The next time you well up with outrage at the sight of a Filipino pissing on a public sidewalk, think of this day, the 16th of June 2016.
The Philippines after all is not and never has been a nation of laws. This was proven yet again today when the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) en banc voted to accept the statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCE) of the Liberal Party (LP). The submission of the LP of their SOCE on June 14, way past the non-extendable June 8 deadline, was in violation of COMELEC rules applicable to the 2016 elections.
Section 2 of Rule 10 issued by the COMELEC states that there is absolutely no provision to allow an extension of the 8th of June deadline for filing of the SOCE…
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The 08 June 2016 deadline shall be final and non-extendible. Submissions beyond this period shall not be accepted.
According to COMELEC mouthpiece James Jimenez, the decision to break this rule was “backed by laws and precedent.”
The trouble with this defense of the COMELEC’s bizarre decision is that the rule that makes the June 8 deadline non-extendable was implemented precisely because of those very precedents Jimenez cites. Indeed, the rule statement goes further to support this (boldface added by author for emphasis)…
COMELEC Resolutions Nos. 9849 and 9873, Minute Resolutions Nos. 13-0775 and 13-0823 are hereby repealed, insofar as they allowed the belated submission, amendment and/or correction of campaign finance disclosure statements and reports and the imposition of late penalties for the 2013 National and Local Elections.
Filipinos are allowed to piss anywhere, because rules don’t matter.
(Source: Mobile Home Family)
The argument that cites “precedents” is therefore not valid.
Nonetheless (recognising too that few Filipinos are likely to posses the brains to grasp that point), the more important implications of these and other such en banc rulings we need to highlight is that Philippine society remains consistent to its character as a nation where the rules don’t matter.
In allowing every incident like this (whether big or small) to slide, Filipinos progressively lose any trace of righteous ascendancy to express outrage over the violation of any sort of applicable rule or law in whatever endeavour or issue they pursue. Next time we curse or flash the bird when we get cut off by a jeepney, we should remember this day — the day when the COMELEC utterly failed to live by its own rules — and resign ourselves to the reality that the Philippines is a society where crime pays.
For that matter, Filipinos have lost any right to criticise President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte by citing allegations that he violated “human rights” laws to effect the enviable peace and order his home city of Davao is world-renowned for today. They have lost the right to criticise Sal Panelo for violating parking rules. Filipinos will now look like absolute hypocrites when they call for the jailing of pork barrel thieves. Why? Because, guess what: In the Philippines, summary killing of criminals, parking in no-parking zones, and bribing senators with pork barrel funds all have precedent. To use the logic of the COMELEC en banc, these crimes are therefore all excusable.
Leni Robredo: Assumes ‘Vice Presidency’ by virtue of election fraud and broken public trust.
Filipinos should therfore not be so precious over reports that drug traffickers and criminals are now being rounded up and shot by Philippine police. There are rules, after all, that recommend that these crooks are entitled to enjoy a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. But, you know, that’s just another “rule” that is meant to be broken.
As the Dalai Lama say…
Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively.
Presumably, the honourable officers of the COMELEC know their own rules all too well. Then again, President Rodrigo Duterte is a lawyer and a seasoned prosecutor. He also knows the law quite well.
And in regard to Leni Robredo’s promise to her fans to help keep her President honest? Good luck with that. That’s a tough expectation of a “vice president” who presumes to assume her office on the back of massive electoral fraud and by virtue of a bald violation of election rules.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Comelec unit rejects LP plea to extend SOCE filing
So which is it?
It’s only the CFO who rejected it. The en banc voted 4-3 yes to allow them.
Unreal!
Shamefull. Comelec is a stooge of the liberal party and they just proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. Shame on them all.
Putang Ina niyo Comelec MGA animal kayo. Karma nalng sa inyo HAYOP.
…
ANG galing niyo. Sobrang galing. KAYA hwag kayong maghahangad ng hustisya kung papatayin kayo sa kalye o kung saan DAHIL ang BATAS PILIPINAS ay walang KWENTANG hayop…..
..
Kung duduraan KO ang pagkatao niyo WALA ng kaso Pwede Na KAHIT sasapukin KO kayo sa publiko OK lng din.BATAS PILIPINAS walang kwenta YAN.
