to access state-sponsored services and other social welfare claims all-year round. More importantly, it means citizens and citizen groups are ready and allowed to make politicians accountable for their wrongdoings.

Today the scourge of rotating brownouts makes life more miserable in these unhappy isles. But misery can turn into rage and rage can lead to resistance and resistance provokes change. The spectre of rotating brownouts can make the people yearn for a revolution.

Darkness envelops the Philippines everyday because of the rotating brownouts. We are literally and symbolically living in darkness. During these dark times, the people must fight back. There must be pockets of revolt in every dark corner of the archipelago. Dark Knights must join the army of change. This is a struggle to bring forward the torch of new politics. Fight darkness. Spread the light.

Related articles:

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Parachute politician in Palawan

By admin | March 30, 2010

If there are parachute journalists, there are also parachute politicians. During elections, national politicians become parachute candidates. I am a parachute candidate. I visit provinces and far-flung towns to campaign for Kabataan Partylist but I only stay for less than 24 hours. This prevents me from deepening my knowledge about the issues confronting our kababayans in the regions. To prepare for what I will discuss in my speeches, I rely on newspaper reports (if there are local newspapers, and if they are written in English or Filipino), conversations with politicians (sometimes unreliable source of information), and updates from our chapters.

But despite my greater awareness of the political life in the provinces, I still remain a parachute politician. Because of tight campaign schedule, I’m unable to explore the tourist spots and exotic wilderness of our islands. Last March 3, I was in Puerto Princesa where I saw my wife’s cousin. Her family was there to have a short vacation; most probably they went to El Nido, Honda Bay, or the world-famous Underground River. Regarding my Palawan trip, I was only in Puerto Princesa for less than 24 hours and I didn’t leave the town proper. Indeed, I’m a parachute candidate.

Palawan experience

The caravan started from the airport and we made a stop-over at the public market. The market tour was memorable because it was the first time that I introduced myself as a member of Congress instead of simply talking about my partylist. Apparently, it is easier to convince voters to support Kabataan Partylist if they know that I’m a congressman.

After campaigning in the market, we had our lunch at Badjao Seafront resto. Mayor Edward Hagedorn, who is always mistaken as the mayor of Palawan, hosted the lunch meeting. Some of his pals from the Lo’ Waist Gang joined us in the resto. Hagedorn is a famous local chief executive who has garnered awards for his successful pro-environment programs (Bantay Dagat). He is also called Mr. Political Will because of his strong leadership. Maybe Hagedorn’s hands-on leadership is the reason why I didn’t see illegal campaign posters in the city.

Hagedorn clarified that Puerto Princesa, not Palawan, is the country’s last frontier. Puerto Princesa is described as a “city in a forest.” To protect the pristine resources of Puerto Princesa, Hagedorn has banned mining activities in the big city, which was recently classified as a Highly Urbanized City. Even factories are not allowed to operate in the area.

Hagedorn lamented the decision of the provincial government to allow large scale mining in the province. He said that sooner or later big mining companies would sue him for economic sabotage because he rejected all mining applications in Puerto Princesa. Would you believe that a mining company has applied for a permit to extract marble deposits from the Underground River?

The St. Paul Subterranean River Park or Underground River in Sabang, Puerto Princesa is a world-renowned tourist destination site in Palawan with almost 1,000 visitors everyday. Last month, President Gloria Arroyo became the country’s first president to have entered the river which was classified in 2003 as a National Geological Monument.

After lunch, we met the local press corps at the Palawan State University. I learned that BSPE (Petroleum Engineering) is a leading course offering in the university because of the continuing demand for skilled workers at the Malampaya oil and gas field.

Then I spoke in a voters’ education forum organized by PSU students. Many of the organizers are new members of Kabataan Partylist who applied for membership through the internet. I also delivered a brief message in a rock band concert inside the campus.

We had our dinner at Inato resto where I ordered a familiar recipe: “walang kamatayang pansit” – this is the exact name of the food listed in the menu. Then we toured Baybay, a former urban poor settlement which was converted into a seaside promenade. Hagedorn is proud of his housing program for informal settlers: it is the poor who will choose their preferred housing site and the city government will buy the land.

We stayed overnight at Skylight Hotel. I was a guest at DYER Environmental Radio the following morning.

Trivia: Before MIMAROPA, there was MINSUPALA – Mindanao, Sulu, Palawan. Is it correct to name Palawan as part of Luzon? Shouldn’t it be included as a Mindanao or Visayas island? Even Moro rebels are claiming that Palawan is part of their ancestral domain.

Joke: What is the largest airport in the world? Puerto Princesa airport. Why? Kasi pag take-off mo pa lang ay nasa Vietnam ka pa rin referring to the Vietnamese settlement near the airport. Palawan used to host refugees of the Vietnam War.

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Bicolandia

By admin | March 20, 2010

I arrived in Legazpi City on February 28, Sunday. After an eat-all-you-can breakfast at Quick n Hearty resto, we checked-in at Sampaguita Tourist Inn (free wifi at the lobby). Then we proceeded to the headquarters of Makabayan Coalition to prepare for our Sunday caravan.

