A Loyalist Stance

My Dad is such a loyalist. Before, I had considered him a Marcos Loyalist as he had been indignant about EDSA I, which had brought Cory Aquino to power. I thought maybe because he had most of his career advancement during the Marcos regime as a decorated military serviceman, a Marine.

In fact, during the 70’s, close to the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, the government has sent him to the United States Marine Education Center in Virginia for special training. When the plan had leaked out to media, news went out that Marcos had sent a strike force against the political opposition in the US to train. I think he had kept a copy of the newspaper. It was totally unfounded and purely malicious. I could not blame him when he used to say that he could not trust everything that media report.

Then in EDSA II, he showed the same indignation. He resented Gloria Arroyo’s rise to the presidency. Well, true enough, the Arroyo administration had been ridden with accusations of graft and corruption.

However, I realized that he was not a loyalist to a particular politician. He was against toppling down a duly constituted government by force. He considered it a power grab for whatever reason. I think his view is reasonable. We need to utilize all appropriate legal processes otherwise we will all live in a chaotic society.

Aquilino Pimentel III: the New Senator-elect

As expected, after Senator Migs Zuburi has resigned from his position as Senator, the Senate Electoral Tribunal has declared that now-Senator Koko Pimentel III has won the 12^th seat in the 2007 mid-term elections by 200,000 votes.

Zubiri’s action I guess has paid off. His humility has earned respect from his political colleagues and even from his political rival Senator Pimentel. Although, we can say that it could have been a typical “damage control” strategy so to speak.

Now the challenge to the politicians is how they can contribute to the vision of change. It may not be an easy drive toward the “right way” but we all need to start somewhere.

I just can’t recall if Dad voted for Pimentel in the 2007 election. As far as I recall, he does not like Pimentel either. 

Image:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koko_Pimentel

Senator Zubiri Resigns in Exchange for Honor

The elections of 2004 and 2007 have been tainted with accusations of electoral fraud. Dad is still alive then and he has been convinced during those times that indeed the ruling political leaders at that time have not been fair and honest. He could not believe that Fernando Poe Jr. would lose the presidency in Visayas and Mindanao.

One of the most controversial electoral cases in the 2007 mid-term senatorial election is the twelfth position, which then candidates Juan Miguel Zubiri and Koko Pimentel III have disputed. Pimentel asserts that there has been electoral fraud in favor of Zubiri particularly in the province of Maguindanao. Zubiri denies the assertion and the argument has reached the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

Recent developments have raised the question of electoral fraud particularly from the admissions of former ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan and Comelec official Lintang Bidol of their participation in the electoral manipulation in favor of Zubiri.

If Dad is only alive today, he would have reacted adamantly pointing out that his suspicion is true all the while.

Last August 3, 2011, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, in a privilege speech in the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines, has announced his resignation from his position as a Senator. He says that he could no longer bear the false accusations that he has committed electoral fraud to obtain his position as Senator and to save his family from further emotional trauma, he has decided to relinquish his position and has withdrawn his counter protest, which would facilitate the SET (Senate Electoral Tribunal) proceedings in favor of Koko Pimentel III.

Many have acclaimed his act. They say that he has set an example for government officials to follow: honor and dignity is far more important than political power.

I myself agree that Senator Zubiri’s action is commendable. However, does this mean that he is morally convinced that electoral fraud has indeed happened? Well, his action might mean that he is now cutting his political connection with the former dispensation.