President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte won by a landslide in this year’s elections. Most remarkable of all, he won it being true to and consistent with his nature. What we saw in him as mayor of Davao City is what we got during the campaign. Will what we get out of him as president be consistent with what we saw during the campaign? That, of course, remains to be seen. The important thing is that most of his promises were made on the back of the consistency of his character and his approach to governance and administration over the several decades of his career in public service.
The trouble is, Duterte is surrounded. In both chambers of the Philippines’ Congress, parties and personalities hostile to Duterte as a person and to his vision for the country as its Chief Executive in the coming six years dominate. For a Vice President, he has equally hostile Leni Robredo, the last bastion of the Liberal Party’s (LP’s) hold on the executive branch of the Philippine government. Robredo who, by her own admission, does not foresee a smooth working relationship with Duterte over their term in office, will likely be snapping at the President’s heels over the next six years.
The LP spent billions of pesos in an acutely frantic campaign to put Robredo’s face in front of millions of would-be voters and cement her place at the top of those supposedly “independent” pre-election surveys. Unfortunately for the LP’s financiers, all those billions spent could only deliver a close tie with rival Bongbong Marcos. The desperation observed in the LP campaign has resulted in much greater attention drawn to mounting evidence of electoral fraud both in these elections and in past elections. Most interesting of all, a common denominator had also emerged. Smartmatic, which had likely raked in millions and millions of pesos over almost a decade of “partnership” with the Philippines’ Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to digitise and automate national elections has been caught out tampering with the voting and data transmission systems they had sold to and installed for the COMELEC during critical election operations.
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Celebrity lawyer and product endorser Karen Jimeno nowadays lends her star power to the plight of embattled Smartmatic.
This time, however, the awesome firepower of big-capital-funded Mainstream Media and its army of silky-haired product-endorsing celebrities deployed to, once again, bury the issue of ingrained fraud in the Philippines’ election systems and practices is being met by non-traditional opinion shapers emerging from the grassroots. Calls to investigate mounting complaints being raised have strongly resonated across social media and various activists and cause-oriented groups. Back in the 7th May, the Asia Times reported that “hundreds of vote counting machine (VCM) technicians [had] been fired by the Comelec just before the polls” and noted that “the Commission on Elections does not seem to mind having automated poll fraud perpetrated in May.”
In his column published on the The Standard the 19th of May, Emil Jurado cited what he believes is “the best example of election fraud” in these times.
Indeed, where did the nearly 2.5 -million Iglesia votes for Marcos go? This I think attests to the manipulation of results transmitted to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting. A Smartmatic project director tampered with the hash code of the transparency server. After this, my gulay, the over-a-million lead of Marcos started disappearing.
Jurado makes his point clear as day…
The conspiracy between Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista and his Smartmatic friends is too obvious. We need a system audit to find out what truly happened.
Cameras focus on Marlon Garcia of Smartmatic as he fiddles around with COMELEC equipment.
Where there is the possibility of fraud, an investigation must be conducted.
In that context, one can easily see the awesome mega-bucks being shovelled into the effort to ensure that the siege machinery of Duterte’s opposition is well dug-in not only to block his reform agenda but also mount an attack plan to impeach him during his term. Congress is locked-and-loaded. The only missing piece is the VP sleeper who will replace him following a successful political coup. It is quite evident, in this instance (or, more appropriately, yet again), that the COMELEC, its mercenary vendor Smartmatic, and the Philippine Media have chosen which side of this battle they will be part of.
At this point, it is worth noting the most remarkable of all of Duterte’s challenges — one that is self-imposed. He has vowed to eradicate the use of pork barrel funds to bribe senators and House representatives. In short, Duterte has subjected himself and his administration to a challenge unique to his government. Influencing Congress without bribing it with pork will require grit, stamina, determination, political savvy, and, most importantly, innovation. Members of Philippine Congress, after all, see pork as practically the only point in spending mega-bucks on an election campaign to get them a seat there.
As such, if there is one thing worth watching (and worth keeping Duterte in office) over the next six years, it would be this — seeing Duterte through on his promise to eradicate pork from Philippine politics. On this alone, if successfully pulled off, Duterte will cement his legacy as the most successful president in the Philippines’ history.
[Thumbnail photo courtesy ABC News.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
That little INC medical mission that (again) caused major traffic problems? Not really a medical mission. The LP is really trying to push people to their breaking point. If that little Shaw Blvd stunt was enough to bring the current admin to its knees, imagine what a few thousand pissed off INC + non-INC BBM supporters can do.
Just saying. =)
Well, the good news is that the PDP-Laban, the political wing of Duterte is creating an alliance with Nacionalista Party, Lakas-CMD & NPC to become a major bloc on the upcoming 17th congress while the LP will become an opposition party.