From Legazpi, we motored to Guinobatan where we conducted a handshaking campaign in the market. Next stop is Ligao where we attended a meeting of all SK officials in the town hall. We had our lunch at Masaraga restaurant.

In the afternoon we campaigned in the public markets of Polangui, Libon, Matacon, Oas, and Camalig. We visited the office-residence of a young councilor who is running for mayor in Polangui. I bought an abaca slipper in Polangui, the hometown of Albay Governor Joey Salceda.

Our team went to Sorsogon City in the evening. I spoke in a concert in front of the provincial capitol. The governor’s platform is HEARTS – health, education, environment, energy, agriculture, rural, and shelter. I learned that many activities were cancelled in the province because of the tsunami scare following the strong earthquake in Chile. We stayed at Fernandos Hotel.

We paid a courtesy call to school officials and student leaders of Sorsogon State College the following day. We distributed leaflets and recruited new members outside the campus.

I was ready to be interviewed by DZMS radio but it was disrupted by a rotating brownout. Luckily, power was restored when DZGN Spirit FM 102.3 interviewed me on their teleradyo. Yes, I was on radio TV in Sorsogon.

We went back to Albay after 3pm. We campaigned in Tabaco City. There are many colleges in the city which continues to be a busy port center in the region. I bought a mini walis near the city hall for my daughter. On the road, I saw primary schoolchildren wearing uniforms but have no shoes. Most of them, if not all, only wore slippers. This is the face of poverty; a perfect example to prove the nexus between schooling, poverty, and human development. We, the candidates, should think about the sad plight of these young people throughout the campaign period and especially after the elections.

I returned to Bicol on March 19 in the island province of Catanduanes. I was welcomed at the airport by Vice Governor Al Aquino who is a supporter of Makabayan Coalition. I met student leaders and SK officials of the province in Kemji Resort which is just less than a kilometer away from the airport.

After being interviewed at Padaba DZAA radio station, we held a caravan in Virac. We campaigned inside the public market and Catanduanes College.

I learned that President Erap is still popular in the province because of his rice distribution program in 1998. I saw streamers which accuse Senator Mar Roxas of ignoring a senate bill which would have converted the state college of the province into a university. Senator Kit Tatad will win in Catanduanes because he is a resident of the province.

After dinner at Sea Breeze resto, I spoke in a concert at Catanduanes State College gym. Themed “Last Day High” the concert is a tribute to students who just hurdled the last day of final examinations of the semester.

I left Catanduanes via San Andres port where a ferry boat transported us to Tabaco City.

I am both thankful and happy that we have young, energetic, and creative members and supporters in Bicol region. Yes, there are Bicol-based partylists and one of them is really spending a lot of campaign money, but I’m confident that we can surpass the votes we got in 2007. Kabataan Partylist was Top 5 in Albay province in 2007. Despite having limited resources and no electoral campaign experience, our new members are able to organize several successful campaign activities in the Bicol provinces. Our members remain loyal not because of financial incentives but because they genuinely want to advance the legislative and political platform of Kabataan Partylist.

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Wika ng halalan

By admin | March 16, 2010

Para kay Rowie, manunulat at guro ng Filipino sa De La Salle. Salamat sa mungkahing magsulat ako hinggil sa paksang ito….

Sa Pilipinas may tatlong panahon: wet season, dry season, at election season. Pero para sa ibang pulitiko, dalawang panahon lang yan: eleksiyon at paghahanda sa eleksiyon. Hindi nakapagtataka, kung gayon, na umusbong sa bansa ang paggamit ng mga salitang may kinalaman lamang sa halalan. Anu-ano ang mga salitang ito? Ano ang gamit at katangian ng wika ng halalan?

Maaari nating ikategorya ang wika ng halalan sa tatlo:

1. Mga salita ukol sa proseso ng halalan;
2. Mga salita ng pangangampanya; at
3. Mga salita na ginagamit ng kandidato para sa name recall.

Kadalasan mga Pilipino lamang ang nagkakaintindihan kapag ginagamit ang wika ng halalan. Ito ay mga salitang tumutukoy sa partikular na karanasan ng mga Pilipino sa halalan. Minsan ang mga hiniram na salita mula sa ibang bansa ay nagkakaroon ng bagong gamit. Halimbawa: Presidentiable. Hindi ito salita sa wikang ingles pero ginamit ng mga Pilipino para tukuyin ang mga kandidato sa pagkapangulo ng bansa. Gayundin ang salitang senatoriable para naman sa mga nais maging senador. Ang salitang sortie sa wikang ingles ay may kinalaman sa operasyon ng militar. Sa Pilipinas, ang sortie ay tumutukoy sa kampanya ng mga kandidato o partido.

