Logic 101 August 15, 2006
EXECUTIVE Secretary Eduardo Ermita says the computerization of election canvassing will make the counting of votes in the 2007 elections faster and cleaner. It won't eliminate cheating entirely, he said, but "I'm sure it will be minimized -- the integrity of the elections will be recognized." Toward this end, he said, Malacañang is aggressively pushing for the use of Mega Pacific Consortium's counting machines. "We wish these things could be used because it is one of the wishes of the President."
What is wrong with that statement? Two things.
One is, why on earth would anyone, much less the presumptive president, even think of using the machines and/or services of Mega Pacific? If it hadn't been for Mega Pacific, whose winning bid was voided by the Supreme Court after it found it to have had no legal qualification to bid, and for the members of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) who to a man and woman awarded the prize to Mega Pacific though they probably knew it had no qualification to bid, the last elections would already have been computerized. Neither Mega Pacific nor any of the commissioners (the "probably" before "knew" is to allow that some of the commissioners made an honest mistake) has been punished for that heinous crime, which resulted in the restoration of the old, laborious and cheater-friendly ballot-box system and the continuation of rule of an unelected president.
It's bad enough that a culprit isn't punished. Do we have to reward him, too? But I can understand why that would be "one of the wishes of the President." She knows what it means to be a culprit and be rewarded.
Two, I agree wholeheartedly with Ermita's contention that computerization will make elections cleaner and faster. Yes, even in this country whose people seem to have a talent for getting around anything. Delay is an engraved invitation to cheating. The longer counting takes, the more likely it can be tampered with. Indeed, the more likely administration candidates can call up Garci or his equivalent and demand that they win by a million votes. I've been pushing for computerization from the start, having observed elections in other countries, where the winners are known within hours after the polling places close. That only highlights again the gravity of the crime the election commissioners and Mega Pacific committed, for which they have not been punished.
But there is one thing more than computerization that will guarantee clean and honest elections in 2007. That is for us to have clean elections in 2004. Or since that is no longer possible, for us to correct the dirty and dishonest elections of 2004. Frankly, I don't know why we're even talking about how to make the 2007 elections clean when we're still laboring under the weight of elections that were not. We don't correct the 2004 elections, we won't have clean elections in 2007. We don't correct the 2004 elections, we will never have clean elections even after 2007.
What's to prevent administration candidates from using government funds to campaign, talking to Comelec officials, and tinkering with the counting machines (most of them can't be cracked from the outside, only from the inside) so that they can win by a million votes or -- greed having no limits -- more? History shows all you have to do is say you made a lapse in judgment and apologize. And go on as your punishment to seize the position and silence activists and protesters, preferably permanently.
We don't correct the 2004 elections, we can forget about elections. They won't mean a thing. The purpose of elections is for us to have the leaders we elect. We don't get them anyway, let's trash the trash. We have no lack of less expensive and more amusing forms of entertainment. "Philippine Idol" is one of them. The winners there win honestly.
That's the reason I've been calling for "snap elections" since the "Hello, Garci" tape came out. It's the only way to correct the 2004 elections. It's the only way to restore faith in elections. There are two ways to go about it: You can either call for snap elections before the 2007 elections, or if that's too expensive, include the position of president in the 2007 elections. Otherwise we'll just have the kind of elections Ferdinand Marcos trotted out during martial law, the zarzuelas (my profoundest apologies to the zarzuelistas who produced grand music in their works) that nobody took seriously. For good reason: They were being held under the auspices of an illegitimate leader who was murdering people across the country with help from thugs in military uniform to prop up illegitimate rule.
I'm almost tempted to mount a signature campaign in this respect, if nobody else will. I have no doubt I can get more signatures in one week than the proponents of Cha-cha have gotten in one year. There is no clamor to change a perfectly genuine Charter, there is a clamor to change a perfectly fake president. Never mind the survey figures that show the majority of Filipinos believe the wrong president is living in Malacañang, mind only the survey figures that show the majority of Filipinos no longer find hope in this country and want to live elsewhere.
A signature campaign for snap presidential elections on or before 2007 could give them hope.
* * *
Tonight is Bicol Poets Night at Conspiracy and James Taylor Night at '70s Bistro -- whichever is your cup of tea. You can always shuttle to one and the other and get to have your cake and eat it, too, get to have your poets and folk it, too. Those places can do with some help. The whole country is feeling the pinch; everyone I talk to says business is the pits this year. At least last year, they still made some money. This year, nada. A lot of places have already closed. Be patriotic. Do your bit for God and music.
http://opinion.inq7.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=15266
What is wrong with that statement? Two things.
