all the campaigning has hit a fever pitch. There are a few things about our
country’s electoral process that really bug me though…
First, why are congressional representatives from party list
groups limited to only three from each group? Wouldn’t it make sense to have
more representatives from party list groups instead of sorting through all of
the traditional politicians who insist on deceiving us, covering their lies and
anti-people track records with catchy slogans and jingles? In my humble
opinion, I think we would benefit more from party list representatives (the
good ones at least) who have concrete platforms, programs and plans coz then we
know that they would be working for the masses and aren’t out to fill their
pockets with ill-gotten wealth. [I’m looking at all you Trapos out there!]
Second, why don’t we have a law banning political candidates
from using money coming from their own pockets to fund their campaign costs?
Isn’t it more feasible to force aspiring politicians to look for outside
financial help instead of allowing them to spend their own money? That way,
they have one less reason to justify their pilfering ways once they’re sworn
into office. [I’m still looking at all you Trapos out there!] I know this
probably won’t stop them from stealing and cheating anyway but at least this
will equal the playing field just a little more, giving the a small amount of
leverage to not-so-rich hopefuls.
Third, and I’m defending the environment this time, why
haven’t incumbent officials banned the use of too much, if not all posters
(such a waste of paper! Huhuhu), most of which are pasted everywhere. They’re
not only wasting the lives of all the trees that were cut down to make all the
paper used for their stupid posters, they’re also littering the streets with
these eyesores! I hate seeing dirty walls and I’m sorry to say their faces mar
the relatively clean (loosely used) facades on our streets. Why don’t they use
banners, which they could hang on street corners or wherever, as long as
they’re not on each and every one? We get it -- they’re running for office.
They don’t have to inundate us with all these pathetic attempts to ingratiate
themselves with us. A smattering of banners would be enough. At least you can
recycle banners. Paper posters, once pasted on the walls, can no longer be used
again. What a waste! Not to mention really hideous!
I’ve already forgotten exactly how the whole system works
coz it’s been ages since we studied that in my major political science subjects
but I honestly think we could do something to improve it. Don’t even get me
started on all the cheating, vote buying, killing-sprees, harassments, bullying
and other major offense these Trapos do. I don’t have enough time and I really
don’t have the patience to discuss all of that. It just gets me all riled up
and it’s just not worth all the drama. Needless to say, most of us are aware of
what these Trapos are up to and I hope we’re responsible enough to share this
knowledge with those who are less informed. Good luck to those candidates who
are seriously out to serve the country and our people. I hope you will prevail.
To the rest whose intentions are less than commendable (understatement!), I
hope you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the barrel come election day. I urge
all voters to choose your bets wisely. Do your research and then trust your
instincts. I have faith in your discerning ability. Heaven help all of us if we
fail to live up to our full potential as responsible voters. We might all end
up in the dump if that happens. It stinks in the dump! That’s all I’m saying!
But I guess you already know that.
Hmmmm.... I'll give it a shot.
ReplyDeletePoint 1: The better question or rather questions would be why do we have different party list groups that represent one sector? Who actually determines that a certain sector is "marginalized"? What have these party list groups actually done while in congress? Can they give us a sort of liquidation for their pork barrel? Just so they could do by example.
Point 2: This became impossible when the two-party system was abolished and multi-party established. Under two-party system, funding was usually gathered from outer parties. The problem with this system though is that it opens the winning candidates to the idea of "utang na loob." Which we know by experience is pretty much prevalent in our culture.
Point 3: The bad side of banners is that some tend to put it on light posts. Which can be a fire hazard. The thing to do actually would be to actually implement the rules regarding posting in non-approved areas. And once again experience tells us that in the Philippines, the law is all bite and no bark. Haaaaaaay.
The best thing to do is not just to vote but to keep track of what the winning candidates are actually doing. Now that's being responsible. :)
i get what you're saying and i agree with the last part, diligent research about each candidate SHOULD include keeping track of their record -- what they've done while they were in office, how they spent OUR money, and how effectively they have SERVED THE PEOPLE. I think the details listed below say it all:
ReplyDeleteANG SARAP MAGING SENADOR!
Maganda rin naman ang naidudulot ng pagiging prangka ni Senador Miriam
Defensor-Santiago. Ayon kay Santiago , marami ang tumatakbong Senador dahil
sa laki ng budget na ibinibigay sa kanila kada buwan.