The bad news is, you know what happened before, an alliance with the different party will soon be divided again. Only in the Philippines… unless if fate intervenes like changing our government system from a unitary into a federal type of gov’t & that’s what Duterte is planning it from the 1st day of his presidency.
Time will tell.
Don’t feel too bad. Belgium managed to go from April 2010 to December 2011 without a government.Nobody could form a coalition to hold a parliamentary majority.Not surprising when the largest party held 27 of 150 seats.Be careful what you wish for with Constitution Change.
Today’s partners can be your competitors tomorrow. And today’s competitors can be your partners tomorrow.
Loyalty is not in our politicians’ vocabulary. Their loyalties are in their: stomachs; bank accounts (domestic and foreign); self interests; family political affiliations; etc….never to the people they supposed to serve !
Aquino’s loyalty is keeping and holding to his Hacienda Luisita. He will move heaven and earth; sell his soul to the devil; cheat in elections; put his political “puppets” in the government; just to keep his Hacienda Luisita !
in other words there are no permanent friends & enemies, just a permanent interest.
The people who run SMARTMATIC , in the Philippine election were from Venezuela. The late Venezuelan Pres. Hugo Chavez, who was at odd, with the U.S., and was a good friend of Russia; won all elections, in his country. His party won in every level. Maybe, they perfected the; SMARTMATIC “Dagdag Bawas” scheme ; and applied it in the Philippines. With High Bribe Price in Cash, of course; from Aquino, Mar Roxas, Leni Robredo, Porky Drilon and the Liberal Party.
The technician inserted an EXECUTABLE FILE, not a HASH FILE, at the right time and moment.
I have pointed out, the two agencies: U.S. and German, who can be of help in the investigation. They can also formulate a good electoral system for our country. Certifying the PCOS machine, so that it will not become a HCOS PCOS, along with the ballots used; is the first step.
Leni Robredo will never become the Vice President. Let us all recount the votes for: Vice President; Senators; Congresspeople; etc…
It is up to Pres. elect Duterte, if he can work with these nasty people.
The cheating done by: Aquino; Mar Roxas; Leni Robredo; Porky Drilon; and the Liberal Party, was mainly because of Aquino’s Hacienda Luisita. The faster, we distribute his Hacienda Luisita to the farmers/tillers; the better the country. Let us neutralize the power of the Aquinos/Cojuangcos…
We must jail all those who conspired in this ELACTORAL FRAUD. It will be a lesson to all. That if, you commit ELECTORAL FRAUD; you go to jail and serve time…
Un que lio estos Venezolanos han hecho a la eleccion Filipina…
Tagalog:
Anong kagagohan ang ginawa ng mga taga Venezuela na ito, sa eleksiyon sa Filipinas…
Mayor Rody is right. the citizens should be armed against criminals for their defense. no more licenses for low powered firearms from .22 caliber down to .177 bb/pellets airguns.
and, operate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and lowered power and water bills so the Pilipinos can recover from misery.
attract foreign investors. change its laws. and distribute hacienda luisita immediately to end its worth dying for.
With the CPP taking over four departments—Agrarian Reform, Natural Resources and the Environment, Labor, and Social Welfare and Development, the communists have, in effect, taken over land and labor, or 60 percent of what makes the economy moving and productive.
Included in the takeover are the bureaus, agencies and financial institutions, like the Land Bank, Cocobank, and even the Development Bank of the Philippines. Also, the four departments have more positions than the total NPA regulars and communist cadres. DENR alone has 19,500 people; DAR 12,600, and DoLE and DSWD 2,500 each.
So overnight, our communist friends have become employers, bankers and capitalists. Change, indeed, is coming.
Duterte said: The economy is good under Aquino admin. I must admit it. If it’s not really broken, why fix it.
Duterte also said: I have no plan to prosecute Aquino.
Duterte supporters, is change really coming ?
@Daniel Ali:
It is good for you, the YellowTards, and for his cahoots: the Feudal Oligarchs.
However, for most Filipinos. Aquino handled the economy miserably and failed.
Look at the squatters, in Metro Manila and large cities. Look at his tenants/tillers in his Hacienda Luisita…they are living below the poverty level…
333Hyden007Toro77777.999,
Just wondering. Do the Failipino people really knows what the YellowTard Party and Feudal Oligarchs are made up of. I know we keep referring to these two groups as such, but I don’t believe the Failipino people have any ideas of who makes up these groups. This is a part of my effort to create an “awareness” among our people on what’s really happening to their country and people.
Aeta
@Aeta:
YellowTard Party are made of of EDSA smitten people; who look at the Aquinos as saints and heroes.
