We deserve better

With no one in charge, it comes as no surprise that the hostage bus incident turned into disaster. No amount of excuses from the President’s men can make up for the lack of will from the top. This was the main flaw.

We can accept at face value that President Noynoy was indeed concerned about the hostage bus and that he did watch developments from nearby Emerald Restaurant. Most of us did the same thing. We were as concerned and watched developments from our television sets at home. I do not think a thorough investigation no matter how truthful can explain that flaw.

It is one thing to be concerned and another to be in charge and responsible for its outcome. The first is pr, a sense of being seen as doing right while the second comes from the quality of leadership. It is imbued with a sense of obligation that filters down to followers, the men who were directly in charge. That leadership was clearly lacking during the hostage bus tragedy and because it was lacking, there was nothing to bind together the players on the ground. Someone has commented that had Senator Dick Gordon been in President Noynoy’s place, he would have acted differently being an action man and results-oriented. We would have seen him on top of the situation, marching down on the scene himself and talk to the hostage taker. He would have immediately understood the cost of its repercussions to the country. (I use him as an example because he makes a fine contrast with his personality traits that could have resolved the hostage bus peacefully and without loss of life.)

The whole world was watching, unable to comprehend how the police could have been so incompetent. But soon the focus shifted from the bus to government. How could the Philippine government acted so irresponsibly. It may be too late for recrimination and regret for what happened.

Still, it is a good time to question what brought this lack of leadership about. The redeeming factor for Filipinos whether or not they voted for Noynoy, is that 63 percent of the electorate did not. They were aware that we had to choose a competent leader based on his personal qualities, record and history. 

But they were overwhelmed by the powerful combination of foreign pressure, oligarch owned media and an untried automated electoral system that left more questions than answers. It is to these factors that we have to return and look for satisfactory if indirect answers for the hostage bus disaster. For the 63 percent of the electorate, they cite a different reason, outside the events of that day, “don’t blame us, we voted for someone else.”

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Those who voted in the belief of transparency in elections should be heartened that the issue of whether the first automated voting was manipulated is very much alive and kicking.

It is happening away from publicity because their cause is not acceptable to mainstream media. Despite this, they are convinced that the cause is for future elections if democracy here is to survive.

We need a citizens’ action intended to restore “transparency in the counting of votes” says one of the proponents. (CNP: At least the 63% of the electorate should be persuaded to join the cause.)

“As we now know, the transparency of the public count was inadvertently lost when Comelec shifted from the manual counting system to the automated election system (AES). This action seeks to restore the transparency lost by requesting (or compelling) Comelec to publicly disclose the existing photo images of all ballots cast now saved in the CF cards.”

This column believes it is a reasonable request from the Comelec. It would give a complete audit of the votes cast in the last elections.

The proponents for the cause are emphatic that “it is not a substitute for an election protest.”

Regardless of the results of the “complete people’s audit” (which others prefer to call as a “citizens’ recount”), it CANNOT by itself serve as legal basis for the ouster of any proclaimed local or national elective official. It ONLY serves to verify the integrity of the automated electoral system during the May 2010 elections, and thereby lay the basis for the institutionalization of the public disclosure of the photo images of ballots cast for all future electoral exercises under the AES.”

Neither is it for any losing candidate or against a winning candidate. Who knows? It may even confirm the results. What it wants to do is to strengthen our belief that when we vote this is reflected in the results. The group will shortly go the rounds for supporters. It does not seek to upset the apple cart but only to end speculation on just how the automated elections system was conducted.  

“The citizens’ action seeking disclosure has two stages. The first stage is to present a strong lobby with Comelec by networking with similar minded groups and individuals. We expect this to last about 30-90 days from commencement. If the Comelec grants the request, then there is no more second stage, and we turn over the work of conducting a “complete people’s audit” or “citizen’s recount” to other interested groups and individuals. If however the Comelec rejects or otherwise ignores the request within the same timeframe, then we move to the second stage which is to file a petition for mandamus with the Supreme Court.

“We have already organized a small group of volunteer lawyers to handle the SC petition.”

This is a cause that should not be turned away or treated lightly by civic minded citizens. It is a reasonable request to citizens in a country that purports to be a democracy.

“At the moment, we are at the stage of calling on all other civic-minded people’s organizations and concerned citizens, to support this action by filing their own requests for disclosure with Comelec. We will need as many groups and individuals as possible in order to present a strong lobby with Comelec. 

There is a pro-forma letter request for those who want to add their names. Other interested groups and individuals may want to use their own form in their own words.

“As long as we will all call for the disclosure of the photo images of the ballots cast, we will be supporting each other in this undertaking,” a proponent within the group wrote in his letter to this column.