From Surveys To Mock Polls - It's Not Over Till The Fat Lady Sings

Or until the Comelec rules a failure of elections.

We are so wrapped up with the surveys and mock poll results that have been coming out lately.

In Cebu, Lakas Kampi-CMD presidential aspirant Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro topped a mock election during a forum for the youth at the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center there Thursday.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has topped the mock polls held among employees at the Senate.

And in the latest survey done by Pulse Asia Inc., deposed president Joseph “Erap” Estrada has caught up with Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar. Both are now tied for second place in the presidential race even as erstwhile front runner Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III extended his lead by almost 20 points over the two.

And in the same survey, Binay has overtaken Sen. Loren Legarda in the vice presidential race and is now in second place behind Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II by 9 points.

All I will say is all that's nothing more than untruths. Don't forget, those surveys and mock polls are done using a sample that may not even be representative of the whole population.

It may just happen that when they took a sample almost all voted for Aquino or for Estrada. It certainly is not indicative of what the real electorate is thinking.

Minds can change and who knows what suggestive powers were put to bear during the surveys or mock elections.

Push comes to shove what is important is what happens during the actual elections - May 10. That is the one and only true survey of the people's thoughts and feelings - the one true election.

Who ever wins is who the people voted for - or who the powers that be chose to become the president.

And those that are calling for chaos and people power just because they don't like the results should be ashamed of themselves.

Use Of Dirty Tactics Normal - Or The PCOS Machines Will Eat Your Soul

There are indigenous people around the world who believe technology can take one's spirit and keep it trapped on this earth for all eternity.

Typically it was cameras that were the devils machines. Not surprising since when you see your picture it does seem as it has taken your very essence.

And that fear has been used by some unscrupulous bastards against some of the indigenous folks in Zamboanga Del Sur.

Administration candidates are said to be telling the Subanen lumad to vote only for the “right candidates” or their spirits will be trapped in the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.

How wonderful for people to use another's lack of knowledge to instill such fear. But then again why is that surprising - this is Philippine elections we're talking about.

And par for the course denials are quick to come.

And of course in the guise of voter education, they are brainwashing many to vote for a certain party only.

How?

By telling them to keep practicing darkening the Lakas slate as part of a mock election.

It should be enough that the voters do it properly but to force them to only practice with one party is of course pretty obvious for what it is.

Administration officials say that those claiming that the administration was engaged in mind-conditioning tactics belonged to the opposition.

Well duh. Of course they would be from the opposition. It's the administration that's doing this so of course the opposition would complain.

If it were the opposition doing this then the administration would complain. That's the way it goes.

And that there has been no official complaint is not surprising. Death cannot make standing up for your rights a less bitter pill to swallow. Between the option of death and saying silent I would think a lot of us would choose silence.

And for those who say that not right and that they should stand up and show what's right then I say kudos to you but the thing is you're not the one in their shoes.

They have families to think of and their death would mean the death of their families. Of course if you can live with that in your conscience then maybe you can go ahead.

But remember that in the provinces there is really no law. Unless that's changed it will all stay the same.

But then again our politicians remain the same anyway regardless of how many elections have come and gone.

Too Late! It's Already Tainted.

In the Inquirer today (where I get my news - well that and the Manila Bulletin) Malacañang called on the public Wednesday to guard against attempts by some desperate groups to undermine the credibility of country’s automated elections next month.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said "We appeal to the media in general and of course the citizenry to continue to exercise the highest level of vigilance to protect the integrity of the electoral process from any or all threats that would come from every direction, and also for the Comelec for a successful, honest, orderly and peaceful elections."

Well that's a good thought and all but it's a little too late in my book. The Comelec is already tainted.

The manner by which that institution has taken care of many things in the run-up to the elections has been, to say the least, questionable.

There's the multi-million peso deal concerning the security envelopes. For some reason that got the silent treatment.

Then there's the Ang Ladlad controversy wherein the Comelec did not give that party-list accreditation because it was against the morals of the nation.

Bullshit! Corruption is also against the morals of the nation but I don't see them banning politicians?

As a government entity it is not their position to question the morality of the group only it's legality within the boundaries set by it's mandate.

And as far as I remember, deciding using religion is not one of its mandate and is clearly a violation of the separation of church and state.

Thank god that was overturned by the Supreme Court! Unfortunately the Supreme Court did not overturn the denial of accreditation for the Disabled Pinoy Party or DPP, which was rejected by the Comelec because they weren't sure the DPP could do a national campaign.

Why?

Because they are all disabled? Well isn't that just being biased against disabled people?

And then there's the fact that it allows people with criminal record . . . nay that are encarcerated for rebellion against the country to run for office is a mockery of what the office stands for - as a representative for the people.

I don't think creating chaos and rebellion is a sign you are for the people. For all I know they did it because they weren't "IN" anymore.

These are but some of the examples as to why I think it's too late for Malacañang to call on people not to taint the Comelec.

There's no need. They're pretty good in doing it themselves so why bother.

Maybe they will redeem themselves this coming May 10 elections.

Only the results or lack thereof will tell. (Can you say failed elections?)

People's Champ Manny Pacquiao Is Not That Stupid

We may make fun of the way he speaks English and his seemingly lack of education but let's be honest here, Manny Pacquiao is not that stupid to link himself to a possible plot against his rivals in the political scene in Sarangani.

Why go through all that trouble of trying to kill his rivals when he can just pay people off with his millions in order to win - well he may not win but at least he's doing it above board . . . so to speak.

All we have is the speculation that the vehicles used in the attempted ambush of Glan town mayor Enrique Yap Jr. was linked to Manny's wife Jinky.

Until the police have fully investigated then it's nothing more than speculation. And there could be many explanations as to why those vehicles were there and if they are indeed related to Jinky.

After all they have a transportation business under Jinky's name so it may very well have been either borrowed, rented, or stolen.

And if you were going to ambush someone would you be as blatant as to use a vehicle that can potentially be linked back to you.

A prudent criminal would bring in a vehicle from out of town and use that so it won't be linked back even if seen.

And of course election paraphernalia supporting you in the vehicle is a no no.

Is Manny Pacquiao really that stupid? I don't think so and I doubt if he had anything to do with this.

It may very well be politically-motivated aimed at tainting his candidacy which has been gaining on his rival businessman Roy Chiongbian.

Let the investigation be done properly so we find out the truth. At the moment speculations are speculations and we all know in Philippine politics it's par for the course.

It's Been 30-Years And Still Going Strong

Despite the development of PDA's and electronic calendars the good old Post-It Note - that yellow simple wonder - has been going strong for 30 years.

We write out messages, reminders, names, phone numbers and what have you on that little piece of 3-inch x 3-inch piece of paper with an adhesive back.

Well it's not really the whole back, just the top of it.

The thing that makes it work is the fact that it works for it's intended purpose and then some. It does what it's suppose to do - give us a paper to remind us of something that we can stick anywhere.

And I do mean anywhere.

For some people it has even come to the point where their whole desk and even computer is literally covered with sticky post-it notes.

Many of my professors in college were like that. Sometimes I was like that too.

And now it has evolves from yellow to a myriad of colors and sizes.

So here's to the venerable post-it notes without which I wouldn't have been able to know the number for the Domino's Pizza place on High Street.

Congratulations on 30 years and I'm sure 30 more and more.