Pangan: Easier said than done

IN ORDER for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to rise up from slumber and ineptness, it should focus its attention (and resources) on election law offenders pronto, instead of issuing press releases about its resolve to prosecute violators.

In its recent face-saving issuance, the election body loudly declared that major candidates for national offices were offenders of the Fair Elections Law which prescribes, inter alia, size limits of posters and streamers and places where these political materials should be posted or hung.

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Of course, the candidates concerned do not own up to the violations, says Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, and understandably blame their supporters for putting up the ads. What?

These violators obviously mock the law as shown by their continued violations, despite the three-day notice to remove the offending materials and this, in spite of the sanction that offenders proven guilty can face up to six years imprisonment, disqualification from public and government office and revocation of their right to vote. Well, well, well.

While the focus of the Comelec in forbidding the questioned materials is in Metro Manila, the offending ads have proliferated in the provinces.

In Pampanga, for example, the non-performing Senator Lito Lapid has his posters nailed on trees and elsewhere but the designated common poster areas. And what about the large billboards put up by incumbent congressmen and mayors, proclaiming their so-called accomplishments? Are these not prohibited by law? After all, they give the reelectionist unfair advantage over their rivals, di ba?

I have an unsolicited advice for the Comelec: prosecute the offenders pronto and refrain from issuing warnings which are not heeded by the candidates anyway. Sampolin sila para tumigil sa katarantaduhan, ok, Chairman Jose Melo, sir?

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Come now the stern admonitions of the influential Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) not to believe the promises of candidates and to be more discerning in choosing the country's next leaders, and local officials, I may add. I have been repeatedly urging the voters to be wise and judicious in the choice of candidates and now this plea is echoed by Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar, other clergy men and plain citizens.

Change the current leaders, if viewed to be abusive and ineffective. Let us put an end to their blatant theft and wanton use of public funds. By virtue of their public offices, these officials have been enjoying lavish lifestyles to the detriment of their constituents. Change for the better, change for new ideas and styles of governance. Change the current inept officials, whether they be national or local officials. Tama na ang pambobola, mga ginoo. Pagkatapos ninyong mahalal, nagpapayaman lamang kayo, nagpaparami ng mga kerida at ari-arian, biyahe dito, biyahe doon. Maawa kayo sa bayan at mamamayan nito. Baguhin natin ang sistema at mga kasalukuyang nagpapalakad nito. Gising, balen!

There are more deserving people from whose ranks we can choose and elect the new set of leaders of our towns and cities and, for that matter, our country. Let us do away with the traditional politicians. After all, they have already enriched themselves in office and have aggravated the poverty status of citizens. Let us try the young visionaries. They might prove to be effective as local government unit executives. Tama na sa nagpakabusog sa tungkulin. Oras na para ihalal naman ang mga karapatdapat.