Why we must demand for automated polls

Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) is proposing a summit of Asian leaders to discuss the effects of the global financial crisis. I would like to believe that this proposed summit might already be water under the bridge. The G-7 nations have already adopted a plan to buy into their own banks to stave off any bankruptcy problems. Maybe what is needed is an emergency summit by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) because if they don’t act quickly, we might see a shooting war in our hands!

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has given a stern warning to Thailand to withdraw its troops from their disputed borders. Hun Sen gave that warning to Thai Foreign Minister Sompong Amornviwat that Cambodia was winning to send troops to fight a large-scale war against Thailand. While Bangkok is in the midst of a political turmoil because of daily protests against the Thai government, a more serious incident has already happened along the Cambodian-Thai border when some 1,000 troops from both nations massed along the 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, which has been awarded as a World Heritage site by the United Nations (UN). No wonder, Thailand wants to grab this tourist attraction!

This temple has been claimed by Thailand and the Cambodians always insisted it was in their territory. So the ASEAN better act now, more so that Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat’s hold on the Prime Minister’s office is very shaky. This potential conflict has to be defused before it goes out of hand. This is where Pres. Arroyo can exercise her leadership within the ASEAN. If they don’t act quickly to defuse this tension within the ASEAN then we can kiss ASEAN unity a grand goodbye!

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Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (GMA) faces another impeachment rap (the 4th) filed by those who claim to belong to civil society groups. This time it is led by Joey de Venecia III who accused her of betrayal of public trust and corruption. As usual, the anti-GMA groups like leftist party list groups is backing this move to oust the President despite the fact that she has less than two years to go.

 Even the opposition parties lead by the United Opposition (UNO) doesn’t seem to be interested in this impeachment rap since 2010 elections is already so close, although they say that there is a “substantial basis” to file the complaint. But the big question is, does these people have the numbers to make this impeachment rap prosper?

The impeachment game is nothing but a numbers game. No matter how serious the charge which anyone can file, making the impeachment stick depends largely on the headcount in Congress. I honestly doubt if Joey de Venecia III has some clout in Congress that his father used to enjoy. Therefore we can only say that this impeachment rap is nothing but a nuisance. You can also say that for those who want to be in the front-page news during the deliberations of this impeachment charge, it would be free political advertisement for the 2010 elections. In short, there is nothing that the Filipino people can gain with this useless exercise. In fact there are other far more important things we should all be doing!

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If there is anything that we Filipinos should clamor for that we truly need especially in the coming 2010 elections, it is to automate our elections. If we do not do this we have no one but ourselves to blame for the archaic slow counting of election returns that gave us the “Hello Garci” scandal. It’s been four years since the 2004 elections. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) have all but ran out of reasons, albeit excuses why they cannot give us automated polls in 2010.

But hold your horses! Former election commissioner Mehol Sadain just gave us another bad news. The budget to modernize the elections has not been included in the proposed Comelec budget for the year 2009! What Comelec officials are expecting instead is the passing of a supplemental budget from a low of P6.5 million to a high of P29 million for the poll automation. This was the verbal assurance given to Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento by Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya.

Why was this submitted as a supplemental budget is a puzzlement to me! This only proves that the Comelec always believed that automated poll is a mere afterthought, that is easily forgotten! Now that the cat is out of the bag they are now promising to add this to the 2009 budget. However, we heard all this are mere verbal agreements. Budget Secretary Andaya can always say that this was never formalized in Malacañang! This is bad news for us who want clean and honest elections. So expect a repeat of the “Hello Garci scam.!