Finally We Have The Winners

It's really official - well semi-official at least - Benigno Aquino III and Jejomar Binay are our country's next President and Vice-President respectively.

Congress, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers, finally finished canvassing the 278 certificates of votes - a process which had been marred by delays due to questions about the election's validity as well as accusations of fraud.

Of course it's not over until it's really over since Senator Manuel Roxas is probably going to file an electoral protest.

Whatever the outcome of that remains to be seen.

But at least for now, a new leadership has been chosen by the people and will take office come end of June.

Whether it will be better or worst than what we've had is still up in the air.

We can only hope that President-elect Aquino would follow through with his promises and be able to steer the country to a better course than where it has been headed now.

And may the vice-president-elect and all the senators and representatives put aside politics and work for the actual good of the country.

Seems like a logical thing to ask . . .

. . . Or is that whistling in the wind?

We Should Try This Too

Or maybe we're so into the long story line of figuring out who the winner is that we like to watch the drama of our elections unfold.

After all tele-novelas are tele-novelas but the election drama only comes once every 3 years - and it's live.

Hmmm maybe if we still can't decide who the the vice-president will be why not have the two front runners Binay and Roxas slug it out in a no holds barred contest to decide who will be Aquino's partner for the next 6 years.

If you prefer something more civilized then WATCH THIS!

Anyway, let's get this elections over with because the longer it stays on the more ridiculous it gets - Koala Bears be damned . . .

And You Believe Them . . .

"Sons of bitches!!!"

No I'm not calling you that . . . it's what Makati Representative Teodoro Locsin said about Smartmatic's officials and about the company itself.

Locsin was angry and unsatisfied with Smartmatic officials’ explanation on why the election results transmitted by the voting machines had different time stamps that did not reflect the actual opening and closing times of the polls.

As stated in the Inquirer this is what Locsin said:

“You sons of bitches! You had us standing here guaranteeing to the public and to the world that even if fraud was committed, we would be able to trace it."

“We never said that fraud could not be committed, but you said that we could trace it, and now you tell me, that at 10 in the evening you [referring to hackers] could do it and we would never know."

Way to go congressman, that's giving them hell.

I'm not happy with Smartmatic's explanation either.

Heider Garcia, Smartmatic electoral systems manager, explained that the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines were stand-alone machines and reflected the time configured into their internal clocks before they left the warehouse.

Supposedly the time stamp was there to show the timetable of events that happened on each individual machines.

Garcia added that since the PCOS machines were not synchronized some may not have had their internal clocks corrected.

Why not?

Why were the internal clocks on the machines not set to our local standard time.

The time stamp was put there for a reason and so shouldn't it make sense that they should all be running on local time?

The Comelec came to the defense of Smartmatic with Comelec Chair Jose Melo saying that these may just be isolated cases and that it was not done deliberately by Smartmatic.

No sir Mr. Melo. If Smartmatic did not change the internal clocks then they deliberately did it - screw up the timestamps. There is a big difference between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. - by about 3 hours.

And the statement that only the losers would be complaining . . .

. . . well DUH.

Of course only the losers would complain.

I ask you, have you ever seen any winners complain about cheating or fraud?

I don't think so.

And so what if it was the losers complaining? Does it make their complain less valid? Less important?

Check the allegations out.

Or are our politicians too afraid to uncover anything that will put them in a bad light?

That being the case I would not be surprised.

Then this will just fade away as nothing more than rumor and the man who became "Koala Bear" would probably not live it down - forced to wear that ridiculous get-up with nothing to show for it.

Ah that's showbiz for you.

It's Getting Hot Again

And I'm not just talking about the temperature and humidity although it was 37.3-degrees Celsius yesterday.

At least it's a little better today.

No that's not what I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the drama that is our elections or rather the results of it - that is if we will ever get the results.

Almost 10 days after the elections and despite promises of a speedy result we still don't know who our Vice-President will be.

The presidency is already a done deal but that will depend on the outcome of the current poll fraud investigation.

