Guarding the ballots takes both courage and perseverance

All over but the shouting? That’s an old English expression. In the Philippines, an election is never over. Way past the "end" the losers will be screaming that they were robbed, cheated, or deep-sixed.

The May 10 canvass isn’t over yet – weeks more of it are in the offing – but already the Opposition, from FPJ’s KNP to Brother Eddie Villanueva’s Bangon, is complaining of "massive fraud" and ballot-rigging.

The vigilance of the Opposition is absolutely necessary, and if evidence is uncovered of poll fraud, force, or dagdag-bawas, this must be used to expose and prosecute the perpetrators. A blanket charge of electoral fraud against President GMA, the KNP yesterday let the idea "float", is even being contemplated.

One thing is sure, the KNP has a very active "text brigade". I’ve been getting texts galore in the past two days, asserting that FPJ and Loren won in many provinces, but this isn’t kuno being reflected. Phrases like "massive news blackout" or the "canvass was suspended" are flying willy-nilly to my mobile-phone via cyberspace, with the added admonition, "pass it on, pls". Sus, complaints and propaganda by cellphone – it’s a sign of the times.

I had breakfast with Independent (LDP?) presidential candidate Senator Panfilo Lacson yesterday. He was jaunty as ever, but he admitted that he might lose. His supporters and watchers, however, continue to guard every canvass. Ping reiterated the sensitive statement he made the other day that "those who don’t safeguard their ballots deserve to lose". Weeping and wailing, he grinned, won’t be effective.

Anyway, Lacson has already exceeded, it seems, his self-imposed bottom-line requirement of three million votes, so he won’t have, as he promised if he failed to meet that total, to resign. He can go back to the Senate, to serve out the next three years of his term, then, if he chooses, run for re-election in 2007. Then there’s the year 2010, unless we switch to the parliamentary system.

But what about "Jose Pidal"? Is that threat being factored in when President GMA calls for reconciliation and a government of unity? When the GMA hand is held out to Lacson, will it be a friendly handclasp or a clenched fist, the GMA version of a kamay ng taray (in peewish paraphrase of Ping’s own campaign slogan, kamay na bakal)?

During the "unity" Mass sponsored last week by former President Cory C. Aquino at the San Agustin Church, GMA had clasped Lacson’s hand, as he in turn did the other candidates’ in that spiritual cadena de amor, as they prayed the "Our Father". How about the post-war – er, post-election scenario?

In any event, Lacson remains undaunted. He will concentrate on mobilizing an anti-graft movement enlisting his supporters, including his youth "army", in that endeavor. That’s what he told me.

"Did your feng shui turn into chop suey?" I quipped and he laughed good-humoredly. At least he’s not wearing a loser’s face. He may not have won, but somehow Lacson reminds me of the movie, Last Man Standing. We’ll hear more of him, I’ll wager in the months – and years to come.