No to Comelec's getting intelligence funds!

We're back in Cebu after a four-day “cellphone” vacation. Perhaps it was the Lord's way of making sure that I would focus on the needs of my family while we were in Hong Kong and indeed, it was a great bonding time. But we did take a great risk as it was the first time that my whole branch in the family rode on a plane together to and from Cebu. After we touched down in Mactan, I prayed a prayer of thanks to the Lord for keeping us safe. It would have been an unimaginable disaster if something happened to the plane, which is why we took the precaution of taking PAL on this trip.

When we got inside the plane in Hong Kong, it was the first time I read the Philippine Star. Usually I would find our paper at the Star Ferry in Hong Kong, but for this trip, it was only the Manila Bulletin that was there. Perhaps The Star and the other paper were sold out ahead. Anyway the news here at home is still very much about politics, politics and more ugly politics. The latest is that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has decided to turn themselves into a political party, a move which was welcomed by Malacañang, obviously as a knee-jerk reaction to this otherwise positive news.

No doubt Malacañang just showed themselves as too eager to welcome the MILF into political fold without thinking about the consequence. In my book, they spoke too soon. I dare say that in this country that needed political reforms yesterday, there should be a minimum rule for political parties… that they shouldn't have any armies or armed wing. This is why the Filipino people have not embraced the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to become a mainstream political party because of their New People's Army (NPA) that has constantly waged terror in our country side.

Politics as we all know is the art of compromise. But in this day and age when politicians more often than not show their true colors, when the debate turns sour, it elevates to the next level and that's violence. If for instance there is a debate with other political parties with the MILF and they end up not agreeing to certain provisions, what will happen next is someone might just point a gun at the protagonist and soon violence will erupt.

So before any such thing happens to this country, I suggest to the Aquino Regime that before they accept the MILF to become a mainstream political party, they must surrender their arms and denounce the use of violence. If they refuse, then they shouldn't be accepted as a political party. It is that simple, as everyone follows certain civilized norms even in the political arena.

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A still unfinished business that hugged the headlines as I left for Hong Kong was the issue that recently exploded into the nation's consciousness, that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) under Chairman Sixto Brillantes, Jr. sought and received intelligence funds and no less than Pres. PNoy Aquino granted it and gave it through the General Appropriations Act of 2013. Holy smokes! Did we just uncover one mess within the Comelec? Why do they need intelligence funds in the first place?

As if on cue, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that agencies getting intelligence funds must justify their request. In my book, intelligence funds are used mainly by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the purpose of data gathering, especially during covert or overt operations. If you ask me, it is very easy to justify anything in this government. But in the end, who really got the money that was supposedly for intelligence gathering?

Well, this news apparently was exposed by former Comelec Commissioner Gus Lagman who accused seven Comelec Commissioners of getting P7 million each for themselves even if they don't need it. What a not-so-clever way of getting taxpayers money into their personal accounts? I hope that these commissioners included this money into the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs). Yes, only Gus Lagman returned his share of the money, which shows some Comelec people still has a conscience.

But instead of lionizing Lagman, Chairman Brillantes lambasted him on a radio interview saying “Would he have returned the money if he was reinstated to his post?” Obviously that is not the point. The point is the Comelec officers got intelligence funds without giving any report as to how they used these funds and for what purpose?

Meanwhile, former Comelec Chairman Christian Monsod questioned the Comelec's need for intelligence funds, which he found to be wrong. Hmmm doesn't it make you wonder how come the Commission on Audit (COA) is strangely quiet on this issue? They usually say something about gov't. agencies getting these funds or not. But here, their silence is deafening!

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