A masked man (yes he was actually wearing a mask - maybe he is a fan of Lucha Libre, the popular Mexican style free wrestling or fighting) alleges in a video that he and others like him had been paid by certain candidates and/or their backers to rig the elections to assure the winners.

The way they supposedly did it was to shave votes from certain candidates and add it to the favored ones.

How you say?

By supposedly scanning in sheets to their own PCOS machines and sending it to the Comelec just minutes before the actual, legitimate PCOS machines do.

Of course the Comelec and it's official citizen arm, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) are up in arms about the whole so-called revelation.

Calling him a Koala Bear (although Koala Man might be more appropriate), Comelec officials deride him for not identifying himself and not showing any proof.

They are adamant that no cheating happened and if there was the masked man should show proof.

I agree that proof should be shown to support any accusation. After all it is easy to make claims but harder to support it.

If cheating really did occur proof should be shown now to make sure it is dealt with.

If there is proof then it should be taken seriously.

That is where I find issue with the Comelec and the PPCRV. Instead of saying that they agree that it is a serious allegation and one that needs looking into they instead quickly deny anything wrong happened and that cheating and fraud was impossible.

They also said men couldn't fly and as wel all know the Wright brothers proved them wrong.

So instead of laughing off the allegations they should look into it seriously.

Admittedly I too have doubts about the "timing" of this masked whistle blower - no I am not going to call him Koala Bear or Koala Man in respect to real Koala Bears out there who are cute, cuddly and have the awesome Australian accent.

If there is proof show it now. That's it. Short and simple.

Put yourself under the protection of Congress if you have to.

Hey if he gets shot then that means what he is saying is true - because he has been silenced so he won't divulge anything.

Though I'm guessing this will come to naught - a with all things of a similar nature that happen in our country.

So it's either shut up or show up.

So we can damn move on from the elections that were supposedly fast.

"Supposedly" . . .

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Note: I was supposed to post this yesterday but I had internet connection problems so that obviously didn't happen. FYI I use PLDT as my service provider and of course they keep saying nothing is wrong.

That's for another rant another day.

And the picture I took from the Inquirer's site

Automation Not A Cure-All

This according to delegates of the People’s International Observers’ Mission (PIOM) who were here to observe the May 10 elections.

The group said the Commission on Elections, Smartmatic and the Arroyo government were accountable for the problems encountered.

“And we can fairly say that the Philippine government is not committed to free and honest elections,” it added.

That in itself is an understatement.

I wonder if there has ever been a Philippine government committed to free and honest elections.

From the way the last elections were held the answer would be no.

I'm not going to bother with the details so I will post verbatim the observations of PIOM as posted by the Inquirer in their website.

• There was a sore lack in the preparations such as lack of teachers and lack of technicians; too few precinct count optical scan machines; no back-up plans, among other thing;

• There was general chaos and confusion in the voting process such as overcrowding due to the clustered precincts and there was no uniformity in procedures;

• There was lack of secrecy in the voting process such as people in the precincts watching, taking pictures of voters and people seen outside the polling places dictating to voters whom to vote for;

• There were clear violations of laws on campaigning such as poll watchers wearing campaign T-shirts and bringing campaign paraphernalia inside the precincts;

• Vote-buying was prevalent as shown by people lining up in politicians’ houses, people being paid not to vote and people distributing campaign materials with money clipped in;

• There was election-related violence such as cases of intimidation and harassment coming from armed groups of candidates, landlords and the military. It cited the case of Abra which was a "ghost town the night of the elections;"

• The heavy presence of military and police in the communities and within the polling places contributed to or caused a climate of fear;

• Political dynasties and their armed militias still lord it over local politics;

• There was a systematic vilification campaign against leftist senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza and eight progressive partylist groups; and

• Political and economic inequality creates vulnerability to intimidation and vote buying.

The group concluded that widespread intimidation, vote-buying, corruption and violence showed that automation "could solve only part of the problem.’’

Of course we will counter this and say that they are wrong but the thing is we are looking at it from our respective subjective eyes.

The international observers are looking at it as outsiders - as objective 3rd parties. I think I will believe the objective party more than the subjective.

Besides I'm tired of "our" excuses anyway. They are pretty much the same.