Noong 2004 naging salita ng tao ang canvass na minungkahi ng iskolar na si Randy David. Eto ang ilang bahagi ng kanyang paliwanag:

“Sa kasalukuyang takbo ng ating politika, mapapansin ang unti-unting paglalaho ng isang kahulugan ng canvass na dati nang bahagi ng lumang gamit nito: ang masusing pagsisiyasat at pagtatalo ukol sa katotohanan ng mga dokumento ng botohan. Ang kahulugang pumalit at nangibabaw ay pagsusuma, pagtatala, o paghahanay ng mga boto, na dati nang wala sa mga kahulugan ng salitang ito.

“Nitong nakaraang eleksiyon, pagkatapos tingnan kung kompleto ang mga pirma at kung malinaw ang pagkakasulat ng mga resulta sa “certificates of canvass,” isa sa mga miyembro ng Congressional o National Canvassing Committee ay nagsabing, “I move to canvass.” Malinaw sa ganitong gamit na ang katumbas ng salitang canvass para sa kanila ay pag-tabulate o pagsusuma.”

Mali ba na binigyan ng bagong kahulugan ng mga Pilipino ang ilang salita ng wikang ingles? Hindi. Dahil ang wika ay dinamiko at patuloy itong nagiging makabuluhan hangga’t ginagamit ng tao. Kaya sa tingin ko mali ang Xerox nang ito’y magreklamo kung bakit xerox ang ginagamit na salita ng mga Pilipino imbes na photocopy. Ang Xerox na pangalan ng isang kumpanya ay naging xerox na tumutukoy sa photocopy dahil sa malawak na pag-angkin ng salita ng komunidad. Hindi dapat magalit ang Xerox, dapat pa nga itong matuwa.

Isa pang katangian ng wika ng halalan ay ang karaniwang paggamit ng acronym. Nagiging mas mabilis ang usapan kapag may gamit na acronym. Minsan nakakabuti rin ito sa seguridad ng mga kandidato o partido. Para sa media, nakakatipid ito ng espasyo o air time. Imbes na Operation Dikit (ng mga poster), OD na lang ang ginagamit. Bukal para sa Provincial Board Member. ACOR ay area coordinator samantalang BACOR para sa Barangay Coordinator. Acronym din ang gamit para sa pangalan ng mga kandidato o pulitiko o partido: PGMA, FVR, LAKAS-NUCD, FM, JPE, NPC.

Lumalabas din ang ugaling mapagpatawa ng mga Pilipino sa wika ng halalan. Ang Partido Lakas Kampi ay naging PALAKA. Trapo (basahan) ang tawag sa tradisyunal na pulitiko. Ang kontrobersiyal na recording sa pagitan ng isang taga-Comelec at kandidato ay binansagang Hello Garci scandal noong 2005. Naging ringtone pa nga ito. Nagagamit ang text jokes para batikusin ang mga kilalang personalidad. Nagpapatawa pero nag-iiwan din ng kirot o pitik ang wika ng halalan. Hindi ba, Ben’s Burjer?

Proseso

Ngayong taon unang beses magkakaroon ng AES o Automated Election System sa buong bansa. Smartmatic ang partner ng Comelec kaya ang biro Commission on Smartmatic na ang bagong pangalan ng Comelec o Cosmetic. Hindi pa nasusubukan sa bansa ang PCOS o Precint Count Optical Scan, ang makinang gagamitin sa halalan kaya marami ang nangangamba kung magtatagumpay ba ang poll automation. Tapos ayaw pang ilabas sa publiko ang source code na gagamitin sa halalan. Baka ang Hello Garci ay maging Cyber Garci. Baka ang dagdag-bawas ay maging Automated Cheating.

Hindi na isusulat ang pangalan ng kandidato kundi lalagyan na lang ng shade ang oval sa gilid ng pangalan ng kandidato. Pero mas pinasikat ng Sexbomb ang paalalang lagyan ng shade ang bilog na hugis itlog. Kaya may mga pilyong kandidato na kung mangampanya ay sinasabing “bilugan ang itlog ni ___________”

Umaasa ang marami na mababawasan ang dayaan dahil hi-tech na ang pagboto. Tapos na ba ang career ng mga lansadera – ang pagsusulat sa balota ng ibang botante. Hindi na ba makakalipad ang mga flying voter? Pero buhay na buhay pa rin ang mga zombie voter. Tiyak tuloy pa rin ang vote buying. May tinatawag na technical vote buying: ang pag-upa ng sobra-sobrang bilang ng mga pollwatcher para makuha ang boto ng pamilya ng pollwatcher.

Sino ang mas kapani-paniwala: SWS o Pulse Asia? Patuloy na nag-aaway ang Namfrel at PPCRV; buti na lang matatag ang Kontra Daya. At mahigpit ang pagbabantay ng Cenpeg.

Kampanya

Kapag may OD, dapat banig o dikit-dikit ang mga poster. May isang pulitiko ang tawag niya sa postering ay plastering. Uso ngayon ang mga tarpaulin. Mag-ingat sa operasyon baklas ng MMDA, Comelec, at ng mga katunggaling kandidato.