One is, why on earth would anyone, much less the presumptive president, even think of using the machines and/or services of Mega Pacific? If it hadn't been for Mega Pacific, whose winning bid was voided by the Supreme Court after it found it to have had no legal qualification to bid, and for the members of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) who to a man and woman awarded the prize to Mega Pacific though they probably knew it had no qualification to bid, the last elections would already have been computerized. Neither Mega Pacific nor any of the commissioners (the "probably" before "knew" is to allow that some of the commissioners made an honest mistake) has been punished for that heinous crime, which resulted in the restoration of the old, laborious and cheater-friendly ballot-box system and the continuation of rule of an unelected president.
It's bad enough that a culprit isn't punished. Do we have to reward him, too? But I can understand why that would be "one of the wishes of the President." She knows what it means to be a culprit and be rewarded.
Two, I agree wholeheartedly with Ermita's contention that computerization will make elections cleaner and faster. Yes, even in this country whose people seem to have a talent for getting around anything. Delay is an engraved invitation to cheating. The longer counting takes, the more likely it can be tampered with. Indeed, the more likely administration candidates can call up Garci or his equivalent and demand that they win by a million votes. I've been pushing for computerization from the start, having observed elections in other countries, where the winners are known within hours after the polling places close. That only highlights again the gravity of the crime the election commissioners and Mega Pacific committed, for which they have not been punished.
But there is one thing more than computerization that will guarantee clean and honest elections in 2007. That is for us to have clean elections in 2004. Or since that is no longer possible, for us to correct the dirty and dishonest elections of 2004. Frankly, I don't know why we're even talking about how to make the 2007 elections clean when we're still laboring under the weight of elections that were not. We don't correct the 2004 elections, we won't have clean elections in 2007. We don't correct the 2004 elections, we will never have clean elections even after 2007.
What's to prevent administration candidates from using government funds to campaign, talking to Comelec officials, and tinkering with the counting machines (most of them can't be cracked from the outside, only from the inside) so that they can win by a million votes or -- greed having no limits -- more? History shows all you have to do is say you made a lapse in judgment and apologize. And go on as your punishment to seize the position and silence activists and protesters, preferably permanently.
We don't correct the 2004 elections, we can forget about elections. They won't mean a thing. The purpose of elections is for us to have the leaders we elect. We don't get them anyway, let's trash the trash. We have no lack of less expensive and more amusing forms of entertainment. "Philippine Idol" is one of them. The winners there win honestly.
That's the reason I've been calling for "snap elections" since the "Hello, Garci" tape came out. It's the only way to correct the 2004 elections. It's the only way to restore faith in elections. There are two ways to go about it: You can either call for snap elections before the 2007 elections, or if that's too expensive, include the position of president in the 2007 elections. Otherwise we'll just have the kind of elections Ferdinand Marcos trotted out during martial law, the zarzuelas (my profoundest apologies to the zarzuelistas who produced grand music in their works) that nobody took seriously. For good reason: They were being held under the auspices of an illegitimate leader who was murdering people across the country with help from thugs in military uniform to prop up illegitimate rule.
I'm almost tempted to mount a signature campaign in this respect, if nobody else will. I have no doubt I can get more signatures in one week than the proponents of Cha-cha have gotten in one year. There is no clamor to change a perfectly genuine Charter, there is a clamor to change a perfectly fake president. Never mind the survey figures that show the majority of Filipinos believe the wrong president is living in Malacañang, mind only the survey figures that show the majority of Filipinos no longer find hope in this country and want to live elsewhere.
A signature campaign for snap presidential elections on or before 2007 could give them hope.
* * *
Tonight is Bicol Poets Night at Conspiracy and James Taylor Night at '70s Bistro -- whichever is your cup of tea. You can always shuttle to one and the other and get to have your cake and eat it, too, get to have your poets and folk it, too. Those places can do with some help. The whole country is feeling the pinch; everyone I talk to says business is the pits this year. At least last year, they still made some money. This year, nada. A lot of places have already closed. Be patriotic. Do your bit for God and music.
http://opinion.inq7.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=15266
posted by dqfan06 @ 10:47 AM
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