(The
Philippine Star) | Updated May 18, 2013 - 12:00am
This
title of a book written by Alan Paton about the racial divide in
apartheid South Africa and the unhappy lives of the people who lived
in those times, is an apt title for the Philippines today.
Paton’s book differs with a single article the instead of the title
of this column which is about my beloved country.
I
think I can safely say that more and more Filipinos are disillusioned
with the running of our country.
We
have become the laughing stock of the world. And that includes
businessmen (unless you are a crony) who one might think should be
flourishing. They too see the lack of direction. Recently we
had an election that turned over the sovereignty of voters to
Smartmatic-PCOS machines and there was nothing we could do about it.
Some
friends in the AES Watch gave time and effort immediately after
the 2010 elections so defects could be addressed in time for 2013.
But to no avail. As far as Comelec was concerned, there were no
defects. And I am not sure that the intimidated Supreme Court sans
impeached former Chief Justice Corona would be helpful.
When
the issue of the source code came up, it hemmed and hawed with all
kinds of excuses and when it claimed to have finally solved the
problem no one was allowed to see it. The inference is that there was
no serious intent to address the defects or problems pointed out by
computer experts. The election was about how by using Smartmatic-PCOS
the election of at least 6 senators friendly to the executive could
be guaranteed. We shall see.
The
heart of the problem is whether we are prepared to accept our
disenfranchisement.
In
Paton’s beloved country he wrote that the only hope for South
Africa is “when white and black men decide that they are interested
not in power or money but in the welfare of the country.” That, too
is our only hope, not about white and black but about the poor
vs the rich and government vs. the people.
*
* *
The
Opposition can rail and rant all it wants including going to the
Supreme Court, but I am afraid the proclamation of the six senators
is non-negotiable. That is why the proclamation went ahead of
time even if the official count was 30% incomplete. What better proof
is there than it was the Palace itself that pushed that the
proclamation be speeded up regardless of the chaotic conduct of
election by these machines.
The
Palace got its first wish – speedy proclamation of at least six but
on the second ie that there should be no issue on the credibility of
the elections will be more difficult. It presumes Filipinos
ultimately come to accept the results of the election as they did in
2010 inspite of the questions and defects of that election. That is a
big if..
*
* *
In
a way it is good that unqualified candidates are winning the
elections. I think more and more will be convinced that the
presidential system has not served the country well. Indeed it
is leading the country downhill. All the press releases extolling the
amounts of hot money entering the country is calculated to deceive
the public that all is well.
Still
we should not lament the election of Fernando Poe’s daughter or
Jejomar Binay’s daughter. They are merely following the
script in a system that calls for a one man, one vote in a national
elections for its national leaders whether the President or senators.
Until and unless we restructure our political system we can expect
more of the same or even worse. We would then be a failed state.
In
the present system no matter how hard we try the numbers are against
an intelligent vote. That is the first fact that we must acknowledge.
It is inevitable that the huge majority of unintelligent voting will
always overwhelm a small intelligent vote. So it is not about making
clueless voters more intelligent to achieve better elections alone.
It is also about restructuring our politics and governance so that
the selection of leaders does not depend on money and popularity.
What else do candidates have to do except sing and dance without a
party platform to vote upon. There are no parties and no
programs to vote for even if they call themselves Liberals or UNA.
Nor
is it surprising that money should count in such a set up. The
problem of ignorant voters in the Philippines is not just about
ignorance. Election in the Philippines is an industry. What are on
sale are votes and offices for candidates.
*
* *
As
I have previously written about in this column we are wasting our
time if we think we can “guard” an automatic electoral system.
Once again let us cite how Federal Court of Germany ended all debate
on defects and inefficiencies of automatic electoral system. It just
forbade it and reverted to the manual system.
The
automatic electoral system it said violates human rights because it
removes the right of voters in favor of machines. It is a
substitution that cannot be defended because the secrecy of computers
and its programming is incompatible with the public nature of
elections. And because voting is a public act voters should
understand the process without specialist knowledge.
*
* *
It
is time that we look outside for help if we cannot get fundamental
justice in a country that has now abandoned the rule of law. There
has been a start with the petition lodged in the International Court
of Human Rights but more can be done if we now join cause with such
groups as Black Box Voting in the US.
*
* *
Here
is what a New York Times editorial said in May 1990 when the question
of extending the lease for US bases in Subic Bay and Clark Field was
being debated among both Americans and Filipinos. “Whatever
strategic value the two US bases still possess would be more than
negated if they come to poison the relationship between the two
countries. ” That was in 1990 and then we had the Pinatubo
eruption.
But
today if it is true that the return of the bases is the US agenda
being pushed through manipulated elections there would be a graver
reason for a wider Filipino disenchantment with its alliance with the
US.