MPT o rekorida ang pag-iikot ng sasakyan na may malakas na sound system para sa pagtugtog ng (plagiarized) jingle ng kandidato. Mahalaga ang motorcade para maabot ang maraming botante. Mainam din ang tricycle caravan o padyak. Pinakamabisang paraan ng pangangampanya ang House-to-House kasi may pagkakataong makausap at makumbinsi ang mga botante. Dapat maraming volunteers para sa leafleteering at gift-giving.

Kapag nag-uusap ang kandidato kasama ang kanyang campaign team, natatalakay ang candidate awareness, vote conversion, single voting, bloc voting, flock voting (lalo na ang boto ng Iglesia), solid votes, at nego votes (negotiated votes). May administration vote, opposition vote, protest vote, at sympathy vote. Ang single voting ay katumbas yan ng junking. Nakukumpirma ang junking kapag lumabas na ang sample ballot ng mga partido. Kadalasan lumalaro ang mga kandidato: nakikipag-usap kahit sa mga kalabang partido. Kadalasan din hindi nag-eendorso ang kandidato para maging free zone ang lugar at hindi siya pag-initan ng mga bigating pulitiko.

May dirty tricks department ang mga partido. Dito niluluto ang black prop na gagamitin laban sa kalaban. Bahagi nito ang guns, goons, gold. Marami kasing pulitiko, lalo na sa probinsiya, ang may sariling private army. Mga warlord, landlord, druglord at jueteng lord na mahilig manindak ng botante. Mag-ingat sa pagtanggap ng pekeng pera, nagkalat yan ngayong halalan.

Hindi naluluma o nawawala sa uso ang Miting de Avanse. Pagkakataon ito upang magpakita ng lakas at gilas ang kandidato at partido. Napapatibay din ang loob ng mga taga-suporta.

Kandidato

Huwag maliitin ang mga islogan. Kahit minsan corny, may epekto ito sa pag-iisip ng mga botante. Hindi tanga ang mga kandidato. May balak silang likhaing opinyon o emosyon sa publiko.

Noong 1993 ang islogan ni Bill Clinto ay “It’s the economy, stupid!” Naging epektibo ito upang isipin ng tao na ekonomiya ang isyu na dapat pag-usapan sa halalan at hindi gera sa Iraq. Nanalo si Clinton. Epektibo rin ang “Erap para sa Mahirap” na ginamit ni Estrada noong 1998. Ramdam noon ang hagupit ng 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

Ngayong patuloy na sumisirit ang ekonomiya dulot ng 2008 Global Financial Crisis, magiging matagumpay pa rin kaya ang “Erap para sa Mahirap” o mas matunog ba ang “Tatapusin ang kahirapan” ni Villar, o “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” ni Noynoy, o “Mabilis na pag-ahon” ni Gibo?

Dahil tumatakbo rin sa pambansang lebel ang mga senatoriable, susi rin sa kanilang tagumpay ang matalinong pagpili ng islogan. “Kapag bad ka, lagot ka” ni Joker. “Huwag matakot, stop kurakot” ni Lacson. “Ang gara ng buhay” ni Angara. Ngayon ang sabi ni Enrile, “Gusto ko happy ka” – wasto ito para makalimutan ng tao na siya ay 86 taong gulang na.

Para sa name recall, mahalaga ang tagline. Amigo ng bayan si Zubiri. Tol si Mike Defensor. Pro-Pinoy si Pichay. Justice Man si Bello. Mr. Palengke si Mar. Korekto si Recto. Captain Barbell si Bong Revilla noong 2004 ngayon siya ay Panday. Anak ng Masa si Jinggoy. Dirty Harry si Lim. Magdalo si Trillanes. Gabriela ng bagong panahon si Liza Maza. Transformers si Gordon at Bayani.

Nang tinanong si Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya kung bakit ayaw niyang tumakbong senador, ang sabi niya ay wala naman siyang sikat na apelyido tulad ng Recto, Osmeña, Legarda, Roxas o Macapagal. Tama siya. Noong unang tumakbong senador si Ramon Revilla Sr., hindi Revilla ang ginamit niyang apelyido kundi Bautista. Natalo siya. Mula noon, pinalitan niya na ang kanyang apelyido. Eto siguro ang dahilan kung bakit posibleng manalo ang mga kandidatong may kilalang apelyido tulad ng Pimentel, Biazon, Mitra, Lozada, Roco, Guingona, De Venecia, at Lacson.

Sa lokal na halalan, ramdam na ramdam ang sobra-sobrang pagmamahal ng mga kandidato sa kanilang pangalan. Bawat pampublikong programa o serbisyo ay may katumbas na inisyal batay sa pangalan ng kandidato. Pilit na tinutugma ang lahat ng greeting materials sa pangalan ng pulitiko. Halimbawa, SB sa Quezon City, LIM at Atin Siya sa Maynila, BF sa Marikina. Kakaiba si Mayor Rekom ng Caloocan dahil ang kanyang logo ay smiley na may bigote.