The Feudal Oligarchs are the landed politicians who rule us. Most of them are :Hacienderos, like the Aquinos. They own large tracts of lands, and their tenants/serfs are their backers. The Spanish colonizers , set up this Feudal Oligarchy.
Mexico has its revolution , against this set up in the early 1900. Japan was freed from Feudalism, by Gen. Mc Arthur, after World War II. The feudalists/militarists initiated Japan’s imperialism in World War II.
The Philippines is one of the last Feudal Oligarchy country, still not freed. Full Land Reform is needed…
First of all duterte said all of those, not me. Second, it’s not good for me and the country because duterte is pro abnoy aquino. I’m against abnoy aquino, and also against Duterte. I’m from Davao and I know duterte’s dirty secrets.
All half-declarations at this point. He’s not even in charge yet. We’ll see once he actually takes over the office.
Daniel,
The change did happen: the Failipinos elected a new president. Duterte’s not going to prosecute Aquino because it will upset the entire Yellow Party and Chinese community that controls 80 percent of the country’s wealth.
Therefore, secret deals between the new president and the oligarch establishments will take place, giving both sides a mutual agreement that will preserve the status quo of shared wealth and power, with the Failipino people still bearing most of the brunt of the “new order” for this God-forsaken country.
Welcome to the “New” Failippines.
Aeta
Du30 does need pork to twist Congress’ arm to approve his requested bills. His big mouth is sufficient. He can just say he will abolish Congress and establish a revolutionary government, or threaten to veto other bills Congress debated over and worked so hard to try to pass. Du30 plays chess in an unconventional manner. It will be “surprise surprise!” for all these clueless LP Yellow-freaks. Headline news these days make me grin from ear to ear. I am very pleased with how Du30 is bringing this country into a golden era of common sense.
My special thanks to all who supported and voted this guy into power – our dream of becoming a Singapore is getting closer. My biggest wish is for Du30 to finally fix the constitution’s pro-oligarchy ownership rule. Allowing foreign companies to develop public utilities will mean more extensive and reliable train systems, airports, Internet service, etc.
Let’s hope our beloved game-changer president does not get assassinated or impeached. Let’s ensure his protection at all costs. Let’s all pound down hard on these yellow userpers and blast them off into oblivion.
Zaxx
Your idol must also keep an eye on the CPP. If he thinks LP is the only enemy he had to deal with, think again.
is it possible a senate president becoming a president? how could it be done?
dead president. dead vice president. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_Philippines#Tenure_and_term_limits
aha! so that’s what they called the planB. impeached mayor Rody and disqualify leni for cheating. that’s why they’re fighting seriously for the senate presidency. got it!
Pilipinos should protect mayor Rody’s administration if they want real change. do not allow yellow army to infiltrate (jump ship) Duterte’s admin.
we can only see real change if hacienda luisita is in the hands of the genuine farmer beneficiaries. then the fight is over. the change were made.
I say that if there are 2.5 million Ingelsio Cristo votes being Bought and paid for by Marcos that CONSTITUTES VOTE BUYING AND THATS FRAUD, Jail both Marcos and that Frikkin liar church, Its pure corruption..
Duterte’s presidential spokesperson Atty. Salvador Panelo is/was the lawyer of the Ampatuans, the main suspect of 2009 Maguindanao massacre.
His incoming AFP chief of staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo Visaya was the ground commander in the 2004 Hacienda luisita massacre. Responsible of open firing on the rallying peasants, killing 12 farmers and two children, injuring hundreds more.
Change, indeed is coming.
Sometimes I don’t understand you guys.
You’re propping up Leni as some sort of Napoleon, but you’re yet to address the person much more dangerous than the LP old guards will ever be. I’m talking about JoMa Sison, President of the Martial Law Crybaby’s Club.
We already knew that DU30 has already offered 4 agencies to CPP members. Have you guys studied the implications of this? For me this is a very dangerous gamble for Digong.
Me and some of my foreign friends have been talking about this for some time now. When they learned that Digong has communist ties they started to compare him to Hugo Chavez. They were even more concerned when they read about the cabinet positions offered to the CPP.
Worse case scenario is we end up as another North Korea instead of Singapore, as Zaxx dreamed. A less bad scenario is we become another Venezuela: an economic wreck due to unreasonable social policies, and with politically suicidal foreign policy.
Plan B is a ridiculous conspiracy theory coughed up by fly by night websites that will disappear as soon as the election era ends. It is also moot now that the LP congressmen have shown their true colors and are now supporting the Du30 administration. Impeachment looks like a statistical improbability at this point. Leni will be the same person as she always has been. She will support the President on policies that they both agree on and will not support him on policies that they do not agree on.