Lumalabas na P35,000 suweldo nila kada buwan ay pakitang-tao lang sa
milyun-milyong budget ng bawat senador. Kada buwan ay may Fixed Monthly
Budget ang bawat Senador ng humigit-kumulang P2 Milyon.
Sa opisina pa lang nila ay humigit-kumulang P500,000 and budget nila sa
Maintenance and Operating Expenses (Rental, Utilities, Supplies at Domestic
Travels) at P500,000 para sa Staff at Personal expenses. Kaya para makatipid
ang ibang Senador, kaunti lang ang staff na kinukuha nila. Nagtataka ka pa
kung bakit mayroong mga Ghost Employee?
Bukod diyan, may P760,000 allowance pa sila kada buwan para naman sa Foreign
Travel. At ang masakit pa nito, hindi na kailngan i-liquidate ang mga resibo
ng mga gastusin 'yan kundi Certification lang ang Requirement.
Heto pa, lahat sila ay Chairman ng mg Komite sa Senado. Ang Committee
Chairman ay tumatanggap din ng budget na sinlaki ng tinatanggap ng mga
Senador na humigit-kumulang P1 Milyon din! Hindi sila mawawalan ng Komite
dahil 24 lang ang ating mga Senador at 37 naman ang Committee sa Senado.
There's food for everybody 'ika nga! Lumalabas na doble ang kanilang
benepesiyo at kita kapag sila ay nabiyayaan ng Committee Chairmanship.
Sa P200 milyon na Budget para sa Pork Barrel ng mga Senador bawat taon,
awtomatikong may 10% na S.O.P. o kita ng Senador na P20 milyon. Ito ang
porsiyento na ibinibigay ng mga kontratista sa mga Senador na nagbibigay sa
kanila ng mga Infrastructure at Livelihood Project.
Bago matapos ang termino ng isang Senador, kumita na siya ng P100 milyon sa
Pork Barrel pa lang. Yung ibang Senador mas gahaman, hindi lang 10% kundi 20
- 30% ang komisyon hinihingi sa mga kontratista.
Pansinin niyo na lang ang pagbabago ng buhay ng ilan sa ating mga Senador
simula nang manungkulan sa puwesto. Kung dati ay simple lang ang kanilang
pamumuhay ngayon ay nakatira na sila sa mga eksklusibong subdivision,
maraming bahay sa Pilipinas at abroad at mahigit lima ang sasakyan.
Ngayon nagtataka ka pa ba kung bakit gumagastos ng daan-daang milyong piso
ang mga Senador sa kampanya para sa isang posisyon na P35,000 lang ang
suweldo kada buwan? Bawing-bawi pala ang gastos kapag naupo na!
ANG SARAP MAGING SENADOR ! ! !
Hay life! Maypa mag senador na lang ta ninyo. Nuff said.
you gave it a shot and then you missed. miserably.
ReplyDeletei can't help but conclude that you're an arm-chair bound pseudo-intellectual who takes ignorant and marginally arrogant potshots at partylist groups. somehow, you belong here. in the same trash bin as the right-wingers i've thoroughly debunked.
you feign asking for track records and pork liquidations but all you actually do is cast a shadow of doubt on legitimate partylists and the marginalized sectors who compose them. (and fuck you for perpetuating that doubt)
if you are so interested (and i doubt that you are) navigate your way to the Bayan Muna website and the Gabriela Women's Party website and read for yourself a litany of their achievements (House Bills, House Resolutions, projects, etc). the official website of the House of Representatives also posts all their HBs, HRs, etc.
you can always visit the Commission on Audit or the House of Representatives and ask for the liquidations (and compare partylist liquidations from district representative liquidations). (then again, i suspect you'll have some lousy excuse like you don't have the time or transportation money for that. in which case, stop fucking asking when you know where the answers are.)
re: why the number of partylist groups representing one sector
you're a lousy quizzer. you should be questioning the number of district representatives (200+ congressional districts over and above 50+ partylist seats up for grabs) instead of questioning partylist representation. must be something wrong with your brain. it can't seem to fathom logic. misty already explained it quite well.
these district representatives rarely represent the broad cross-section (rich to poor, peasant to worker to fisherfolk to women, etc) of their congressional district. and that isn't at all surprising, we have yet to hear of a district congressman/congresswoman who wasn't chasing his/her own interests in congress.
