Before The 2010 Election Campaign

The period for filing of certificates of candidacy for the Philippine 2010 elections ended on December 1, 2009. Then, the national election campaign starts on February 9, 2010 while the local campaign starts on March 26. The advantage of local candidates who are standard bearers of national political parties over independent candidates is that they can visit communities already in February to campaign for national candidates. The Supreme Court in a decision has just decriminalized pre-mature campaigning. One is liable for election offenses only if committed during the campaign period. Of course, crimes related to election such as the November 23, 2009 heinous Maguindanao massacre are covered by particular laws in our penal system and even by international laws at anytime because the savagery committed against the women and men are crimes against humanity and particularly if ( Heavens forbid !) a remedy or appropriate penal sanctions cannot be had in this country. Anyway, the Supreme Court decision decriminalizing pre-mature campaigning also means that television infomercials of candidates are not banned. The reason cited is that it is part of our freedom of expression guarantee as enshrined in our constitution. Of course, who has access to media and mechanisms of communications are another matter. So, before the start of the campaign period, candidates can communicate but must not campaign and never invoke the word VOTE or the like. This includes greetings for the holidays in billboards posted in one’s private property or with the permission of the owner of a private property which does not belong to the candidate.

I have been observing some slogans and prominent infomercials and let me do a paraphrasing here of their core messages. Slogans and messages have been crucial in the past. The “ERAP PARA SA MAHIRAP” ( Erap Estrada is for the poor) worked magic with the masses before. Mar’s ( Roxas) “Mr. Palengke” ( Mr. Wet Market ) also struck positively with the viewers. In the current crop of infomercials, the message of NOYNOY’s “Hindi Ka Nag-iisa” ( You are not alone) is in a few words about HOPE and the imperative to continue the struggle as a community or nation. But, others are asking, “ where is the platform?” Which is why, there is a newer version of this television infomercial with a voice over that purports to impart the core message about what the issues are. The Villar infomercials have had plural messages since it started but the main message is : the poor boy who hails from the slums of Tondo, Manila made it but still has empathy with the poor. Critics’ monicker for the old infomercial “SIPAG at TIYAGA” ( industriousness and steadfastness) of Senator Villar is “C-5 at Taga”.
( in reference to the issue of whether there was a double entry in the General Appropriations budget pertaining to the project for the circumferential road called C-5) The Gibo Teodoro infomercial is basically saying to the viewers : I am here and offering to be of service and I have “ talino.” ( intelligence) One big billboard in Davao City says GMA Cares and a vandal wrote “ Pag sure Oy.” ( Hey, please be sure) A friend of mine who does not like to hear the popular expression “ Pag Sure Oy” is suddenly in love with these words in reference to PGMA.


Our change politics movement (CPM) has compiled a list of activities that candidates and supporters can do at anytime and before the campaign period. The CPM list of activities that can be done at any time based on our election law include "publishing results of surveys if favorable, asking media to write columns on favorable results of surveys, using campaign gadgets, gear and apparel on one’s own personal property, expressing supporters’/volunteers’ own belief/opinion on issues, qualifications, programs of government, using supporters’/volunteers’ own alternative media (e.g. Facebook, Multiply, Friendster, Twitter, SMS) to express support/belief/ opinion, using home-made or personally created campaign paraphernalia without words vote for.”

In turn, the CPM list of activities, after filing of candidacy and before the campaign period include "distributing campaign literature or materials but avoiding keywords that may be construed as expressly soliciting votes such as the word “VOTE,” distributing campaign paraphernalia, gear and/or apparel for use by supporters like shirts, caps, calendars, umbrellas, pins, lanyards, baller IDs, jackets/vests, but avoiding keywords that may be construed as expressly soliciting votes such as the word “VOTE,” putting up and maintaining accounts in Facebook, Multiply, Friendster, Twitter, etc. through supporters, but not the candidate, and adding and/or accepting invitations from as many friends or contacts as possible and regularly update posts and status messages expressing opinions or commentaries on the qualifications, programs of government, etc. "