Dahil sa poll automation, hindi lang apelyido ang nakalagay sa mga poster. Mahalaga ngayon ang mga numero. Halimbawa, si Satur Ocampo ay number 37 sa balota at number 152 naman ang Kabataan Partylist.

Ang sistemang partylist, nakakalungkot mang isipin, ay labanan sa pagiging una sa balota. Kaya imbes na pagandahan ng plataporma, nagiging pagandahan ng pangalan. Kaya karamihan ng partylist, nagsisimula ang kanilang pangalan sa 1 o A.

Wika at halalan

Ano ang silbi ng wika sa halalan? Pwede itong magbuklod sa komunidad (“Tama na, Sobra na, Palitan na” noong 1986). Pwede itong magtakda ng pambansang adyenda (People Power Coalition laban sa Puwersa ng Masa noong 2001). Pwede itong mangalap ng boto (Boses ng Masa ni Kabayan Noli). Pwede itong magamit sa negatibong pangangampanya (Villaroyo, Arroyoquino, C5 at tiyaga, Mama at Papa). At kadalasan, pwedeng magamit upang linlangin ang publiko. Sa halalan at sa pulitika, ang katotohanan at kasinungalingan ay mahirap pag-ibahin.

Ang wika ng halalan ay pulitikal. Mula pagpaparehistro hanggang pagboto, pulitikal agad ang bisa ng mga salitang may kinalaman sa halalan. Dahil ito’y pulitikal, lagi itong may pag-anib sa isang puwersa, pabor man o hindi sa dominanteng partido o uri sa bansa.

Dapat gamitin ang wika upang patingkarin ang pag-asam ng taong bayan sa tunay na pagbabago. Kaso mas madalas, ginagamit ng mga reaksiyunaryo ang wika para sa kanilang pansariling interes. Kahit ang radikal na konsepto ng pagbabago ay nauuwi lamang sa pagbabago ng lider tuwing halalan. Dapat hamunin ang dominasyon ng mga malalaking partido at makapangyarihang mga pulitiko sa pagtakda ng mga salitang gagamitin sa halalan. Dapat lagyan ng progresibong nilalaman ang mga palamuting salita na ginagamit sa halalan.

Hindi pangarap. Hindi simpleng panata. Hindi nostalgia. Hindi TV soundbytes. Pagbabago. Pag-asa. Pakikibaka. Rebolusyon. Makabayan. Makamasa.

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Flock voting

By admin | March 15, 2010

March 11: The Red Shirts are coming!
March 13: Calm before the storm?
March 15: “Reds” vow a bigger rally today

An Insider’s Diary on the 2010 Philippine elections. My Yahoo Meme account.

Religious groups are powerful political blocs in the Philippines as they can deliver solid votes to their anointed candidates. Because of this ‘divine’ intervention, all candidates–especially those aspiring for national positions–are doing everything they can to be “blessed” by influential church leaders.

The Catholic Church wields a strong influence in the country’s politics. Candidates are afraid to antagonize the bishops, who can mount an effective negative campaign against politicians. Proof of the persuasive lobby power of bishops is the continued non-adoption of an artificial family planning program in all government agencies. Likewise, presidential aspirants have withdrawn their support for the controversial Reproductive Health Bill, as demanded by the Catholic Church.

But some analysts believe that the perceived power of the Catholic Church to influence elections results is overstated. First, unlike other Christian church groups, the Catholic Church doesn’t endorse candidates. Second, it doesn’t force its flock to support a particular candidate or party. What it does is to issue pastoral statements which inform voters about the moral issues which should be addressed during elections.

Analysts also point out that the Catholic Church failed to stop the candidacy of former President Fidel Ramos in 1992, the country’s first Protestant president and advocate of contraceptives. The Catholic Church also failed to prevent the electoral victory of former President Joseph Estrada in 1998, a showbiz actor whose lifestyle was often criticized by religious authorities.

The Catholic Church can mobilize people in the streets, but it seems unable to guide the faithful with respect to the latter’s voting preferences.

The church group with a proven record of delivering the promised votes is the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ). This church requires its members to vote only for the national and local candidates endorsed by its officials. The Iglesia vote is desired by every presidential aspirant because it can translate into more than 3 million solid votes.

Another politically-important church group is the evangelical Christian group El Shaddai. Candidates who wish to be endorsed by this church often attend the group’s large weekend assemblies which often last until the wee hours in the morning.

Another evangelical Christian group, Jesus is Lord Church, is fielding a presidential candidate in the 2010 elections. The leader of this congregation also ran in 2004, but secured less than two million votes.

Earlier this week, Pastor Apollo Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in Davao City sponsored an election debate which was attended by almost all presidential candidates. The event was boycotted by JC De los Reyes, a presidential candidate who is hoping to be endorsed by local Roman Catholic bishops. De los Reyes said the other candidates didn’t go to Davao to articulate their platforms but to secure the support of Pastor Quiboloy.

The Muslim voting population in the Philippines, meanwhile, is also politically significant. But there’s no religious leader who can mobilize the votes of all Muslims throughout the country. However, powerful Muslim families can influence the votes of their followers in some provinces in Mindanao Island.