painfully obvious as well is the staggering number of those who fall under the marginalized sectors. poor peasants can be taken as a marginalized sector, and they comprise roughly 70% of the total population, your lousy logic (only one partylist to represent each sector) as per partylist representation would then give them only 3 seats at best. three poor peasant partylist representatives in a house of congress where big landlords dominate. roughly 50% of the population are women (but how many women have gotten a seat in congress?) that would be highlighting how marginalized they are (any law [such as land distribution] from these 3 poor peasant partylist reps would be easily voted against by the landlord district reps. any law from these 3 women partylist reps [such as the rewriting of the obviously gender biased laws on concubinage and adultery] would easily be voted against by the majority of male district reps.] rule of numbers.).
ah yes. the rule of numbers. it's that simple (and i hope your lousy brain can process that). the marginalized sectors simply comprise the majority of the philippine population. ergo, they should have a proportionate voice in nation building (in congress).
And here I thought UP graduates have open minds. Oh well... Times certainly do change.
ReplyDeleteWhy should I go to the Commission on Audit? Why can't they publish it themselves? I mean, they're the ones who are always asking for transparency. Why can't they start it themselves? Or maybe they have something to hide.
Your comments however are not only biased but runs in circles. And why the need for profanity and snide remarks? Fuck me? Lousy brain? I guess when you have nothing more to say you just attack the character of the person and muck up the issue. Good luck to that.
Times like these, I miss debating with Dennis Longid. Not only was he a good student regent but he had an open mind.
I have nothing to comment on this issue, for I regret that my knowledge of the subject matter is insufficient... but it would be productive if we all exercise respect and avoid derogatory speech in any discussion.
ReplyDeletei just happen to love profanity. hahahahaha. as much as i hate dumbfucks like you.
ReplyDeletelike i said, there's your lousy excuse.
re: why should you go to the CoA (and i thought that was self-evident, i overestimated your lousy brain, ironic. haha.)
1. the CoA is the government agency tasked to receive all liquidations (you should go to them because they have the records). duh. and they are tasked to check the authenticity of the receipts as well (and knowing that Bayan Muna, et al are blacklisted by the government, the CoA is stricter with Bayan Muna, et al.)
i admit to having to repeat several concepts, but only because your brain seems to need it.
2. we keep records of our liquidations, like i said, go to the website, dumbass and contact the secretariat who keeps the records. if you're dreaming about us publishing it in the newspapers, duh, with over 400 projects we'd need somewhere around 4000 pages, and each full page ad costs around 60000. what now? you want us to mail you and every citizen a copy? dumbfuck.
again, if you are so interested, there are countless articles on the internet about Bayan Muna, et al and their projects (with photos of course. then again, you're too lazy to do that. and i bet you're going to have another lousy dumbfuck excuse not to search the net. at any rate, here is an example). and for your benefit again, here's a no brainer editorial from the phil. daily inquirer:
----------------------
'It is true that- and here is the fourth point - the congressional representatives of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela have not shied from using their pork barrel funds (something we have taken them to task for). But allegations from government officials and military officers that they have used these government funds to finance anti-government activities, or even to finance the communist insurgency, are unproven and unsubstantiated. This misuse of funds, if true, is treason of the highest order; but professional paranoiacs like National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales do not even offer any proof; like Goebbels, they put their faith in the repetition of lies and half-truths. A fatally flawed case like the Inopacan massacre does not increase public confidence but undermines it.'
----------------------------
you may find solace though, that since 2005 (when the government intensified its vilification campaign against Bayan Muna, et al), the government has stopped releasing their fair share of the pork barrel. oh, you didn't know that? you ignorant arrogant asshole (my apologies to assholes).
obviously, i have got a lot to say (sans the profanity. those comprise 2 words at most per statement). while all you have are dumbass questions (which have been replied to/rebutted time and again).
and so, fuck you for that.
Limited knowledge and all, but I agree with this. The pork barrel is a big budget allocated to each senator (congressmen?) for supposed projects. The taxpayers have a right to demand proof for where their tax money go. Myself included, for im kinda annoyed by the large percentage of tax deducted from my half-month salaries and yet I find no proof of where it went.
ReplyDeleteNo, wait, I saw proof of it from the ASEAN summit lightposts. And I saw how it all went to the pockets of certain politicians.