Non Partisan Creative Politics

When the election campaign period starts come February 2010 ( national campaign) and March 2010 ( local campaign), our non partisan politics now will ripen into non partisan political campaign lest we be accused of premature campaigning now. Non partisan politics is, of course, a reaction to traditional partisan politics. The connotation of traditional politics is that these are all about patronage politics, political dynasties and powerful political parties serving the interests of big business who are funding their campaign. Patronage politics are all about the disbursement of largesse in exchange for political favors like votes or the behest of political support to promote the hegemony of those in position of power and authority. This is very unfortunate actually because, ideally, big business and those in power and authority should be serving the interests of all and promoting development for all citizens. But, realpolitik is what it is. Non partisan people’s campaign is campaign by basic sectors and ordinary citizens. It is a citizen campaign for changes towards good governance and social development. Examples of non partisan creative politics include those by the Change Politics Movement, NoyNoy Aquino People Power Movement ( NAPM: and yes, that should be the meaning of the P for now), and the new People’s Politics of presidential aspirant Chiz Escudero as he describes it after bolting out of the Nationalists’ People Coalition (NPC) political party.

My sense, though, is that a non partisan campaign, as a stand alone campaign strategy, is not yet enough to win a national candidate. A coordinated national and local machinery and organization are crucial ingredients. Thus, a national political party is needed to win a president. Which is why, only parties with a national constituency can be registered in the Comelec as a national party. Perhaps, there is wisdom in the proposed bill that political parties should have state funding so that those without access to large funding can join a national or local election political campaign. But, then again, party list groups have registered an objection to this kind of state support to mainstream political parties which have already access to funding from many powerful sectors. Still, genuine political parties with clear political vision and platforms still need to be improved in our country.

As part of our advocacy, I am sharing here an abstract of a Development and Reform Agenda which was drafted under the auspices of our national network, the Caucus of Development NGO Networks ( CODE NGO), after a nation wide consultation among members of the Change Politics Movement and other civil society groups. We are using this reform and development agenda in our voters’ education program and we will use this for later, too, as basis to monitor compliance by elected candidates. The main points of this reform agenda are about transparency and good governance, empowerment of basic sectors, reformed system of civil service bureaucracy, constitutional reform through elected constitutional convention delegates, federalism, asset reform, social safety nets for the poor, health, population policy, education, building peace by pursuing and sustaining the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF), and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Mindanao (RPMM), promoting sustainable economic development through reforms in the management of our natural resources and agricultural sector, strengthening the local economy by supporting micro, small, and medium ]enterprises (MSMEs), promoting fiscal and tax reforms by directing the lump sum allocations and “discretionary funds,” i.e. Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF, President's Social Fund, etc. ( pork barrel) to local governments, supporting measures that propose the inclusion of magnitude and incidence of poverty in the determination of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), increasing government revenues and conducting a debt audit by forming a Congressional Debt Audit Commission that will scrutinize all public debt and contingent liabilities, among others.

Project Citizenship : Mar Roxas

Senator Mar Roxas was the only guest that showed up in the July 30, 2009 forum on Mindanao Peace, Economy, Environment & Youth Development. It was a forum under the auspices of the Project Citizenship of the Ateneo de Davao University ( particularly the Political Science & History program of the Social Science & Education Division and SAMAPULA, the organization of Political Science students ) and the Change Politics Movement. Other politicians such as Jejomar Binay, Grace Padaca, Francis Pangilinan, etc, who have individually expressed a desire to run for national posts were invited, too, but did not make it.

Mar Roxas said there is something to be said about those who show up and so I am giving space to him and hopefully, the rest who did not show up will have their space here another time. Senator Manuel "Mar" Araneta Roxas II was born May 13, 1957. He is the grandson of former Philippine President Manuel Roxas. Mar, an economist, is a product of the Ateneo de Manila for his basic education and studied Economics all the way at the Wharton School of Economics at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. Mar is very eloquent and spoke a handful without notes. He would pepper his speech with Binisaya Ilonggo as he served as a congressman from Capiz from 1993 to 2000 until former President Joseph Estrada appointed him as a cabinet member for the Department of Trade & Industry. Asked what the best thing Gloria Arroyo did, he said that it was re-appointing him as head of the Department of Trade & Industry.