Ikinakahiya ko BATAS PILIPINAS…
…
Darating ANG ARAW matutupad ANG BATAS DIGONG tignan NIYO LANG.
No country would ever respect the RP, much more the office of the VP behind closed doors. Very few opportunities are provided in our lifetime to start anew. I was really hoping that this was it. Still hoping under the new regime despite this blatant f@&*-up.
No cabinet post!!! Make the office of the VP a non-entity, a non-player.
HAHAHA, pnoy make his moves again. if they don’t violate the law, bongbong will be the vice president. the next move is to disqualify leni on cheating so the senate president will be the vice president. and the last, attack duterte…. HAHAHA
SAVE HACIENDA LUISITA.
Leni Rob redo is a part of the 2016 Election Fraud. The COMELEC , lead by Bautista , is a tool of election fraud of : Aquino, Mar Roxas, Porky Drilon, Leni Rob redo, the Liberal Party, etc…
In the Philippines, people who enforce the Law, are the violators of the law.
This is why , I cited that most Filipinos , abroad, are law abiding. It is because, if they violate any law: they pay for it !
The “en banc” session of the COMELEC is just a “pakitang tao”. The result is already decided, before, they did the voting. Aquino pressured COMELEC Bautista to , extend the SOCE deadline. Maybe, COMELEC Bautista and those who voted; received some “bribes” , in cash or in kind. So, this is the predetermined decision/result.
Everything is possible in the Philippines !
“Kung walang Kurap; walang mahirap”…sabi ni Aquino. E, paano kung ikaw mismo ay KURAP !
There are no laws because the judicial system is a joke and criminal. The Court of Appeals is stacked with crooks who sell decisions to the highest bidder. The Supreme Crooks are also bought off. Try bringing a case against PNB. Good luck. Even if you get through the RTC, the CA pulls ruling from their ass that are nothing but crap. 2 and half years after submitting appeal to SC and still no final ruling. Bull Shit!! All owned by the oligarchy.
Am I surprised? Not really. I’m disappointed and angry.
I guess nothing will ever change until ordinary people hang those motherfuckers from the next lamp post.
They blatantly broke the law and pissed in everyone’s face. Not to mention the massive fraud committed during the election. Those people have no morals what so ever. They are the scum of the earth.
No consequences again?
THIS COUNTRY IS REALLY FUCKING HOPELESS!
… and that cocksucker Aquino asking people to fight for their freedom? What freedom. The game is rigged!
This country needs a Revolutionary Government to wipeout all korupts in all government agencies under the aquino-cojuanco oligarch’s administration by Pres. Duterte…. Supreme Court and below them included…. Justice and Law is a joke in the Philippines while these yellow oligarch’s who made the laws favorable to them are the ones breaking them.
C-ommission
O-ver
M-andated
E-lectoral
L-aws
E-mancipating
C-orruption
The 4 stupid moronic retards who voted to violate the law should be put in cages and shipped over to Basilan for “processing”.
There is no such thing as the universally accepted Rule of Law in our hapless country, the Philippines. ONLY a Rule of Law dictated by the few who are in power.
iyan ang mga yan ang dapat kidnapin ng abu sayaf at pugatan ng ulo…mga animal yan…mga law breaker ang mga iyan nasa comelec….pera-pera lang yan…..magkano kaya binayad ng mga kultong dilaw sa kanila…
Kung may binayad yun si Aquino; hindi pera niya… yung taxes mo ang binayad niya. Ginigisa na tayo sa sariling mantika ! Dinaya na tayo, ninakawan pa !
I was thinking of a more “legitimate” legal way out, like perhaps a petition for TRO with SC. Or maybe some legal loophole somewhere we missed that could be invoked. But…
The ruling is unambiguous and straightforward, it is as clear as clear can be. You can’t set it aside without provoking hostility and losing face.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.
We are angry about this ruling bcoz we know from the very beginning that this election is fraud. Panot is guilty of words coming from his mouth…will not let Marcos win, warning people about the coming back of Martial Law, blah…blah…blah. Smartmatic is doing some magic and would not let BBM have IT experts to audit the machine…then…the counting in congress…millions undervotes…halata talaga DAYA! Ngayon talagang ultimate BIAS…they allowed to break the SOCE deadline and said they are not siding on (L)ugaw (P)arty…they are making themselves FOOL! Kawawa ang Juan ng Bayan!