Yep, we should do so.This way, we can all avoid making the same mistake again in the next elections... :D
respect is earned.
ReplyDeletepeople who are both willfully ignorant and arrogant do not deserve respect.
i reserve the highest contempt for ignorant people who question our integrity without offering any proof otherwise. not only do these ignorant and arrogant fucks (they should stop being called people) cast a shadow of doubt on our integrity, their remarks/questions are tantamount to accusations.
these are deadly times. people get killed on mere suspicion of being an NPA. this ignorant and arrogant fuck is willfully and maliciously perpetuating that suspicion.
Okay, let me start with your rebuttal to my third point, i think you missed my point entirely. I don't care where these candidates post their ads -- they can post them on their fugly (thank you, mean girls! hehe) mugs -- it doesn't matter! my point is, using too much paper posters and pasting them on walls everywhere is such a waste of precious paper! It broke my heart earlier, watching all those electoral pawns pass out sample ballots that most people throw away without even a glance. What a waste! All those poor trees! huhuhu. I know most people don't care about the environment but we're already starting to experience the effects of our "environmental apathy." In fact, I've never experienced a heatwave this bad in my entire life! Pirmi lang intawn ko naligo sa singot, pareha karon! faetz!
ReplyDeleteMy abhorrence for the wanton use of paper for no good reason leads me to my second point: I believe I was already alluding to one thing -- limited funding for campaigns. I was hoping one of you would go there, explore that point. Wouldn't it make sense if candidates were only allowed, nay, forced to spend no more than a certain amount? That would not only level the playing field, but also limit spending for each one of them. Plus, (sorry, I just have to insert this yet again) limited funding would mean less money for posters, thus allowing more trees to live. I say they should just set the bar at no more than Php1 million. Let's see how far that takes them. That's where my previous suggestion of banning the use of their own money comes in. I think candidates should forget about "utang na loob" when it comes to politics. I don't understand your point on how the use of multi-party sytem made reliance on outside funding impossible.
And finally, I think common sense dictates which sectors are marginalized. Answers.com says to marginalize is "To relegate or confine to a lower or outer limit or edge, as of social standing." It doesn't take a genius to know that women are marginalized. Ours is a patriarchal society. Women (like me. apil apil jud. hehehe) suffer discrimination not only because of our gender but also due to our class. Workers and peasants, who comprise the vast majority of Filipinos, are obviously marginalized, even based only on answers.com's bourgeois definition. They are at the bottom of the barrel, so to speak. They are the majority and yet they remain so poorly represented in the halls of congress, which is composed of landlords and big capitalists. I really don't think you need the above explanation. What bothers me the most is why you're only asking for financial transparency from the party list groups. =( Perhaps you forgot to include the other candidates sa "kahig"? Anyway, Like kit said, there are lots of ways to obtain the information you're looking for. One more thing that bugs me is why you had to ask who determines a certain sector's marginalization. Isn't it painfully obvious that the poor (again, workers and peasants, mostly) are highly marginalized? Do we really need someone to tell us that they are? Or were you trying to drive at another point? In my opinion, your first question on why different party list groups represent one sector has so many answers, it boggles the mind. I'll put forward a couple though... The most obvious one to me is there can never be enough party list groups to even the odds of the poor, oppressed, exploited, (add relevant adjective here) in comparison to the hordes of landlords and big capitalists "representing" us in the echelons of Philippine bureaucracy and legislature. Second, this allows groups ranging from the extreme left to the extreme right to be represented in congress. I bet others, even you, can think of other reasons.
There are some, misty....
ReplyDeleteBut let me ask you this question. What can you do about this in the short run?
Do you have any short term suggestions to repair the big hole in the ozone layer? This is what causes the excruciating pain that we all go through everyday due to the summer heat... remember when we were kids and we didn't feel any pain in playing under the summer sun?
have you ever wondered why i care so much about the refrigirator in our office? when i was still in high school, i read in some newspaper (can't remember w/c one) that improper use of the ref (read: opening it for a long time, etc) releases chlorofluorocarbon, which, in turn, can cause ozone depletion. that's the reason why i'm always bugging other people about the way they treat our ref. well, that and my precious ice supply. hehehe. anyway, i believe there's lots we can do to save the ozone layer -- conserving electricity for one. i suggest you look it up on the internet if you're really interested cuz i kinda don't have time right now. i'm running late for work! laterz!
ReplyDelete