Candidates’ briefing

Netnet Camomot .

IN an interview with ANC’s “Beyond Politics” in December 2018, “Kontra Daya” group convenor Professor Danny Arao said that the Philippines’ “party-list system has been flawed from the very start because the definition of marginalized and underrepresented was not so clear.”

“The rich and powerful are using the party-list system to make a mockery of this supposedly noble intention,” he added. “Political dynasties set up party-list groups and allow to run the relatives of the rich and powerful.”

“We don’t want pretentious individuals to represent the marginalized… The marginalized should represent themselves,” Arao emphasized in that same interview.

Here’s hoping that Aangat Tayo Rep. Neil Abayon is neither a family member of a political dynasty nor a pretentious individual representing the marginalized.

Way back in November 2009, Perfecto Lucaban Jr., a resident of Northern Samar, sought the cancellation of Aangat Tayo’s accreditation because it is a multi-sectoral organization, definitely opposite of Section 3 of Republic Act 7941 which says that a sectoral party is “an organized group of citizens whose principal advocacy pertains to the special interest and concerns of their sector.”

Aangat Tayo represents labor, the urban poor, elderly, women, youth, and the overseas workers. That’s half a dozen of sectors. Kind of a basketball team with a coach. I don’t know if it has amended its representation.

In 2012, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified Aangat Tayo from the 2013 election. But it was able to make a comeback in 2016, and is again in the 2019 list of party-list wannabes. So, what happened after 2013? Hmmm.

And then, there’s Congressman Harlin Abayon in the political history of Northern Samar. Does that make the Abayon family a political dynasty? Hmmm. Esep-esep pud ‘pag may time.

Anyway, with two months left before Election 2019, here’s Aangat Tayo Rep. Neil Abayon filing House Bill No. 9170 which allows the Pinoy to exchange plastics and other recyclable trash for rice or cash.

A kilo of plastic for a kilo of rice, groceries, or their cash equivalent. Hmmm. I have to find out the present weight of the plastic friend who gossips about me—if she’s now 70 kilos, that’s 70 kilos of quality rice! Yay!

Abayon hopes the bill will encourage a “whole nation actively engaged in segregating and recycling their waste because they are well-motivated to do so.”

Once the bill is approved and if its implementation will improve the environment of Pinas, can the Comelec use that as a basis for the forevermore inclusion of Aangat Tayo in the party-list wannabes? Well, not if only the life of its representative is making angat while the list of sectors it’s supposed to represent remains as vague as etcetera.

Aside from cleaning up the party-list system, Comelec is also bent on removing campaign ads from non-designated areas. At the briefing session for Cagayan de Oro’s (CDO) political candidates held at Searsolin, Manresa Complex, Xavier University, Upper Balulang, CDO on Tuesday, rules and regulations on campaign ads were some of the topics that the candidates had to listen to, but you would notice who among them had become veterans in this game.

In case you’re wondering if incumbent Mayor Oscar Moreno and mayoral candidate Pompee La Vina were there—yup! But one of them arrived earlier than the other.

Former Congressman Rufus Rodriguez was also at the briefing, and so were Gil Banaag who’s running for representative of District 1, Roger Villazorda for representative of District 2, Felix Borres Jr. and Ben Contreras for city mayor.

Political colors were aplenty: violet-orange, green, light green, with much thanks to the city councilors and those wanting to join them after the election.

Their presence has somehow assured us that they’re all committed to serving CDO with all their heart and soul.

The newbies, of course, had to be especially attentive because, well, it’s their first time, a virgin still learning the ABCs of campaigning.

For the Misamis Oriental candidates’ briefing at the Patrick Cronin Hall, St. Augustine Cathedral, CDO on Wednesday, most of the political veterans didn’t even care to join the briefing and the attendance was, well, what’s the word? Sad. If attendance at the briefing translates to a candidate’s sincerity in serving his community, that was indeed a sad day for Misamis Oriental. So, our heartfelt gratitude to former Congressman Benjo Benaldo for being there. He didn’t stay till the end of the session but at least he was there.

It’s in gatherings of political candidates, such as the briefing, that the Pinoy voter realizes they’re human beings first and foremost. Without the political positions or their dreams of occupying political thrones, they’re ordinary people who happen to have extraordinary dreams. A Pinoy will naturally avoid the confusing world of politics, but these candidates have dared to join that mad world, and we can only hope their values and principles will remain intact once they win. Or, for the veteran politicians, we can dream for them to go back to their values and principles, can’t we?

I laughed when Comelec enumerated at the CDO briefing, the violations in campaign ads. Somehow I forgot I was seated right beside candidates of a particular political party.

I did notice one thing—two mayoral candidates seemingly avoiding each other. Perhaps it’s time for one of them to focus on his plans for CDO instead of revealing the alleged sins of the other. Enough already. He should realize that the Cagayanon does see the present reality whenever he drives around CDO’s barangays. The older Cagayanon can even compare this CDO that he sees now with the one he survived in, in the past. The Cagayanon is aware and will choose wisely on May 13, 2019—we can dream, can’t we?

The briefing sessions were conducted by the Comelec offices of CDO and Misamis Oriental in partnership with the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), Xavier University (XU), and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) through the Lambigit Igsoon para sa Hiniusang Pag-uswag sa Katilingban (Lihuk) led by lead convenor Nestor Banuag Jr..

Conceptualized in 2013, and organized in 2016, Lihuk’s member organizations are Namfrel whose CDO and Misamis Oriental chapter coordinator is also Banuag, PPCRV, XU, Clean10, Alert10, Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo), and Task Force Oro.