#Halalan2019: These key issues define my choices
#FightBackWithYourVote
The main battlefronts today and post-elections reflect my vote for the Senate. I am pretty much to the left of Center.
This is a highly personal list, reflecting personal priorities and positions on issues.I am not a member of any electoral bloc. I do not believe in bloc voting.
Here are my lines on the sand: Anyone running under the Duterte slate(s) will not get my vote and won’t be mentioned here. Ditto anyone for the death penalty and the lowering of the criminal age of accountability.
It also matters that candidates have a proven track record of working on these issues whether in and out of political office.
You’ll see passages with this * sign. These notes mainly deal with candidates who swing high and low on points that come under one category. Just look at these as internal mutterings, my stream of consciousness, part of the process of coming to hard choices.
ABOVE ALL, HUMAN RIGHTS: 30%
THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DUTERTE REGIME ARE THESE: a pathological yen for lies, total absence of due process, a buffoonery that cannot mask the deadly, malignant motivations of a leader who, in his own words, gets his high from kills.
In real terms, cops have killed more than 5,000 in sanctioned operations. More than double that number have died in what police conveniently tag vigilante actions, though many of these have been traced to government forces.
Human rights group Karapatan also says at least 148 rights defenders have been killed since Duterte took office in June 2016.The most targeted human rights defenders are farmers.
The Duterte government’s use of disinformation is often at the service of human rights violations. The lies come first; vilify to justify future attacks.
The biggest lie underpins Rodrigo Duterte’s mad war: that addicts are not human beings, that they are scum to be trampled under the rushing boots of a madman’s minions.
That lie expands to every perceived enemy — Sen. Leila de Lima, rights defenders and activists, the people of Marawi and elsewhere in the troubled island of Mindanao, indigenous folk, the few fighting clergy of all faiths, journalists, environmentalists, opposition figures like Sen. Antonio Trillanes.
The regime’s message is clear: the war drums of lies herald attacks aimed at silencing or disrupting operations of dissenters, the law be damned.
On this note, let me be very clear:
· Anyone who has tried to downplay the effects of the mad war against drug suspects does not deserve a place my list.
· Anyone who backs the Marcoses will not get my vote.
· I don’t care if candidates show their mettle elsewhere. If they embraced killers of drug suspects or farmers or indigenous folk fighting to defend ancestral lands, if they provided justification for killings or tried to block probes, if they have backed laws that threaten to further constrict a narrow democratic space, they will not get my vote. — These sins are not the exclusive turf of the Duterte government.
· My list will skew to those who can be counted on to use the Senate to probe extra-judicial killings, and fight the death penalty, draconian anti-terror laws, clamps on press freedom and freedom of expression.
Some readings:
https://international.la-croix.com/news/dark-lord-dark-times/9815
https://www.ucanews.com/news/duterte-threatens-to-arrest-all-his-critics/84902
https://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/12/28/18/opinion-heart-of-darkness
https://www.ucanews.com/news/in-dutertes-philippines-its-kill-now-investigate-later/80177
Top scorers:
Neri Colmenares, Chel Diokno, Erin Tanada (all three human rights lawyers, consistent through the decades, Neri pushing his human rights advocacy in three congressional terms, in the courts and on the streets); Leody de Guzman (an activist for decades, clear foe of fascists);
Samira Gutoc (a longtime peace worker, rescue worker, she may be close to the military establishment but has stood up for victims of rights violations no matter their politics);
Bam Aquino (because he’s not a Cojuangco, has his heart in the right place on issues; consistent positions on rights and civil liberties);
Florin Hilbay has spoken out on EJKs many times as have Sonny Matula and Ernesto Arellano (De Guzman, Matula and Arellano are progressive labor leaders, a plus in my book).
*Another leader, Allan Montaño, is pro-death penalty. That’s an automatic strike out for me. Sorry, Labor Win.
*Grace Poe has spoken out against some segments of Duterte’s mad war. She has also supported communities besieged by rights violations. She is against lowering the minimum age of criminality.But Poe and Nancy Binay (who has also spoken against drug war EJKs) voted to extend martial law in Mindanao.