The bright side is that this election was way better than previous ones. And there is still room for improvement.

Hopefully the coming elections will prove that point.

Promises Promises . . . Aren't They Made To Be Broken?

That is if you're soon to be former president and soon to be new congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Facing the prospect of a tough uphill battle for the speakership of the House of Representatives against returning congressman Feliciano Belmonte, Arroyo has supposedly declined her allies prodding that she run for speaker of the house.

According to Arroyo she would rather be the "Sonia Gandhi" of the Philippines and help her fellow representatives from the floor and not from the speaker position.

Quite appropriate since Sonia Gandhi was faced with a lot of controversy especially concerning her "true" citizenship.

But Arroyo can compare herself with anyone as her right.

That being said the real reason potentially she will not run for the speakership is that it would be an uphill battle for her, especially if many of her so called allies and supporters defect to Aquino's side.

After all who wouldn't want to be near the root of power. It is our way as Filipinos after all - whether we like it or not; good or bad.

Of course who knows if this would be true. After all her record for sticking to her word has been, at the very least, spotty.

I'm sure she will do her best to protect herself from potentially be investigated by the Aquino government as seen by her last minute actions prior to her departure from office.

She has the political acumen.

Too bad she did not use it for the Filipino people.

So What If It's A Snub?

As long as there is no constitutional provision or law requiring a president-elect to take the oath of office in front of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court then he or she should be allowed to pick the officer to administer the oath.

That's the plan of president-elect Benigno Aquino III when he takes his oath of office and officially takes the reign of the government.

A political statement concerning the appointment of Associate Justice Renato Corona as the new Chief Justice?

Probably.

Is it unconstitutional?

Probably not.

Is it bad form?

Probably.

At least it's starting his presidency off with a bang.

Malacañang has been vocal about Aquino taking his oath of office in front of Corona. Spokesperson Charito Planas even went as far as saying that "he will be 10-feet taller if he would [take his oath from Corona], instead of taking his oath before a judge, or a notary public, or other justices.''

I don't know about you but if Aquino was not 10 feet tall now I doubt being sworn in by the Chief Justice will make him any taller.

Planas further stated that in swearing in front of Corona, Aquino would be "recognizing and respecting the principle of the separation of powers' of the executive, legislative and judicial branches."

You mean recognizing the midnight appointment of Corona and the abuse of power of Arroyo?

I don't think so.

She also added that "You can criticize whatever you want but still you have to follow and respect the decision of the Supreme Court."

But what if, for argument's sake the Supreme Court is wrong?

What if for argument's sake the Court was wrong?

Who would protect us, the good citizens of this country from that kind of mistake?

And if Arroyo was of good she would have just allowed Aquino to choose the new Chief Justice as one of his first acts as president.

But then again if she did that then she would not be safe from potential litigation should Aquino choose to investigate her for the wrong doings she did when she was president.

I mean come on any moron can see that.

So it becomes a constitutional crisis. With everything else this country has faced and survived what's one more.

Besides, who knows there might be another people power to put *gasp* Erap in power.

Now wouldn't that be something.

I hope not . . .

Candidates MUST Clean-Up After Themselves

Because quite frankly it's a mess.

During the campaign period all sorts of campaign paraphernalia and materials were used to shout out to all who would care to read or listen the merits of this or that candidate.

We were awoken at six in the morning to the sounds of each candidate's song - sung by bad singers who can't even enunciate well.

Case in point - one of the candidates for councilor in my hometown had a song that instead of his name I heard "lychee."

Good if you're the fruit, bad if you're the candidate.

But at least that kind of pollution (and who ever first thought about it should be shot) disappears after elections.

What does not disappear as quickly are the ton of streamers, tarpaulins, stickers and what-have-you that the candidates used to tell all of us that they are less of a scoundrel and theif than the next candidate.

It's around and it's hard to remove, especially the stickers.

The thing is the candidates don't clean this up. For them it is not their job despite the fact that they were the ones who put it up in the first place.

They expect everyone else to clean up after them.

It should be mandatory that the candidates should be liable for the clean up of their mess after elections are over.

