INSTEAD OF discussing platforms for the 2010 elections, “Development and Change: A Forum on 2010” focused more on politics and the state of the country today.
“It’s really too early to run forums for official candidates but it’s important that we already make an effort to know our potential candidates so we can discern on our personal choices,” said Cherryl Si, Development Society (DevSoc) president.
Among the five speakers invited for the event were former senator Franklin Drilon, pop star and co-convenor of the Black and White movement Leah Navarro, Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilo, ZTE whistleblower Jun Lozada, and bar topnotcher Atty. Koko Pimentel.
DevSoc and the Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) organized the event.
On the run
Only Drilon was sure that he would run as a senator in 2010. Navarro, Panlilio and Lozada, however, are still waiting for options.
“God willing, let it happen. I will always be ready to serve my country to the cost of my life, [even] the harm of my family to the cost of continuing suffering until now,” Lozada said.
It was only Koko Pimentel, son of Senator Aquilino Pimentel, who firmly said he would not run even if he is fairing well in the surveys. “I will no longer run because I need to teach this guy a lesson.”
Pimentel was referring to Senator Miguel Zubiri who defeated him for the 12th and last senatorial slot during the 2007 elections. He accused Zubiri of cheating when the senator received a 99% voter turnout in favor of him in Maguindanao.
Pimentel said that it was impossible to get that much turnout and it was clear that there was fraud. He pointed out that Maguindanao has always been a problematic province even during the 2004 presidential elections, where 11 towns were allegedly cheated in favor of President Arroyo.
Worse than swine flu
Issues like Constituent Assembly (Con-ass), land reform through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, problems with wrong people being appointed, and the automated elections were brought up.
During the open forum, an audience member asked what people should do in case the joint Congress will use the State of the Nation Address (SONA) for Con-ass.
Drilon replied, “Batuhin mo nalang sila. Kapag ginawa nila yan, mas masahol pa sa swine flu. Binaboy nila ang ating Saligang Batas (Just throw stones at them. If they do that, it’s worse than swine flu. They are not respecting our Constitution).”
Drilon said that the purpose of a bicameral assembly on the July 27 SONA is only to listen to the president. “If it is illegal for them to call Con-ass without the Senate, then it is ten times [more] illegal and immoral for them to use that joint session for Con-ass.”
The House of Representatives approved a resolution to amend the constitution by a constituent assembly last month.
Navarro said that if there wasn’t a threat of a possible Con-ass during SONA, she would not attend it. She added that TindigNation, a rally against Con-ass, would be at the Batasan during the SONA.
“The Batasan only has two main gates. If you can block both gates, they will need choppers to go out. I don’t think there are enough choppers or room for them but they are deploying 11,000 policemen, so let us see,” she said.
Not another wrong choice
Another main point discussed during the forum was correcting the mistakes of a failed institution of democracy.
The speakers said that some appointed officials were inefficient.
“You have Merceditas Gutierrez in the Ombudsman and Ben Abalos in Comelec. I have not seen an Ombudsman more compromised than what we have today. What we can do is to look at the process of appointment and see that not another Merceditas Gutierrez gets appointed. It was [also] Abalos who bastardized the electoral process,” Drilon said.
They also pointed out that the Filipino people should still not lose hope in freedom.
“There will be new good people, new blood, new vision and we have to believe it, because if I had the my power on the vote, I will not vote people like Tito Sotto, Ralph Recto, Pichay, I’ll name them. Why? Because I know it will be all politics as usual,” Navarro said.
Getting involved
The speakers then urged the students and other attendees to get involved in Philippine politics.
“Be involved. Exercise your right to vote but insist on an accurate and true count. Otherwise, you will have leaders, a senator [or a president] who will become a [leader] in spite of the people,” Pimentel said.
Sophomore Kenneth Abante agreed. “Ateneo students need to be involved and responsible [citizens].”
Because of the forum, DevSoc member Ray Roderos became more interested in politics. “It’s like I’ve seen my role in student politics, not really activism, but I know I need to do something.”