Then, he was asked about what is great about the Liberal Party. He said that among the current crop of Liberal Party stalwarts, no one has been tainted with wrongdoing or corruption. I wish to share to the younger generation that perhaps, the reason why Mar says current Liberal party members is because the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1965 was once a prominent member of the Liberal Party founded by former Philippine President Manuel Roxas, and then Marcos became a turncoat after failing to get the Liberal Party's nomination for president. Marcos ran as the Nationalist Party candidate for president against the Liberal president, Diosdado Macapagal. Marcos won and was forced to step down twenty years after ( in 1986) when Cory took over as President after the EDSA people power revolution. Anyway, I felt even as a child back in 1965, that there were only two political parties : Liberal and Nacionalista. In local politics, though, delineation between what parties stood for was blurred as voters elected personalities or local kingpins and overlooked political parties. My sense is that it is still the same up to now which is really an indication for party building and for us citizens to invest ourselves in the discussion of political party platforms and national and local election issues.

Mar who is not topping but rising, though, in current presidential surveys was elected as Senator in the 2004 elections by 19, 372,888 votes and is still the highest ever garnered by a national candidate in Philippine election history.

The following are his answers to the rest of the issues :
a) On his expensive television commercials, i.e. the tricycle driver spiel, Mar says that the funds are his inheritance. While others would spend on expensive cars, he is choosing to spend his money communicating to the Filipino people.
b) On Mindanao peace : He is for peace but not carving another juridical entity out of the Philippines and that consultation on these issues are very crucial.
c) On reproductive health : he was asked how he would implement the Magna Carta of Women particularly reproductive rights: he said that definitely he is against abortion and to the students in the audience he said that providing information on reproductive health is important and that government should not impose or interfere on the couple’s decision on what is good for them in the area of reproductive health.

Many of my friends in Mindanao really took issue with the Mar Roxas stand on the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancentral Domain ( MOA-AD) particularly on the Bangsa Moro Juridical Entity (BJE). Perhaps, Mar as a politician, is also sensing the pulse of the larger majority and which is why communication and public awareness and consultations in planning alternative futures are crucial.

Change Politics in the Philippines for 2010 Elections

May 10, 2009, exactly one year before the 2010 elections, was greeted by civil society, artists and media outfits by gathering people from all walks of life and engaging in meaningful discussions on how to reclaim politics from lesser politicians who are not able to do justice to good governance in our beloved nation.

One of the movements in the Philippines is called the Change Politics Movement ( CPM) which came on the heels of various national and regional meetings to discuss the state of our nation’s governance. Our movement was launched simultaneously last Sunday, May 10 in the national capital region & various cities in the Philippines ( Cagayan de Oro, Butuan City, Iloilo, Dumaguete, Cebu, Ormoc, Samar, & Naga). The ration d’etre of this movement is to organize a critical mass of citizens towards choosing and actively campaigning for a common slate of national candidates for the 2010 elections who will be accountable as public servants and who will bring about the much needed reforms to our government and nation. The movement is determined to give birth to an active citizenry and to make politics “ the sacred covenant that is meant to be – between the leaders and the constituencies.”

In my city, Davao City, the launching of the Change Politics Movement at the student lounge of the Holy Cross of Davao College was graced by more than 250 women and men from Southern Mindanao: from Davao City, Samal City, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte & Davao Oriental. Through national video conferencing, reports and results of the various workshops in different parts of the country were shared among all of us from different locations. The national discussions sought to determine the criteria for selecting who will be the presidential candidate of the movement. In a national video conferencing, a consensus was reached on the criteria and these included integrity and track record which is defined as character & credibility, competence, leadership and politics and the candidate’s position taken on issues such as poverty reduction, corruption, human rights, peace, agrarian reform, the environment, etc. Another important set of criteria that came out in the movement’s national video conference last Sunday was about the strategic issues that the next president should immediately address :

A) to immediately stop the plunder of the public coffers
B) to rebuild and strengthen democratic institutions
C) to raise sufficient resources & ensure proper allocation & spending of public resources for priority programs
D) to raise productivity ( especially in rural areas) & ensure fair distribution of assets of production, benefits and public funds
E) to ensure social protection for the poorest and disadvantaged communities
F) to set the foundation for restoring the peace track with armed parties

The presidential candidate to be chosen must have capacity to win and seriously engage in the electoral contest for the highest post in the land : whether such candidate has a level of public recognition on a national scale; if there is an actual & potential extent of support constituency; access to or capacity to raise funds; actual presence of organized support and machinery in different parts of the country and whether the candidate has alliances who also believe in reform and change politics.

All members of the Change Politics Movement will choose the Philippine presidential candidate and the entire slate of national candidates on August 8, 2009.