It shouldn't matter even if it was a supporter that did it - the fact is they are getting the benefit of having their name out.

The Comelec should make it mandatory and should have each candidate put in escrow money to be used for cleaning up.

(I say this out of pure ignorance of course because for all I know they already do)

Anyway they should clean up after themselves and that's that.

Binay Versus Roxas For The Best Job Ever - Vice-President

Things are heating up between vice-presidential bets Jejomar Binay and Mar Roxas.

Accusations of fraud and what not has been slung between the two with no signs of abating

No surprise as the gap between the two is negligible and so it is unsure who will really win the coveted easy seat of Vice-President of the Philippines.

Why do I say it's an easy job?

To my mind the vice-president, at least in our country really does nothing - much. If they do they really don't get that much exposure.

Also, since the vice-president often is from a different party, the president will not be that open to using the VP since he or she does not want the VP to get politically strong and win the the next national election for the other party.

And let's just say there's really no trust because of the different party thing. That's why I wonder why we don't elect both the president and the vice-president as one package - much like in the United States.

But because of the current system, the VP gets to network and be behind the scenes without much concern. He or she gets an on-the-job-training on how to be a president so when the times comes he or she knows what to do and not what to do - especially if the president does something that becomes truly unpopular.

So who ever wins the vice-presidency will, barring any stupid mistakes that can result in political suicide - like vice-president Noli de Castro - most likely be the next president.

So depending on who you want it's either going to be Binay or Roxas.

We just have to wait and see.

The People Have Spoken - We Have Our Next President

A day after the historic May 10th national elections it looks like we have a new president in the form of Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

Mud had been slung, lies had been made, accusations had been sung and after all that the people of the Philippines has spoken - emphatically.

4 presidential bets have already conceded - Senator Manny Villar, Richard Gordon, Gilbert Teodoro and JC de los Reyes.

A good gesture because based upon the unofficial returns there was no way in hell either of them could overtake Aquino.

The other presidential bets should also do the same because barring a major catastrophe Aquino is it.

People may hate him, they may not like him, they may be apathetic towards him but it is a fact that he is going to be the one.

Hence we should put aside differences and loo forward to working with the government of the Philippines which will soon be under new management.

That being said Aquino should not forget that when he takes his seat as President he did not get a majority since if over 40 million of us voted then he is only at about 40% or so.

He has to remember that more than 55% did not vote for him for one reason or another so they will be looking, and looking hard, to see how he would perform - especially in his first 100-days.

As for who his vice-president is going to be it seems like it will be Jejomar Binay. However it is a closer battle for this position what with Aquino's running mate Manuel Roxas breathing down his neck.

We'll soon see how that will go. Should it be Binay we're potentially seeing the next in line to be president after Aquino.

But then again predictions are not always a sure thing.

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Note: The automated elections seem to be a success based on the outcome. There were glitches along the way but nothing that couldn't be fixed. That being said I hope that next election we have a true electronic voting system where we just press a screen and our vote get's counted.

Despite my earlier misgivings good job Comelec. Let's give credit where credit is due at least.

Agricultural Sector Not Performing As It Should Be Because There's No One Advocating For Them - AAMBIS-OWA #19

As I stated in my prior 2 posts on the subject, our country's agriculture is a mix of small, medium and large farms with the majority of them small lots averaging about 2 hectares.

Despite that, agriculture is a main occupation of about a third of our workers and contribute about 1/5th of our Gross Domestic Product.

Crop cultivation is the main enterprise with the rest being poultry, services, and swine farming.

Despite its desire to implement reforms to increase productivity, efficiency, competitiveness, market adaptability, and sustainability, the agricultural sector's reforms have been hampered by inadequate resources, limited implementing capabilities of both national and local government units and weak coordination among the differing implementing agencies.

This has resulted in a significant decrease in overall productivity, high production costs and negligible government support. Add past and current environmental disasters such as the El Niño and La Niña phenomena that have hit us and the agricultural sector is in a crisis.
A crisis that has affected the crop sub-sector wherein farmers saw a 1.42% decrease in total production last year. While overall gate prices went up by about 1.81% hidden by that is the fact that coconut prices went down by 21.03%, coffee by 10.17% and Onions by 30.62%.