It’s not wrong for church groups to take an active role in politics. Ordinary people look up to church authorities for moral guidance on public issues. But some scholars don’t welcome the interference of the church in governmental affairs as they cite the doctrine of the separation of church and state.

During elections, the church becomes a more powerful political force that commands the respect of candidates and voters alike. Aside from asserting its dogmas, it would be better if the church would also use its influence to push for more reforms in governance.

Related articles:

Divine intervention
Rizal bill

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Bomb politics in Davao

By admin | March 7, 2010

I was in Davao City last February 26. The hot news item was the two bombs found inside the City Hall and near the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The mayor was very angry as he resumed leadership in the Davao City Police office. This kind of news is not good for Davao tourism. In 2009 the number of foreign tourists who visited Davao went down to only 32,453.

Maybe security and crime issues forced Panabo City officials to order the installation of 32 Close Circuit Television cameras in public areas. Panabo has the most number of CCTV cameras in Region 11. Is this proof of good governance or high level of paranoia among officials? (Sa tingin ko medyo exaggerated reaction ang paglalagay ng mga CCTV camera. Eto ba talaga ang solusyon sa pagsugpo ng krimen sa siyudad ng Panabo?)

Another explosive issue in Davao is the cold war between the Duterte and Nograles families. Name-calling, mudslinging, and ad hominems do not promote mature, intelligent, and peaceful campaigning. It is both funny and unfunny. Entertaining but silly.

The most important issue in Mindanao is the power woes experienced by many regions of the island. In Central Mindanao, 10 hour brownouts plague the region everyday. It affects productivity of workers and business operations. When I was in Davao, there was a 1 hour brownout and a minor quake. What should be done? Emergency powers for the president? I don’t think so. Mayaman ang Mindanao sa renewable energy resources. Gamitin natin ito.

24 hours in Davao

I arrived in Davao City airport in the morning. The taxi driver who fetched me will vote the Dutertes and Erap in the elections. Our headquarters is located near Ateneo de Manila. I was happy to see a copy of a limited edition 2010 Kabataan Partylist calendar printed by our Davao Chapter.

We went to Café V where we hosted a media forum about the new hotline of our partylist to gather the complaints of parents and students regarding the non-compliance of many schools to the Ched memo on the flexible implementation of the No Permit, No Exam policy.

After lunch, we proceeded to the city council offices of Councilors Edgar Ibuyan, Leonardo Avila, and Mabel Sunga Acosta. Ibuyan is a former barangay captain. Avila is known for his environment advocacy. Thank you Councilor Acosta for delivering a privilege speech about the need to review and ban the infamous No Permit, No Exam policy.

We went to Barangay Ma-a. It is a huge barangay located in District 1. It is a flood-prone area. Fortunately, Barangay Ma-a is recognized for its outstanding disaster preparedness program. I met the strong-willed barangay captain of Ma-a who identified the various social services offered by the barangay to its citizens. I’m impressed that the barangay is distributing free medicines to senior citizens. People’s Organizations and other NGOs are also actively participating in the affairs of the barangay.

At 4pm, we arrived at Brew Crew café. A dialogue took place between Kabataan Partylist and the Ateneo Moro Youth Organization. I was delighted to see my NUSP contemporary Jun Macarambon. I learned that many schools in ARMM have been converted into evacuation centers. Our two groups agreed to conduct a fact-finding mission next month in Maguindanao. Thank you Amyo for supporting Kabataan Partylist!

We campaigned inside the University of Mindanao – Matina Campus. The college dean allowed me to speak inside the Arts and Sciences Building. We had our dinner at Probinsiya restaurant. At 10pm, I spoke in a concert at Matina Town Square organized by UP Mindanao students.

I stayed overnight at Ponce Suites, a very unconventional center.

Related articles:

Panalipdan
Southern Mindanao

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Arthro politics in Cebu

By admin | March 4, 2010

I was in Cebu last week (February 23-24). To learn more about the local politics, I bought two Cebu-based newspapers: Sunstar and Cebu Daily News (affiliated with the Inquirer). What did I discover?

1. Mayor Tommy Osmena vows to go after manufacturers of herbal medicines and “dubious” drugs which give “false hopes” to sick people. If elected congressman, he will investigate firms that sell drugs with no proven therapeutic value. What is his motivation? The family of his major election rival, Aton Guardo, is the owner of Osaka Iridology and manufacturer of Arthro drugs (remember Erap’s Arthro-Arthritis commercial?). Well, ganyan talaga siguro ang pulitika. Candidates always try to find something that can weaken their opponents, especially if business interests are involved.

2. Following the recent ruling of the Supreme Court, Cebu’s appointed officials/consultants who are running in the local elections are asked to immediately give up their posts. But like their national counterparts, some of them refuse to tender their resignations. Ang higpit ng kapit sa poder….

3. It is sad to read about the news of two teachers who were killed inside their classrooms in Argao.

4. Cebu’s major local party, Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan, is endorsing the Liberal Party. This is the same party which supported President Gloria Arroyo in 2004.

