A round up of events that transpired in the May 2007 elections

IN a democratic society, an election is held to supposedly give voice to the people. It is done to avoid civil wars and to pacify the burning desire of the oppressed to change society through a revolution. The ruling class advocates the conduct of elections to make the people feel that they are taking part in instituting societal reforms in the most peaceful and legal manner.

But in the Philippines, the whole nation runs amok whenever the elections crop up. Death threats are received by everyone from the strongest of political opponents to the Barangay chairmen who are used by the incumbent, or whoever has more money and power, to “deliver” the votes. Killings happen in broad daylight. Activists suddenly disappear. Journalists are silenced to death. Even the number of Filipino Chinese who get kidnapped increases.

These events normally happen during the election season. But without evidence that can prove the elections guilty of all these crimes beyond reasonable doubt, then the elections will merely be seen by many as either an exercise in futility or an opportunity to earn more money.

Numbers
40M – number of registered voters
28M– number of actual voters
17,715 – number of elective seats last May 14
130 – number of suspected politically-motivated killings since January 15, 2007; of these, more than 60 who died were candidates or politicians while about 70 were supporters
41 –confirmed election-related deaths
220 plus – number of election-related violence
P151.72 Million – Estimated amount spent by senatorial candidate Prospero Pichay in his campaign 10 days prior to election day, exceeding the P135 Million spending limit.

Wagi/Bigo

• The Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms believes that the Filipino voter has matured. But not in terms of checking out each and every candidate’s programs and platforms. The group believes that voters are now more discerning when it comes to choosing between a popular candidate and a candidate who is perceived to have more substance. Take Manny Pacquiao, for example, who lost in his congressional bid in the first congressional district of South Cotabato despite his heroic feat in boxing just April this year. He was knocked-out by the feisty Darlene Custodio, who is a member of the Antonino political dynasty.

Other “sikat” losers are senatorial candidates Richard Gomez, Cesar Montano and Tito Sotto, Vice Mayoralty candidate Anjo Yllana for Parañaque City, and Makati mayoralty candidate Lito Lapid, who was beaten by the incumbent Jejomar Binay. In Makati City, Binay’s name is synonymous to “yellow card,” the popular health card system initiated by the unbeatable head of the city. Meanwhile, Lito Lapid’s senatorial stint is marked with English translators within his staff, something that this English-speaking country frowns upon.

The biggest celebrity winner, however, is also one of the biggest stars in Philippine showbiz. No less than Vilma Santos won as the governor of the province of Batangas, not because she was popular or is the “Star for All Seasons.” Batangas voters perceive her to be an “action-woman” after they saw improvements in Lipa City where she served as Mayor for three terms. Her “love team” however, award-winning actor Christopher de Leon, failed to win the Vice Mayoralty post.

• The South has always been every election’s area of contention. This year, since the initial counting showed Genuine Opposition (GO) candidates occupying at least 8 of the 12 senatorial spots, many were surprised when the Maguindanao votes delivered a 12-0 win in favor of the administration’s Team Unity (TU). So after speculations of massive cheating abound, the Commission on Elections finally gave in and ordered a re-canvassing of Maguindanao votes.

But both the GO and TU camps are wary of a re-canvassing. The Liberal Party, on the other hand, is asking the COMELEC to declare a failure of elections.

Other southern provinces marked with allegations of massive cheating are North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Lanao del Sur, and Lanao del Norte.

• The tight race for Pampanga governorship ended with a historic win of a Catholic priest—Father Eddie Panlilio who won by 1,147 votes over Lilia Pineda.

Although under suspension from his priestly duties, Panlilio’s win over Pineda and outgoing Governor Mark Lapid has been welcomed by the Kapampangan’s and by the rest of the country. The Catholic clergy ran for governor, he said, because he wanted to give an alternative to the people of Pampanga, which has long been reported to be a major Jueteng hotspot. His rivals Pineda, wife of alleged jueteng lord Bong Pineda, and Lapid were allegedly coddling jueteng operators in the province.

However, U.P. professor and political analyst Randy David cautioned: “The gubernatorial outcome in Pampanga is certainly a bright ray of hope in an otherwise relentlessly gloomy political sky. But we cannot exaggerate its importance to national politics. It can lead to something new, or it can remain just another flash in the pan; a proof of what middle-class militancy can do, but also a reminder that the politics of reform does not end with the installation of a new leader.”

Indeed, days after Panlilio’s proclamation as Pampanga governor, the chairmen of barangays that delivered the crucial votes to Father-Gov received death threats from unidentified entities. The chairmen cried foul and alleged that the threats were politically-motivated, a sort of payback for the defeat of Pineda or Lapid. Days after, a chairman, Panlilio-supporter Marlon Gulud of San Juan Bautista in Guagua, was gunned down by unidentified men in motorcycles.

• With only a million votes waiting to be counted, the top 10 senatorial candidates who are said to be sure wins (as of May 31, 2007) are:

Loren Legarda (GO)
Francis Joseph Escudero (GO)
Panfilo Lacson (GO)
Manuel Villar, Jr. (GO)
Francis Pangilinan (Ind.)
Benigno Aquino III (GO)
Edgardo Angara (TU)
Alan Peter Cayetano (GO)
Joker Arroyo (TU)
Gregorio Honasan (Ind.)

• At the brink are eleventh placer Antonio Trillanes IV (GO) and twelfth placer Aquilino Pimentel III (GO) who can still be replaced by 13th placer Juan Miguel Zubiri (TU).

• Amazingly, Antonio Trillanes IV still managed to land on the 11th place despite being in jail for his Oakwood mutiny adventure. During the campaign period, rarely did Trillanes’s ads crop up and he was almost always at the sidelines since news reporters had to go to jail just to get a Trillanes interview.

• Even more amazingly, senatorial candidate Mike Defensor (TU) publicly conceded defeat on May 30, saying that it was numerically impossible for him to make the Top 12 given the remaining uncanvassed votes. It was a surprising announcement, given the old saying that in Philippine elections, candidates never lose, they only get cheated.