And even with prices of fertilizer down (for now) it has been offset by increases in the price of fuel which will, in turn, eventually increase the price of fertilizers in the future. This will be true when the price of oil in the global market hits $100 per barrel again and there is no reason why it won't.
These two elements are two of the biggest cost of production facing our country's farmers.

And despite our government's promises nothing seems to be done or if it is it only benefits those that have political connections or those that have big farms that don't really need government assistance. Often it's a case of too-little-too-late.

That's why it's imperative that our country's farmers are given representation so that they have advocates in congress willing and able to fight for what they need and deserve.


AAMBIS-OWA, number #19 in the party-list in the May 10th national elections are the farmer's advocates.

AAMBIS-OWA is a non-profit national organization of small marginalized farmers that started as a half-hour Sunday radio program in Iloilo that soon spread beyond the boundaries of Region IV.

As a farmer's organization, AAMBIS-OWA understands the basic problems plaguing our farmers from the farmer's perspective. It is their purpose to promote and support agendas that help uplift the economic welfare and rights of marginalized farmers and their families around the country.

Their legislative agenda is for the marginalized farmers and is centered on the basic and prevalent problems of its members.

Problem 1: Production is stagnant or declining

• Streamlining or overhauling of government and public institutions within the agricultural sector

• Linkages and partnerships to foster agricultural innovation

• Advocacy on agricultural competitiveness and modernization

• Infrastructure development, especially farm irrigation and farm-to-market roads.

Problem 2: Farmers continue to live below poverty level

• Technology transfer through learning centers to increase production output and minimize production costs.

• Training for farmers and their families on modern farming technologies and alternative income sources

• Research and development to improve cultivation, intercropping, production, processing, marketing, registration, and export

• Government monitoring on farming supply costs

• Quality control standards on all stages of the industry to gain better trading terms

Problem 3: Low farm gate prices

• Organization and support of cooperatives and farmers'groups.

• Integrated processing centrals owned by farmers or farmers' groups.

• Government monitoring on trading and pricing

Problem 4: Farmers and their families are without economic and social security

• Magna-carta for the socio-economic, health, and educational benefits of marginalized farmers and their dependents

• Crop insurance and financing

• Training and education for dependents, whether through scholarships or seminars, on entrepreneurial alternatives

AAMBIS-OWA seeks party-list representation in the House of Representatives to fight for a comprehensive and sustainable legislative agenda for marginalized farmers. Through a common voice, AAMBIS wishes to bring attention and to find rightful solutions to the grassroots of the agricultural industry.

It's not about asking for complicated answers to the basic problems of marginalized farmers. It's about asking for simple and essential solutions as seen from the eyes of the poorest farmers in the country.

Our farmers toil the soil in order for us to eat and for our country to grow and develop. Why aren't we doing more to help them?

Help our farmers so they can help themselves and as a result help ourselves. Their future is our future as well.

Give our farmers the representation and zealous advocacy that they deserve.

In the upcoming May 10th national elections give our farmers AAMBIS-OWA #19.

VOTE AAMBIS-OWA #19 ON MAY 10TH!

It Comes Down The Wire For The Presidentiables

A little over two more days to go before we get to elect our new government. Well I say new government but really it's the same type of government but simply under new management.

So who will you vote for president? That all important position - the head of all corrupt politicians everywhere. But I digress . . .

Villar? The billionaire businessman who supposedly grew up poor and became rich out of pure hard work and diligence. A true rags to riches story.

Opponents argue he was really never that poor and that they were actually middle class.

They also say that he will ruin our country economically because he's only here to make money.

Whatever . . . he can't do any worse than Arroyo. Let's face it there is really nothing left to get, her administration made sure of that.

Then there's Aquino, son of two of the most beloved (depending on which generation you ask) people in the country - Ninoy and Cory.

He has their legacy but does he have their acumen? Let me ask this: during his term as senator what exactly did he do? What laws did he pass that could have benefited all of us?