5. With a population of almost 50,000, Guadalupe is the biggest barangay in the whole Visayas. It is located in Cebu City. There is a proposal to split Guadalupe into 2-3 barangays. A referendum will take place this month.

6. Malapascua in Daanbantayan is being compared to the world-famous Boracay Island.

7. A fire in Sitio Tambisan in Tisa, Cebu City displaced hundreds of residents. Cebu Daily News reported that 500 houses were destroyed while Sunstar mentioned only 100 structures. Ano ba talaga?

8. Cebu City’s Palace of Justice has no elevator. The four-story building also has no clinic. A group of disabled individuals is complaining. Dapat lang.

9. Taxi operators are complaining that there are too many taxi units in Cebu City. There are 6,000 taxi units operating in the city. Baka wala lang pambayad ang mga tao kaya nawawalan ng pasahero ang mga taxi. More than 800,000 ang populasyon sa Cebu City; imposible namang magkulang sila ng pasahero. There is a rumor that Manny Pacquaio and Chavit Singson are the owners of the yellow cabs operating in Mactan Airport. Galit din dito ang mga taxi driver.

10. Marina administrator Elena Bautista has many enemies. Congressman Plaza delivered several speeches against the policies implemented by Ms. Bautista. Visayan shipowners are also unhappy with the recent regulations imposed by the Marina chief. They threatened to conduct a maritime holiday.

Activities

Our team visited UP Cebu High in the morning. We held a dialogue with faculty members about the proposal of the college dean to phase out the high school unit of UP Cebu. Last January, Kabataan Partylist filed a House resolution to inquire about this matter. I am grateful that Cebu lawmakers co-authored this resolution. It seems that the college dean is adamant in his plan to phase out UP Cebu High. The latest text update is positive: the Chancellor of UP in the Visayas is allowing the high school entrance examinations to proceed this month.

After lunch, our team went to the regional office of the Commission on Higher Education to inquire about the implementation of the CHED memorandum on the ‘flexible’ implementation of the controversial ‘No Permit, No Exam’ policy. It is good that CHED will soon monitor if schools are complying with the instructions specified in the memo. It is not good that it may take a few months before CHED can release a report. Paano yan, finals week na ngayon?

Our team paid a courtesy call to Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama and SK Federation city chair Rengelle N. Pelayo. Rama is a direct descendant of the late great Don Vicente Rama. He is also related to showbiz stage mom Anabelle Rama.

Siyempre kumain kami ng dinner sa larshan (unfortunately, commercialized na siya ngayon kaya mas mahal ang mga pagkain). Then we headed towards Barangay Busay and Tops Skyline. We also toured Cebu’s first Zip Line. It’s popular among tourists. Ang ganda ng view. Kita mo ang buong siyudad.

I spoke during the launching of the Youth for Rights group at Outpost bar. The event highlighted the need to inform the youth about their sexual and reproductive rights. Marami akong natutunan. We slept at the famous Talamban Eco-House owned by green crusader and city councilor Nestor Archival.

On February 24 I attended a meeting of our Lapu-Lapu City chapter. I delivered a talk on the 2010 elections at the Virgin de Regla Church in Lapu-Lapu. After lunch, we met some friends at Cebu Sports Club. Finally, I spoke during an assembly organized by the Youth Movement group in Tisa.

Our activities and campaigns were reported by the local TV and radio stations of GMA-7 and ABS-CBN. Thanks also to DYRF-AM 1215.

Related articles:

Naminghoy ming tanan
Cebu ASEAN Summit

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Motorcade: Central, East NCR

By admin | February 25, 2010

A motorcade is an efficient, effective, and entertaining form of campaigning. Compared to a campaign rally, it requires less logistical preparation. If well-planned, it can reach a big number of voters. It can amplify a candidate’s public image. It creates an impression that a candidate has ample resources and strong machinery to conduct a winning election campaign. It is a fun activity for both candidates and curious voters. Organizing a motorcade is essential in Philippine elections.

Last week, Kabataan Partylist joined the team of Jolo Revilla (who is obviously campaigning for Senator Bong Revilla) in a motorcade rally that covered the central and eastern parts of the National Capital Region. Jolo has been a consistent supporter of our partylist. He campaigned for us in 2004. Last year he participated in the launching of our voter registration/education campaign at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.

Jolo, or more popularly known today as the new Pepeng Agimat (sorry Jolo but for my generation, your lolo is our Pepeng Agimat), is still willing to endorse us in this year’s elections. Thanks Jolo!

The motorcade started in Greenhills, San Juan around 9:30am. Then we motored to Mandaluyong. We visited Barangay Addition Hills. We also made brief stopovers at Mandaluyong Public Market and Tiangge sa Barangka. We had our lunch at Barangay Burol near P. Gomez Elementary School. From Mandaluyong, we proceeded towards Pasig, Pateros, and finally, Taguig. The final leg of the activity was a community and tiangge tour in Lower Bicutan. The motorcade ended at 4pm.

