Time for national prayer again

Today is May 27. Today marks the 17th day after the May 10 elections, touted as this country's first automated electoral exercise. While a number of national and local candidates have been proclaimed winners, the much-awaited proclamation of the elected President and the Vice-President of the Philippines is still pending. Why?

Congress has started to initiate canvassing and when finished, the next elected top leaders of this country will be proclaimed officially. When will the canvassing be finished and when will the proclamation day be? These are everyone's questions now.

If Congress decides to do its mandated function to merely canvass the votes, then canvassing can be over within a shorter time and the proclamation forthcoming. However, Congress seems to be posturing as the body that should investigate electoral fraud, a task officially mandated to the Comelec. When Congress starts to function like the Comelec, then say goodbye to an early, unbiased canvass and to an early proclamation.

Perhaps, the present Congress so aligned with the past dispensation is bent not on completing the canvassing and proclaiming the next elected top officials of this country. Why?

Noynoy Aquino, the leading presidential candidate with more than 5 million votes lead over the next candidate, has vowed to go after the corrupt and the abusive. The partisan Congress has been part of the past dispensation that has brought this country to the abyss of moral and corrupt governance. Will the partisan members of Congress allow themselves to be investigated and worse, prosecuted for their involvement with the past administration?

Or so used as they are to a governance style of patronage, power and perks, will they not muster their numbers to retain that system that allowed them so much pork barrel that remains publicly unaccounted for?

The same Congress that approved this country's automated electoral system is the same.

Congress that is now questioning the reliability and honesty of a system they themselves approved and allowed to operate. Why? Because their candidates did not win? Because the Filipino voters overwhelmingly decided they have had enough of the partisan, corrupt leaders and their candidates?

 Should we believe them when Congress and Malacañang assure us that a fair and swift canvassing will be their goal and an early or a June 30 proclamation will proceed as scheduled? Remember these are the very people who did not question and thoroughly resolve the issue of Garci 1, the NBN deal and other dubious deals of the past administration. These are also the same people who said elections will finally be clean and honest because of automation!

Best to be on guard and to be united and vigilant again lest the past dispensation will succeed in shackling our nation and our people from moving on with new leaders and a new beginning by June.

Time for national prayers once again, time to ask God to take over and defeat the forces of evil trying to avert the dawn of hope and a fresh moral start for the Filipinos. Let those church bells ring again for God's power to overcome the corrupt and evil who wish to stay longer in power and privilege without the approval and sanction of the Filipino people.

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