At a loss on what how to answer? That's OK. You're not alone. Neither does anyone else. Maybe he just "thinks" he did something good for the country or that he will do good. Who knows to whom he listens to.

And hey he got the Iglesia Ni Cristo's endorsement. Wow talk about not being corruptable. The fact that you are actively seeking out endorsement from one religious entity or another means you are already corrupt.

And don't get me started with the whole separation of church and state thing. It's only on paper anyway so technically are we really a secular country.

Maybe we should all convert to Islam so then we don't have to pretend we don't let religion control our country. That just makes us hypocrites.

But that's better than the hubris to call yourself the "son of god" much like Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, head of the sect "Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name." Like I said in my last article I always thought there was only one "son of god?" Well depending on which religion you follow of course.

But I suppose it's OK for GIBO to accept that kind of an endorsement. After all, he hasn't been really getting any support from the administration - considering he is the administration candidate.

I guess Arroyo is a little busy trying to cover her tracks and campaign to become a congresswoman.

But why bother getting endorsement from the religious groups when you can have one for your very own.

Brother Eddie (Eduardo C. Villanueva) is also a televangelist like Quiboloy but to his merit he hasn't openly declared himself to be the son of god (that I know of). If he did then that would make him and Quiboloy brothers.

He has his own cadre of followers under his "Jesus is Lord" church so in that regard he has an advantage over GIBO and Aquino.

And should I say anything about former president Joseph Estrada? Probably not. Besides what is there to say. He was president and was ousted in a people power (sounds familiar) and was replaced by his back-stabbing vice-president at the time and soon to be congresswoman Arroyo.

And since he has been pardoned wants to be president again so he can get back against the people who ousted him especially Arroyo. OK OK I made that one up but will it really be a surprise if he has that in mind? I won't.

Richard Gordon - Former Mayor of Olongapo and Chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. See I liked him when he was still Mayor of Olongapo. He was able to bring order from what was a chaotic "sin" city that was Olongapo.

And I was one of those who supported the call for the retention of the U.S. bases during that nationwide campaign that he led.

But back to what we were talking about. He's a dark-horse and who know he may do good. Of course if surveys are to be believed he hasn't a chance in hell but then again he doesn't believe in surveys anyway.

Now if only he learns how to just shut up.

Then there's Madrigal and Perlas. Sorry to say I don't know squat about them so I'll leave it at that. Note to their spin doctors - maybe everyone else don't know much about them too. Just a hint.

Anyway regardless of which one you vote for it will not be a 100% guarantee that they will be the medicine for what ails the country.

Will they be more corrupt or less corrupt than the regime they are replacing? Who knows. The thing is only time will tell.

The sad part is, our country doesn't have anymore time to spare.

Agricultural Sector Needs Support - Especially Our Farmers - AAMBIS-OWA #19

In our country agriculture holds an equally important status as the other economic sectors. It plays an important role in our country's economic growth and development.

We have a total of 4.8 million agricultural farms covering an area of about 9.7 million hectares, constituting about a third of our country's total land area. While the number of farms has increased the total farm area has been decreasing.

This is mostly due to an increase in the conversion of farmland to residential and commercial purposes, especially near major urban areas.

This has resulted in the average farm size of about 2.04 hectares used for raising crops, fruit trees, livestock, poultry or in any other agricultural activity.

High cost of inputs, low price of produce, lack of capital and post-harvest facilities, labor problem, pests and diseases, an inadequate irrigation system, incomplete "farm-to-market" transportation network, along with low gate-prices add to the the main obstacles facing farmers today.

Lack of government concern and funding along with government foot-dragging, has also helped to further exacerbate the situation especially in times of environmental threats like the current El Niño weather phenomenon.

This does not help the small poor farmers who only net P12,000 for the entire harvest season.

Government emergency outlays are good but they are only a short-term patch and most of the time the money does not even reach the ones that needs them.

What's needed is the will and zealousness to advocate for the needs and concerns of the farmers of our country.


AAMBIS-OWA is a non-profit national organization of small marginalized farmers that started as a half-hour Sunday radio program in Iloilo that soon spread beyond the boundaries of Region IV.

