by Nicasio Angelo Agustin
The heat is on. Philippine presidential aspirants have intensified their campaign in a race to succeed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo who will step down in June after nine years in office which has been tarnished by partisan skirmishes over corruption, stalled political reforms, and alleged vote-rigging in the 2004 elections.
This year’s election will be very different in three major ways. First, this will be the first ever automated election in the Philippines. Second, the current President will run for another elective post. And finally, an ousted president will again run for the same office.
From my vantage point, elections in the Philippines rarely go into real policy platforms as basis for winnability – and this shortcoming makes this election very similar to those in the past. Although, I sense that candidates – in the past as well as in this present poll – have tried and are now again trying to tap into popular frustration over poverty and corruption without presenting clear solutions.
Already in this coming May polls, the candidates have steered some specific policies such as the “no additional taxes” by Sen. Aquino who has staked his candidacy on his family’s record for honesty and integrity and a willingness to continue the fight against graft in the government. Such specific policies may entice some people, particularly the business people for the “no additional taxes”, to cast their votes in favor of the “proponent candidates”. Incidentally, such policies might have to be looked at on their overall economic viability rather than on their political and social acceptability. In the end, we have to ask: “will those proposed policies be able to help us move forward as a nation and attain that elusive dream of becoming one of the more developed economies in Asia?”
As observed, most of the candidates have started the blaming game rather than focusing their campaigns on the most debated issues of the recent past, such as Charter change. The blaming game is played by some of the candidates to divert public attention from their own weaknesses and limitations to the wrongdoings of their political opponents. I think this scheme does not benefit us any. Instead of offering us an appreciation on how they would handle their shortcomings and deficiencies, they present to us the unlawful activities and misconduct of the others.
As we aspire for conducive environment for investment and business in Mindanao, there are three things to watch for in the May elections. First, the policy platforms, particularly on the Mindanao conflict. As clearly leading candidates emerge, their policy proposals and pledges and the implications to investment, governance and security in Mindanao will have to be carefully studied. Second, the stance of leading candidates on fiscal management and discipline should be accorded with particular focus, given the necessity of boosting revenues and curbing spending to manage the budget deficit. Third, a failed election. Surely, this won’t help us attain our aspirations. Severe election violence and intimidation – which have manifested themselves in various forms and magnitude already, or a – God forbid – massive breakdown in the automated voting system is just too scary to contemplate. As feared by many, a failed election “would weaken the peso and the stock market” with some analysts even going to the extent of saying that, “the main stock index could tumble below 2,600 points.”
While automated election, the running for another elective office by GMA, the persistence of an ousted president to run the race again, the policy platforms of candidates, etcetera – are all of serious concern, paramount attention should be given to ensuring that the automated voting system succeeds. As it is right now, the poll automation doesn’t have many real best friends and a lot more people would wish for its dismal failure rather than its success.
Let’s give the automated poll system a chance to succeed. If it eventually succeeds, this will be unlike other elections where only the candidates win. If poll automation succeeds, every Filipino would have won a victory over the evils of manual election procedures and the whole country would be on the track to political maturity.
Feel free to send your comments to nic_agustin@yahoo.com.
