Election Fraud in the Philippines?
Election Fraud in the Philippines?
By Marcing Pin
“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber.” ~Plato
A day after the election, former President and convicted plunderer Joseph Estrada refused to concede defeat despite the 5 million margin in favor of Senator (and supposedly President-elect) Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Estrada claimed that he was cheated and his claimed helped change the mind of the other candidates. So a question pops out, are they just being sore losers? or Aquino and his Yellow Army cheated the Filipino people?
Election Fever: “Failure of Election… What IF…?”
Election Fever: “Failure of Election… What IF…?”
By Marcing Pin
For the last six-ten months, we have faced the fears, rumors, and speculations of Con-Ass (charter change), No-El scenario (no election), and the Oplan August Moon (military takeover) but one question continue to lingers in the mind of some Filipinos is “What if the election fails?”
All these speculations of changing the charter, no elections, military takeover, the failure of election and even the battle for the right to appoint the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the overused “people power” are connected or associated to one another. One obvious factor was the extension of Gloria Arroyo’s presidency and another of course, was a military junta. Many people denied these speculations and some pretty much refuse to recognize any of those rumors.
But WHAT IF…? What will happen if the election fails? What IF it really happens?
Between May 10 and June 30, 2010, we are about to witness series of events that will help shape the country for the next six years. However, assuming that Arroyo is not able to appoint the new Chief Justice, the country will have vacancy in the three branches of government. Noynoy Aquino and his Yellow Army wants the right to appoint the new Chief Justice be given to the newly elected president not from the outgoing president (already assuming that he have won the presidency without even understanding the “check” system of the three branches).
Election Fever: “Bongbong Marcos sa Senado… NOT!!!”
Election Fever: “Bongbong Marcos sa Senado… NOT!!!“
By Marcing Pin
Nacionalista Party (and Kilusang Bagong Lipunan) Senatorial Candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Liberal Party Presidential Candidate Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III are the best examples of presidential sons following the footsteps of their parents. The incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was and is one of them (following the footsteps of her father, former President Diosdado Macapagal), and so is her son Mikey Arroyo. The country will be seriously f*cked up if the next presidential election (2016) have those three (Bongbong, Noynoy, and Mikey) above as presidential candidates along with ousted President Joseph Estrada’s son Jinggoy. Though, I am not a fan of Erap but out of those four, the most qualified is definitely Senator Jinggoy Estrada. Anyway, this article is about why Filipinos should not vote for Bongbong Marcos….
What is wrong with the Philippine Media?
What is wrong with the Philippine Media?
By Marcing Pin
Over the years, the Philippines portrayed itself to have the freest press in Asia. However, some Filipino journalists and media networks have continually over-using or abusing the constitutional “freedom of the press” in recent years. We are, perhaps, the only country in the world that treated politics, showbiz entertainment, sports, business, “tsismis”, tabloids reporting, and biased reporting in one page. Gone are the days of purely unbiased and responsible reporting. Today, we talked about our politicized military and we have an increasingly politicized society but we never talk about our politicized media.
Of course, how can we find neutrally fair news these days when most of our media networks and newspapers are own by our country’s rich elites, and the journalists reporting the truths were getting killed (extra-judicial killings). For instance, the Lopez-owned ABS-CBN Network, who owes its return of ownership to the late President Corazon Aquino, is now openly supporting the Presidential Candidacy of Aquino’s son Noynoy through close-minded and biased reporting. Remember the survey about this time last year, the front-runner then was current Vice President Noli de Castro, himself the once and future employee of the ABS-CBN network, and it was a three-way battle between the three “Manuels” (De Castro, Manny Villar, Mar Roxas). The Vice President’s numbers in the surveys suddenly dropped after the death of the former president. Somehow, those surveys might have been tinker to influence the public’s opinion and support towards the presidential contenders at that time….
Looking Back: “The Legend of Flash Elorde”
Looking Back: “The Legend of Flash Elorde”
By Marcing Pin
Today is the 75th Birth Anniversary (March 25) of Filipino boxing legend, Gabriel “Flash” Elorde.