As a farmer's organization, AAMBIS-OWA understands the basic problems plaguing our farmers from the farmer's perspective. It is their purpose to promote and support agendas that help uplift the economic welfare and rights of marginalized farmers and their families around the country.

Their legislative agenda includes:

• Streamlining or overhauling of government and public institutions within the agricultural sector.

• Agricultural competitiveness and modernization

• Infrastructure development, especially farm irrigation and farm-to-market roads

• Training for farmers and their families on modern farming technologies and alternative income sources

• Government monitoring on trading and pricing

• Crop insurance and financing
  

AAMBIS-OWA seeks party-list representation in the House of Representatives to fight for a comprehensive and sustainable legislative agenda for marginalized farmers. Through a common voice, AAMBIS wishes to bring attention and to find rightful solutions to the grassroots of the agricultural industry

It's not about asking for complicated answers to the basic problems of marginalized farmers. It's about asking for simple and essential solutions as seen from the eyes of the poorest farmers in the country.

Give our farmers the representation and zealous advocacy that they deserve.

VOTE AAMBIS-OWA #19 ON MAY 10TH!

From A DOJ Reversal To INC Support To Moving The Elections

What a hectic week as the elections finally winds down to the last 5 days or so.

Will we see a new president? Will it be Aquino?

A lot of pundits are saying more than likely what with the endorsement of the Iglesia Ni Cristo of presidentiable Benigno Aquino III. After all that between 5 to 8 million votes right there since the INC tend to vote as a block.

Hmmm I wonder whatever happened to free will? But I won't delve any deeper because I won't want to offend anyone.

So there, that's the situation when it comes to endorsements. Of course it's not a sure thing yet because now the rumors of failed elections are getting stronger and stronger especially after that failure of mock elections using the PCOS machines.

Give me a break - corrupted memory disks? Can't even read the ballots? Not all candidates are on file?

My first question is why only now, when there's only a few days left until election day did the Comelec, in all its intelligence (or lack thereof), test the machines?

Why did they not do it a few weeks ago when things could have been taken cared of? Without rushing? Are they so looking forward to failed elections?

At the same time why do they have a problem with the logical and proper call from concerned sectors to move back elections a week or two?

I see nothing wrong with such a plan of action and it is the proper thing to do considering the circumstances. If the Comelec really wants to show the people here and around the world that we have credible elections then they should agree to moving back elections if only to make sure things are working properly.

As it is the potential of failed elections looms larger than before. And so will the potential resulting disarray should that event happen.

Is it because of pride that the Comelec doesn't want to move back the elections even if it is the proper thing to do?

It's hard enough that they are not being trusted but this is not helping them one bit. In fact now it's adding to the distrust that the people have against them.

To continue is just plain "hubris" and has no place when the future of our nation is at stake.

They should just cop to their mistake and move back in order for the elections to not only succeed but also have credibility.

At least Justice Secretary Alberto Agra was "man" enough to reverse his resolution clearing two members of the Ampatuan clan of multiple murder charges. If only he had looked at all the evidence and the witnesses he wouldn't have had to reverse himself.

But at least he did before it was too late.

As for our May 10 elections . . . we can only hope.

Give OUR Farmers The Representation They Deserve - AAMBIS-OWA #19

Our country is still primarily agriculture despite our so-called claim to being an industrialized economy. While many of us are crammed into the main urban areas a good majority of us still live in the rural areas and support themselves through agriculture.

The agricultural sector divided into the different sub-sectors of farming, fisheries, livestock and forestry. Added together they represent roughtly about a third of our total labor force and contribute about a fourth of our country's total gross domestic product.

That's a sizeable chunk of our labor and GDP. And yet despite that the agricultural sector is not protected and is in fact threatened.

A major concern is the conversion of agricultural land into residential subdivisions, resorts or industrial parks. This is because land owners find it more profitable to sell their land than to manage it.

One reason is the lack of capital to spend on seeds, fertilizers and other essentials needed to make our farms more productive than they are currently.

Add to this is the lack of infrastructure support in the form of "to market" roads and irrigations systems. Because of this, most farm land lie fallow as farmers wait for the rainy season in order to plant.

