Comelec abetting 'money politics'

Presidential Spokesman Ricardo Saludo is at it again, defending the indefensible to the point of absurdity. There’s nothing wrong with having five Arroyos in the House of Reps, he says: Gloria as Pampanga rep, son Dato as Camarines rep, brother-in-law Iggy as Negros rep, and another son Mikey and sister-in-law Marilou as party-list reps. Other political clans do it, Saludo chatters, so the Arroyos are equally entitled.

Saludo forgets. The Constitution forbids political dynasties. That there’s no enabling does not mean anyone can abuse the political space to make family members reign simultaneously or in succession. “Abuse” brings us to a related point: it was Gloria Arroyo who financed the quick rise of the Ampatuan dynasty. Under her the clan gained 22 elective posts in Maguindanao province and the Autonomous Muslim Region, plus many more appointive ones. The ban on dynasties is to prevent abuse of power. But Arroyo abetted the Ampatuans — to the point of their alleged massacre of 57 female political rivals, lawyers and journalists.

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Can you trust the Comelec? On the issue of Ang Ladlad applying to represent gays, it was quick to say no because supposedly “immoral.” But on whether super rich politicos ethically may embody marginalized sectors in party lists, it is so timid. Chairman Jose Melo blathers that since no law defines “marginalized,” the poll body cannot bar such improper nominees. So, presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo may return to Congress in May as a fake rep of security guards and tricycle drivers. Cabinet members and other gofers of Gloria Arroyo similarly can feign to act for the poor, to sneak into Congress by the back door.

Really? Lawyering (for predecessors) can be addling. Someone should tell Melo two things. First, the law is clear against gender bias, so his commission cannot go around labeling gays debauched. Second, the Constitution is lucid on the “marginalized.” It even lists examples: labor, peasants, urban poor, indigenous tribes, women, youth, but not the religious. So to say that superrich Mikey — he who failed to declare as asset a manor in California — is a true rep of guards and drivers is to strain the issue.

Melo in fact ignores the problem that ails the electoral system: money politics. For a Comelec head, he does not seem to realize that vote buying and campaign overspending are the roots of the evil system. Such roots tempt politicos to retain the similarly tainted fruit of pork barrel, to recoup election investments.

The feeble Comelec stand on fake party-list reps can only lead to one conclusion: the poll body will only preserve the rotten system.

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The Customs Intelligence and Investigation Section e-mailed to refute some items in Gotcha, 8, 15, 17, 19 Mar. 2010. For fair play and balance I give space to Operations chief Eric Albano and assistant Mitchell Verdeflor:

“1. The Operations Section was not formed only recently by Deputy Commissioner Jairus Paguntalan. It was a dormant unit of the Intelligence Division reactivated in Nov. 2005 by then-Deputy Celso Templo upon the instance of then-CIIS director Paguntalan. Operating since Jan. 2006 it has received numerous commendations for the apprehension, seizure and forfeiture of contraband by big-time smugglers. It has contributed P449,650,093 to the government coffers.

“2. Quick Flo Trading’s 40-foot container of electronics and perfumery was not a legal importation. The shipment was mis-declared in description, classification and value by more than 30 percent.

“3. Mission Order No. IG020910-031, issued by Paguntalan, covered the apprehension upon exit from the Customs zone. Our office filed a final report on Mar. 3, 2010.

“4. Our office’s involvement in alleged pilferage of seized smuggled goods inside Warehouse 159 is misplaced. It is the Operations Section’s duty, as apprehending unit, to exercise custodial safekeeping of the samples to ensure preservation for subsequent presentation as evidence.

“5. The one-hour inventory on Mar. 11 of the samples brought to the CIIS office from Warehouse 159 (conducted by Internal Investigation and Prosecution Division chief Atty. Willie Sarmiento, as appearing on the receipts) was witnessed by representatives of the broker, the X-ray Inspection Project, Enforcement and Security Service, the media, and others. It was found that the samples taken from the warehouse were intact and complete. This was also the earlier observation of ESS chief Nestorio Gualberto. There was no pilferage, only a snow job against our section.”

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Congratulations to Hush Puppies-Philippines top man Gifford Chu, area manager Maria Diana Cacanindin, and SM-Fairview staff Brian Sta. Romana, Sheryl Cantones, and Morena Macapagal. Their first instinct is to make customers happy and loyal than ever.

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Cecile Licad performs an all-Chopin recital tomorrow night at 8 o’clock, Philamlife Theater, UN Avenue, Manila, part of the composer’s bicentenary. On Monday, same time and venue, Licad is the soloist of the Manila Symphony Orchestra under Arturo Molina.

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“If you want the person who hurt you to continue hurting you, do not forgive. The hurt you nurture haunts you, not the person who inflicted it.” Shafts of Light, Fr. Guido Arguelles, SJ

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