*I don’t really see any direct Poe link to the Marcos clan. She backed the Senate resolution opposing the late dictator’s hero burial. She also signed resolution against the ouster of former Chief Justice Sereno. But she gets points subtracted for calling a key Duterte lie peddler “neutral” and praising him to boot. Pwede ba?
*Gary Alejano voted no for martial law extension and has spoken against the drug war. He is against the death penalty and the lowering of the age of criminal accountability. But I will never forget him welcoming to Congress the killers of Lumad and hailing the hounding of the indigenous children of Alcadev, among other reactionary positions. https://indayvarona.wordpress.com/tag/alcadev/ That’s ACTIVE support in my book. Also, he was very late in withdrawing authorship of that new, hateful anti-terror measure.
Simply put — my stand on human rights includes everyone. I cannot accept the position that some are not deserving of it — that’s exactly what Duterte is doing.
*Mar Roxas isn’t an active supporter of human rights violators. He’s largely been ineffectual in the first two years of Duterte as he opted for R&R. But Roxas did vote against the Human Security Act of 2007, raising the issue of civil liberties. He has a good head for anti-drug policy and opposes the death penalty and he filed a bill to decriminalize libel .https://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2019/222031-mar-roxas-raffy-alunan-drug-war-juvenile-justice
*Some candidates have been largely silent, boo.
Stop Duterte’s Cha-cha 20%
Duterte’s federalism pretention is just an excuse to cement tyranny.
I grew up in the province. I understand and sometimes share the hostility towards “Imperial Manila”. But equity and justice for the countryside doesn’t hinge on a poorly articulated federalism. Inequities and injustice can only worsen under a cha-cha that attacks human rights and hard-won economic, political, social and civil rights, a cha-cha that would sweep away separation of branches, a cha-cha that rewards political dynasties, a cha-cha that would serve up our national patrimony to foreign masters.
I’ve written a lot on Duterte’s cha-cha plans. You can read here:
https://www.ucanews.com/news/philippines-duterte-eyes-federalist-track-to-one-man-rule/81413
Top scorers: Neri Colmenares, Florin Hilbay, Chel Diokno, Samira Gutoc, Erin Tanada, Bam Aquino, Leody de Guzman, Sonny Matula, Gary Alejano.
Nancy Binay, Grace Poe next, but sometimes they waffle.
Mar Roxas is a friend to big business, but will give him props for calling on moratorium in land conversion, even in 2008. https://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2008/0505_roxas3.asp
* I almost turned back on Ernesto Arellano because he backs federalism, but have since learned that his position does not mean support for a cha-cha that would trample on people’s rights.
NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY 10%
The Duterte regime waltzed with China as it built and expanded artificial islands. It contracted onerous deals with the Chinese government or big China corporations. It has allowed China-linked firms preferential treatment, ignoring the influx of illegal migrants and the sidelining of Filipino workers.
The kowtowing to China is also linked to the push charter change.
My concern, however, doesn’t stop with China. It also includes US interference in Philippine affairs — hello, Mamasapano.
What I’m looking for are genuinely “independent” lawmakers.
Top scorers: Neri Colmenares, Chel Diokno, Samira Gutoc, Erin Tanada, Leody de Guzman, Sonny Matula, Ernesto Arellano.
Grace Poe has spoken of reservations on EDCA.
*Alejano and Hilbay deserve points for fighting China’s incursions and abuses. But Hilbay gets some deductions for lawyering for EDCA under Aquino. Alejano has indicated several times his preference for continuing presence of US troops here.
*Mar Roxas supported the US COIN and other related initiatives.
Roxas was not responsible for Mamasapano. But strangely, he refused to see that Mr. Aquino was accountable for insisting on a suspend police chief presiding over the hush-hush operation.
Alejano gets props for speaking openly on Mr. Aquino’s dodging responsibility for the debacle that led to the deaths of the SAF44. Hilbay defended Aquino against calls for accountability in the Mamasapano carnage.
POLITICAL DYNASTIES 10%
If you are a member of a political dynasty, points deducted. If you voted for or pushed a measure banning political dynasties, points for you.
(Example: Nancy Binay is a member of a fat political dynasty but she voted for the measure banning political dynasties.)