And due to environmental damages due to illegal logging and mining, most watershed areas are already gone, resulting in water being wasted as there's nothing to keep and hold the water from the rains so they can be added to the depleted water table. The result is drought.

This is further exacerbated by the onset of the El Niño weather phenomenon. The instense heat is drying up farmland, water reservoirs and waterways all over the country. This has caused many farmers to stop planting in order to cut their losses.

Of course this has become a vicious cycle - farmers don't plant so they borrow to live and continue to borrow because they can't pay off their debt forcing them to sell their land to land developers resulting in further losses to the agricultural sector.

The result would be more importation of food in the future, especially rice - an ironic event considering we used to be a net rice exporter back in the day and we have the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños.

What's needed is government support which unfortunately our government seem reluctant to give.

That's why it is imperative that our country's farmers are given representation so that they have advocates in congress willing and able to fight for what they deserve. And AAMBIS-OWA, number #19 in the party-list in the May 10th national elections are the farmer's advocates.

AAMBIS-OWA is a non-profit national organization of small and marginalized farmers that understand the problems currently facing our country's farmers and has within its means the organization and ability to organize activities that can help farmers and farm workers around the country.

Their legislative agenda is for the marginalized farmers and is centered on the basic and prevalent problems of its members.

Problem 1: Production is stagnant or declining

• Streamlining or overhauling of government and public institutions within the agricultural sector

• Linkages and partnerships to foster agricultural innovation

• Advocacy on agricultural competitiveness and modernization

• Infrastructure development, especially farm irrigation and farm-to-market roads.

Problem 2: Farmers continue to live below poverty level

• Technology transfer through learning centers to increase production output and minimize production costs.

• Training for farmers and their families on modern farming technologies and alternative income sources

• Research and development to improve cultivation, intercropping, production, processing, marketing, registration, and export

• Government monitoring on farming supply costs

• Quality control standards on all stages of the industry to gain better trading terms

Problem 3: Low farm gate prices

• Organization and support of cooperatives and farmers'groups.

• Integrated processing centrals owned by farmers or farmers' groups.

• Government monitoring on trading and pricing

Problem 4: Farmers and their families are without economic and social security

• Magna-carta for the socio-economic, health, and educational benefits of marginalized farmers and their dependents

• Crop insurance and financing

• Training and education for dependents, whether through scholarships or seminars, on entrepreneurial alternatives

Simply put, AAMBIS-OWA does not ask for complicated answers to the basic problems of marginalized farmers. It asks for simple and essential solutions as seen from the eyes of the poorest farmers in the country.

Our farmers toil the soil in order for us to eat and for our country to grow and develop. Why aren't we doing more to help them?

Help our farmers so they can help themselves and as a result help ourselves. Their future is our future as well.

In the upcoming May 10th national elections give our farmers the representation that they deserve. Give them the advocates that will zealously fight for their benefit and well-being.

Give them AAMBIS-OWA #19 in the party-list.

VOTE AAMBIS-OWA #19!

And Here I Thought There Was Only One Son Of God

Apparently there are two. One we all know is Jesus Christ and the other one is apparently so called "Appointed Son of God" televangelist Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

And of course to make it more interesting and/or controversial depending on who you ask, Quiboloy has endorsed presidential candidate Gilbert Teodoro Jr. making Gibo the "anointed one."

Which means that Gibo will get Quiboloy's sect's, called "Kingdom of Jesus Christ, The Name Above Every Name," four million or so follower's votes.

Whew that was a mouthful.

Ah what presidentiables will do in order to win that coveted seat. Get the indorsement and be in debt.

So does this mean Gibo will be the next president? Is this an assured sign from god that he, indeed, will be the one to lead our nation for the next six years.

Who knows? Stranger things have happened. But one thing is sure it may not work that way.

After all, he is getting endorsed by a self-proclaimed "son of god" and you know what they say about "the devil quoting the scriptures if it benefits him."

And besides there are other big groups out there just raring to put the other presidentiables under their thumb.

And they say we have a dirty political system here in the Philippines.

For shame . . .

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.