Extraordinary times, extraordinary elections - FROM A DISTANCE by Carmen N. Pedrosa

I can understand why Messrs. Orlando Mercado, Noli de Castro et al., "guest" candidates in Erap’s Puwersa ng Masa, should feel aggrieved by the 13-0 movement. Mercado said voters should judge candidates on their own individual merits rather than their association with Erap. But that is precisely why he and the rest of his ilk should not be returned to public office. He still does not see or he refuses to see why things have gone so wrong with politics in our country. He typifies politicians who support bad governance, corruption, yes, even crime while claiming to be detached. Their support is the fertile ground on which bad governance flourishes. Do you think an Erap would have been possible without an Orlando Mercado or a Noli de Castro or an Edgardo Angara? These are extraordinary times. May 2001 is an extraordinary election. The outcome of the May elections will be regarded as a referendum on EDSA 2.

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All predictions so far have forecast either an 8-5, a 9-4, and most recently, even a 10-3 in favor of the People Power Coalition. A respected columnist says it is too much to expect that there would be no winners from the Erap slate. Perhaps. This column remains undeterred by its position that we must all work for 13-0. The thrust of this movement is not to make an accurate forecast, but to work for results consistent with the people’s impatience with how badly we are governed. In this sense, we are more concerned with the 0 than we are with the 13. Those who have refused to budge from their support of the discredited Erap government do not deserve to be returned to the Senate. That is the message of 13-0.

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That is the declaration of principle implicit in 13-0. Those who want to vote intelligently while at the same time reject Erap’s candidates can still vote in the spirit of 13-0. I have friends who will be voting for independent candidates Perfecto Yasay, Jr., Manoling Morato, (remember that it was he who fought an almost lonely fight to warn us against an Erap presidency), and constitutionalist Camilo Sabio. These are good candidates. Moreover, they are really independent. They are not depending on any party machinery or political alliances. Unlike some pro-Erap, Puwersa ng Masa candidates who claim to be merely ‘guest’ candidates in Erap’s party. They want to have their cake and eat it too. Worse, they deceive the voters.

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Among these the most obvious is former ABS-CBN newsreader Noli de Castro who claims he is ‘independent’ while being firmly in the pro-Erap line-up. Before this, he was known as a sympathetic Erap newscaster. EDSA 2 may have upset his earlier calculations. Lately, it is being said by knowledgeable sources that he is party to the suppression of the explosive story on the drug problem in Lucena. Witnesses testified that the story that was eventually broadcast was a watered-down version of the true story that Mr. De Castro allegedly knows but he did not deem fit to show to the public. The full Lucena drug story will still be told and indications are it will point to persons who were in the highest positions in government. The task of the 13-0 campaign is to let the public know they are not served by voting for the likes of Noli de Castro, popular though he may be. You know what happened when a candidate, popular sa masa, became president.

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Herrera surges forward to Magic 13 circle. As we went to press, I received the welcome news that Congressman Ernesto "Boy" Herrera is surging forward to the Magic 13 circle. If the drug menace is the biggest threat to the country, then all concerned citizens must work hard and ensure that Boy Herrera wins in May. One unforgettable image of the impeachment trial of Erap was the fear on the face of witness, banker Edgardo Espiritu, when he was being prodded to reveal the names of ‘smugglers’ who were in Erap’s parties. The speculation then was that the "smugglers" referred to were drug smugglers and there was no need to unduly expose the witness to danger. What's more people should know is that Herrera has been at forefront of what he calls the just war against drugs. Herrera has named names many times and has tirelessly prodded the government to do more than it has against this danger that will truly bring this country down sooner than an economic crisis.

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I quote from Herrera’s book The Just War Against Drugs. "This is not a battle to be launched half-heartedly. These drug syndicates are also involved in prostitution and a host of other crimes. In my first privileged speech concerning the drug menace, I exposed the major criminal syndicates behind this modern plague that has already ruined thousands of promising young lives. The main obstacle to its defeat is that within the Government’s enforcement machinery itself, the drug syndicates have already recruited powerful agents and allies through large-scale bribery and corruption. I must stress that any attempt to eliminate the plague of illegal drugs must begin with an overhaul of the Government’s enforcement machinery. For if a considerable number of enforcers themselves, those entrusted with public power, are in league with the syndicates, what hope can there be of our being able ever to control, much less solve, this national crisis? If the government itself has fallen captive to the syndicates and has become a conspirator, then to whom shall the people turn for deliverance? That speech was delivered in 1989. Thanks to Herrera and that speech, the public became more aware of the reach of the drug problem. That was more than ten years ago. The drug problem is still with us. It has not abated. On the contrary, it has become more serious this time. Some worried watchers warn that drug money will flow in May.

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Indeed, the drug problem should be a central issue in May. Either Herrera wins or the drug lords win. Happily, I am told the labor sector, which he has championed and theoretically numbering millions, has finally gotten its act together. Active and financial support from labor for Herrera is snowballing. The latest labor endorsement comes from PLDT Golden 56 Employees led by Mr. Rogelio F. de la Cruz and Mr. Raymundo Y. Sara who handed over an Equitable PCI Bank Manager’s check amounting to P250,000 for his campaign.