The earlier Congress-canvassed votes from overseas Filipinos confirmed the earlier canvassed results of the Comelec: Noynoy Aquino led all other candidates by a significant margin. The undeniable trend showing Noynoy's big lead until today's canvassing is also consistent with the earlier survey results that Filipinos, in and out of the Philippines, elected Noynoy to be their President. They came out in huge numbers to register their choice. How much longer will Congress take to recognize and proclaim the people's choice?
June 15 is one date that has been floated in the news which reported that Congress can complete the canvassing by this date. If so, will proclamation follow by June 30 or earlier?
World leaders, through their representatives, have already accepted Noynoy's election. Some presidential candidates have also conceded. It remains for a GMA-dominated Congress to confirm the winner and the Filipino voters are all expecting that Congress will do so soonest.
The Vice-Presidential fight is a very close one and will need much vigilance and honesty to ferret out the genuine elected choice of the people. The overseas votes canvassed so far showed the Aquino-Roxas team leading all other candidates. The battle for the vice-presidency will be determined by the votes cast by the Filipinos voters throughout the country. Unlike the Presidency, the canvassed votes for the vice-presidency so far do not show a significant and undeniable trend. As it is, no one can safely confirm if it is Roxas or Binay as of today.
The uncertainty extends as well to our political situation which is on a waiting, not on a transition, mode.
While Malacañang has alluded and has appeared to be shifting to a transition mode, even going all the way to suggest a joint meeting with Aquino before the official proclamation, until the actual proclamation is done, however, Filipinos remain skeptical about what GMA and her cohorts will do next, between now and June 30.
One can never tell whether the former administration is really sincere and honest about gracefully giving way to the truly elected leaders of this nation. With so many lies said and the blatant holding on to power, not only of GMA but of her sons as well as relatives, Filipinos find it difficult to trust the former dispensation to just peacefully hand over the reins of government to new leaders whom people expect to rid this nation of corruption and whom the voters expect to lead them towards a morally higher ground of governance.
It is still a wait-and-see-mode we are all in now.
Will Congress redeem itself by adhering to quick but thorough and honest canvassing of votes and proclamation of the next leaders of our country? Will there be a peaceful transition within this month?
While we wish to move forward and participate in a new regime of hope and real change, our instincts also tell us to remain vigilant, that we all stay united to ensure a genuinely honest, peaceful, and effective takeover of genuine public servants and their uninterrupted sincere public service.
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Email: cherryb_thefreeman@yahoo.com