Top scorers: Neri Colmenares, Gary Alejano, Grace Poe, Erin Tanada, Chel Diokno, Mar Roxas, Bam Aquino, Leody de Guzman, Sonny Matula, Samira Gutoc, Arellano.
CORRUPTION 10%
THE FAKE DRUG WAR punishes the poor and allows big-time drug suspects to go scot-free, especially when they are friends of the Duterte family. There is no greater corruption than to kill poor suspected drug addicts and then reward officials responsible for letting in billions of pesos worth of shabu into the country. This “war” increasingly looks like one for dominion of the narcotics trade.
Also, anyone directed linked to plunder must be rejected.
Those who fought against PDAF and DAP get additional points. Those not involved in thievery but who defended PDAF and DAP get points subtracted.
Mamasapano was also about corruption. You don’t reward a police chief suspended for anomalous deals by giving him free hand in a very crucial, hush-hush operations. The court decisions on Alan Purisima since then have shown just how wrong Mr. Aquino was.
Top scorers: Neri Colmenares, Gary Alejano, Chel Diokno, Bam Aquino, Leody de Guzman, Sonny Matula, Samira Gutoc.
*Grace Poe backed the PDAF probes and handled the Mamasapano hearings well though her conclusion fell a little short with me. As early as 2017, she has been critical of corruption under Duterte, especially in agencies like Customs and Immigration.)
*Roxas and Alejano are not corrupt but they backed Aquino on DAP. Then Sol-Gen Florin Filbay defended it in the Supreme Court. Erin Tanada has been mentioned by COA reports though his pork not included in those with ghost projects
WOMEN’S ISSUES, OTHER SOCIAL ISSUES 10%
The statement, “women’s rights are human rights” isn’t a cliché. Women’s reproductive rights, economic rights, civil rights are important to development and progress.
But while voting for these rights is important, the battle against misogyny is an urgent call. Many politicians have voted for laws that advance human rights but have justified or kept silent in the face of Duterte’s misogyny. There reason is simple: they don’t want to get on the bad side of the regime and it’s supporters. Cowardice has no place on my list.
By the way, I am pro-divorce. Also, pro-LGBTQ rights. Repro rights is a line on the sand. I don’t expect everyone to accept same-sex marriage. But support for SOGIE is a must.
Oh, and there’s also the medical marijuana bill that I support.
Top scorers: Neri Colmenares, Mar Roxas, Chel Diokno, Erin Tanada, Florin Hilbay, Ernesto Arellano, Samira Gutoc.
I loved Arellano’s riff on divorce:
*Bam is anti-divorce but for marriage equality, go figure :) Matula is anti-divorce. Samira Gutoc is for gender equality but can’t quite come out straight for same-sex marriage or even civil unions.
*Mar and Binay and Poe are middle of the road most of the time, sometimes for this, sometimes not if their positions across six years mean anything.
*Alejano and Macalintal are very conservative on social issues.
*Macalintal is anti-repro rights. Nuff said. Line on the sand.
Some readings:
https://news.abs-cbn.com/blogs/opinions/04/20/16/laughing-at-a-daughters-rape
https://www.ucanews.com/news/philippine-women-children-trapped-in-cycles-of-abuse/75379
https://medium.com/@indayespinavarona/rape-and-duterte-b06234f3657a
https://international.la-croix.com/news/a-perversion-of-feminism/8319
ECONOMIC EQUITY 10%
I am against TRAIN. I am pro-land reform. I am for an end to endo.
PDAF and DAP work against equity. Pork ultimately serves politicians.
Top scorers: Neri Colmenares, Leody de Guzman, Sonny Matula, Erin Tanada, Chel Diokno, Bam Aquino.
*The only strike against Samira is her position that a college degree should be a requirement for public office.
*Mar Roxas is against TRAIN but had anti-labor and anti-farmer positions in the past . But he did author the magna carta for small and medium sized enterprises and am not too sure that his BPO initiatives were automatically bad for labor. However, he stood with Aquino in defense of PDAF and DAP, as did Hilbay and Alejano.
*Nancy Binay voted for TRAIN
*Grace Poe voted for TRAIN. According to Rappler, she has since seen the light.
MY SLATE , THEIR VOTES
I’ll put additional notes as captions.
