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Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Malig: No to 'POEL'
By Jun A. Malig
Cognition
WHILE NOEL is the acronym of the abandoned "No Elections" scheme, POEL stands for "Postpone the Elections." Perhaps this unpopular plot can also be called DOEL or "Delay the Elections."
I was told that some "bright" minds within the administration party have been proposing POEL as substitute for the ostracized NOEL, which was denounced by church leaders, business groups, non-government organizations, and majority of politicians in the country late last year.
I still hope that POEL is only a rumor or just a fruit of impish thoughts. But if the information I got were accurate, the alleged scheme intends to postpone or delay the lawfully scheduled May 14, 2007 elections until November 2007 or May 2008. Just like NOEL, the intended beneficiaries of POEL are the incumbent elected officials, especially those who are already in their last terms and, of course, the officials they appointed.
For most politicians in the administration party and other political groups, POEL is a big no-no. The vice governors, vice mayors, board members, councilors, defeated administration politicians in the last elections, and members of opposition parties who intend to run for executive or congressional seats surely do not welcome the idea of postponing the elections. And their number far exceeds the number of would-be beneficiaries of POEL.
I am sure that leaders of the church, business groups, and other sectors would also oppose any move by anybody to postpone the highly anticipated day when the people may exercise their ultimate right in a democratic society. After all, the elections day is nothing like a regular or special holiday that can be moved or observed on a separate day.
If the conception and planned implementation of POEL is true, the supposedly bright minds behind such a scheme should first blink. I believe that the Filipino people in general no longer welcome any move to postpone or delay the day when they may choose their own leaders.
Budgetary constraint is not even a factor in this matter If the government truly has P74 billion to spend (as announced earlier by the Department of Budget and Management and the National Economic Development Authority) for the hastily conceived "Super Regions," I am pretty sure that it has enough funds for the 2007 elections.
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In Pampanga's third district, political alliances are gradually beginning to form in anticipation of the May 14, 2007 elections, which is barely nine months away. Political observers told me that Representative Reynaldo "Dr. Rey" Aquino was able to convince former vice mayor Eligio "Tiger" Lagman to become his running mate. The three-term mayor is bent on capturing the mayoralty post from Mayor Oscar "Oca" Rodriguez.
I personally think that Dr. Rey's agenda is vindication -- to prove that he has done nothing wrong in the City Hall when he was still the mayor and to show his political foes that he still enjoys the trust and confidence of Fernandinos. Rey vs. Oca and Tiger vs. EdSa would be a battle royale in the province's capital city.
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By not running for re-election, Dr. Rey is leaving the third district congressional post open for other qualified candidates. Of course, everybody knows that Board Member Aurelio "Cong Dong" Gonzales is the most eligible candidate for the post. The good board member has never denied his intention to run for congressman. In fact, as early as last year, he already declared his plan to seek the district's congressional post.
Just like in the 2001 and 2004 elections, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is expected to keep her hands off in her home province's local and congressional battles. Informally but actually declaring Pampanga as "zona libre" has been her consistent policy since she assumed the presidency on Jan. 20, 2001. The reason is quite obvious. Most, if not all, politicians in the province have been and are supportive of her. Even members of opposition parties supported PGMA in 2004 elections.
Cong Dong's campaign leaflets in 2004, for instance, carried Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo-Loren Legarda. When asked many months ago about his GMA-Loren stance, he told newsmen that he has unwavering support for her cabalen President and that Loren is his friend. He said that he believes in the leadership and competence of both GMA and Loren. Well, I can say that the board member has been consistent in his support for the two ladies. And he has shown his willingness to go against all odds when it comes to supporting or defending someone he believes in. In my dictionary, such a gesture of loyalty deserves commendation.
I was told that the natural alliances in the next elections in the City of San Fernando would be Dr. Rey-Cong Dong (mayor-congressman) on the one hand and Oca-Labung (or another congressional wannabe) on the other. Now, why would something like POEL get in the way of an interesting political manifestation such as this?
(August 29, 2006 issue)
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