Sunday, February 18, 2007
Critics employ ‘PGMA’ to warn voters
BEWARE of PGMA, two cause-oriented group warned voters.
The acronym does not stand for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, but Akbayan party-list and socialist political organization Bukluran sa Ikauunlad ng Sosyalistang Isip at Gawa (Bisig) warned about the perils of electing administration candidates.
Both groups lamented the lack of alternative candidates among local and national politicians who are running in the May 14 elections.
Alvin Dizon, Akbayan national council member, said the people should avoid electing into office some characters whose descriptions fit the acronym PGMA: political butterflies, “Garci” defenders, movers of Charter change, and anti-poor candidates.
Most of them, he said, are with the administration ticket.
Blacklist
Dizon named Edgardo Angara, Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino Oreta among the political butterflies.
He also said that those who defended former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano, who was accused of rigging the 2004 elections for Arroyo, are mostly from the administration.
Those who pushed for Charter change, such as Reps. Prospero Pichay and Miguel Zubiri, should also be junked, Dizon said.
He included former senator John “Sonny” Osmeña of the opposition ticket among the “anti-poor” candidates the voters should not choose.
Both Dizon and Bisig national secretary general Edwin Chavez said, though, that the opposition also does not have a genuine alternative who can be trusted to pass measures designed to protect our economy against trade liberalization, privatization and deregulation.
He said that Akbayan will endorse city councilors who are seeking reelection, and campaign against those it deems to have failed to perform. He was referring to councilors seeking office in Metro Cebu local government units.
Akbayan, though, will not cast its lot with anyone running for mayor or vice mayor because of the lack of alternative candidates.
He said Akbayan will announce its bets a week after the deadline of the filing of certificates of candidacy on March 29.
Also, Chavez said the people should not be dazzled by the politicians’ ploy of employing celebrities and entertaining them during campaign sorties.
He considered such antics as “a mockery of the elections” in favor of a “bunch of clowns and clones” without reliable legislative agenda. He believes the Filipinos have matured in terms of choosing whom to vote for during elections. (RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 18, 2007 issue)
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