Obviousy, motor vehicles are required in a motorcade. A pick-up is the ideal vehicle so that a candidate can wave to bystanders. (Usually, dyip ang ginagamit namin). The vehicles must be decorated with campaign posters. A loud sound system is needed to announce the arrival of the convoy and to broadcast the campaign jingle of the candidate. The marshall/traffic enforcer/ must be seated in the lead vehicle.

Volunteers wearing campaign shirts must join the motorcade. They assist the candidate during stopovers. They must have a portable sound system especially if they are inside markets and urban poor communities.

Candidates always distribute election materials during motorcades. What are the popular giveaways: candies, t-shirts, pamaypay, leaflets (usually we give flyers and brochures), calendar, pocket calendar, posters, stickers. Some candidates give small tarpaulins to tricycle drivers, apron for public market vendors, and ballers for young people.

Tips: Because of El Nino, candidates should always drink water during motorcades. Sunblock cream is important to protect our skin from harmful UV rays. Bring extra shirt, towels. Do not go to markets after lunch (walang tao).

Brace for heavy traffic after March 26 as candidates for local elective posts will start to organize motorcades in their territories.

Related articles:

On the campaign trail 2007
On the rough road
Water runs dry

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Can the Philippines achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals?

By admin | February 19, 2010

The Philippines is one of the 191 member states of the United Nations which signed the September 2000 Millennium Declaration. The declaration features eight specific goals that should be achieved by signatory countries in 2015. The eight goals, now known as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), are as follows: 1) Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; 2) Achievement of universal primary education; 3) Promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women; 4) Reduction of child mortality; 5) Improvement of maternal health; 6) Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; 7) Ensuring environment sustainability; and 8: Developing a global partnership for development.

What are the indicators used in measuring the progress of countries in achieving the UN MDGs? For goal 1, a country has to reduce by half the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day, halve the proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption, and halve the proportion of underweight children under 5 years old. For goal 2, the country’s net enrolment ratio, completion rate, and cohort survival rate in elementary education are measured. For goal 3, gender disparity should be eliminated in all levels of education before 2015. For goal 7, a country has to reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation, and achieve a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers by 2020. For goal 8, a country has to develop further an open, rule-based, and non-discriminatory trading and financial system. The debt problem should also be addressed comprehensively in order to make debts sustainable in the long term.

Can the Philippines achieve the MDGs by 2015? According to the latest progress report submitted by various government agencies, the Philippines is confident it can achieve goals 1 (halving poverty), 3, 4, 6, and 7. Improving nutrition and dietary energy requirement (goal 1) is rated as medium probability. It is least likely that the country can achieve goals 2 and 5.

The latest progress report is depressing. Even the positive indicators can slip back as negative outcomes in the next five years. For example, the Philippines claims it has already achieved goal 6 but just recently the Health Department has warned about the rising number of HIV/AIDS cases among young professionals. A doctor-lawmaker described the AIDS situation in the country as reaching epidemic proportion. Underreporting of HIV/AIDS cases also distorts the true picture and extent of the problem.

Goal 3 is listed as an achievement but women’s groups continue to assert that gender discrimination is still rampant. The Task Force on Education and Gender Equality proposes to broaden the targets for goal 3 to include the following: strengthening opportunities for post-primary education for girls, guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights, investing in infrastructure to reduce women’s and girls’ time burdens, guaranteeing women’s and girls’ property and inheritance rights, eliminating gender inequality in employment, increasing women’s share of seats in national parliaments and local government bodies, and combating violence against girls and women.

Poverty reduction is an empty boast. Extreme poverty has worsened due to the continuing deterioration of the global economy. The domestic economy has failed to produce enough jobs and livelihood for the struggling poor. The country was also battered by powerful storms and volcanic eruptions in recent months. The inability of the government to mitigate the impact of natural disasters will reverse the initial gains in achieving the UN MDGs.

The stubborn refusal of church and national authorities to legislate and implement a comprehensive reproductive health policy makes it virtually impossible for the Philippines to achieve goals 2 and 5. Maternal health care is viewed by many church and conservative leaders as a euphemism for abortion. Based on Philippine experience, it can be surmised that a poor country with a fast population growth rate (and high corruption index) will not be able to achieve universal primary education.

The lameduck Arroyo government has lost the credibility (and time) to initiate measures that would fast track government programs related to the fulfillment of the UN MDGs. The next government should identify human development as its top priority. This means the national government should invest more resources in the delivery of basic social services and other essential needs of the people. Local Government Units can adopt the MDGs as indicators of their performance. The private sector, especially civil society organizations, can also contribute in formulating a national blueprint on how to achieve the MDGs by 2015.

Every president wants the Philippines to become a First World nation. The incumbent president believes the country can attain this status in 2020. The next president should concentrate on more basic goals, like achieving the UN MDGs. We cannot be a developed nation if hunger, poverty, illiteracy, and discrimination continue to spread in society.

Related articles:

Poverty indicators
Education for all
Women in legislation
Population explosion

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