About a couple of months ago, I read an article about the boxing legend and it fittingly opened with the statement: “Before the Pacman, there was the Flash”.
Who is “Flash” Elorde?
Elorde was arguably the greatest Filipino boxer of the 20th Century and would have been the all time greatest if not because of the recent triumphs of his 21st Century counterpart, Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao. His career and his ring record may not be as impressive as the current pound-for-pound king (Pacquiao) but Elorde was the Filipino boxer that put the Philippines in the map of the boxing world in the 1960s. Before him, there was Pancho Villa in the 1920s and Ceferino Garcia in the 1930s, plus the Olympian medalists that followed them.
Elorde emerged during the time when the boxing world headlines were dominated by heavyweight boxers, such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman. It was also the time when the Philippines, particularly Manila, was a suitable venue for international sporting events, and frequently hosting international and regional championships.
People Power and Elite Democracy in the Philippines
Today is 24th anniversary (February 25) of the fourth and final day of the so-called “People Power Revolution”. Though, in my opinion, the four-day revolution is no revolution at all but rather an uprising since it never change the Philippine society and it remain as it was before 1972 or during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
About two years ago, I took a Political Science paper about Nationalism and Democracy in Southeast Asia. One of the requirements was to write a research paper about a political event in a country of my choice. Of course, as a Filipino, I choose the Philippines and picked the “People Power Uprising”.
Here is the question I came up with: How did the success of the people’s power uprising help change Philippine society? Did the uprising help return the political power to the traditional elites?…
A Questionable Survey: “The Most Beloved Filipino Leader”
A Questionable Survey: “The Most Beloved Filipino Leader”
By Marcing Pin
Today is the 24th Anniversary of the mutiny that lead to the “People Power Uprising” of February 1986. The uprising against the dictator succeeded because of the combine efforts of both the military and the civil society. Today, many Filipinos would not even care to remember the event that helps restore the freedom they enjoyed today. Is it because of lack of patriotism (love of country) and more of individualism (self-love) amongst present-day Filipinos? Or are we just plain dumb?
Just recently, the Philippine media from the newspapers to television networks reported (and plagiarizing each other) a supposedly nationwide survey about “Who is the most beloved Filipino politician or leader?”. The survey includes the Who’s Who of the past and present Philippines: including two martyrs that inspired revolutions (José Rizal and Ninoy Aquino), a thieving dictator (Ferdinand Marcos), a convicted plunderer (Joseph Estrada), war heroes (Ramon Magsaysay and Fidel Ramos), a housewife (Cory Aquino), the incumbent President (Gloria Arroyo) and Vice President (Noli de Castro), and of course, the current presidentiables. Surprisingly, great leaders (Former President Manuel Quezon) and true heroes (Andres Bonifacio, Cardinal Jaime Sin, Datu Lapu-Lapu, and other Filipinos who gave their lives for the Philippines in the War of Independence and the Second World War) were intentionally left out or forgotten and ignored….
The Word “Pinoy”
The Word “Pinoy”
By Marcing Pin
A few months ago, I encountered a very interesting article in one of the Filipino group page in Facebook. The article talks about the ignorance of the Filipinos about the word “Pinoy”.
For me, the author of the article is quite right. Filipino creativity to create or invent words these days is degrading the Filipino language. Deep Tagalog words are being laugh at by young and sometimes uneducated Filipinos. They prefer the word “libro” to the word “aklat”. Tagalog is no longer the lingua franca but instead “Tag-lish” (Tagalog-English) is the new lingua franca.
The Seven Seals of the Tribulation Period (Book of Revelation Chapter 6)
The Seven Seals of the Tribulation Period (Book of Revelation Chapter 6)
By Marcing Pin
The Book of Revelation of the Bible (King James Version) talks about the end of times and the events that are yet to take place. It talks about the Seven Churches, the Seven Seals, Four Horsemen, the Seven Trumpets, and the seven years of tribulation, Armageddon, and particularly, the tribulation periods, and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
