| Bible-familiar
folks know that the Four Horsemen of Apocalypse, riding the white, red, black
and pale Horses were to bring pestilence, war, famine and death to the sinning
earth.
Apocalyptic,
as they say. But there are other interpretations.
The
Four Horsemen could as well be the great Angel-quartet of Michael, Gabriel, Raphael
and Uriel - expected to bring deliverance, life, justice and hope.
That
is the reference point we want to make when we look at four major developments
unfolding with respect to the 2010 elections.
If
statistics were to be followed, 2010 will again be characterized by the guns,
goons, gold and "Garci" (its moral equivalent) that will then determine
the "winners" of the people's mandate.
The
Four Horsemen could be their anti-thesis, the antidote, the kryptonite.
They
are: Change Politics, Kaya Natin, Poll Automation and the New Youth Voters.
CHANGE
POLITICS, is a nation-wide movement run by 2,000 expert community development
organizers out to fight vote-buying, coercion and cheating starting 2010 till
2022 (target year for final redemption from electoral scourges).
Vote
buying is still rampant today with the selling price of P500 to P 1,500 per ballot
mostly in the rural and less urban areas. Seven of ten Filipinos still expect
vote buying; about 66% will accept election bribe but vote according to conscience
- but the remaining 33% is clearly "for sale to the highest bidder"
according to studies.
Starting
now, the CHANGE POLITICS are now identifying "vulnerable areas" for
vote-buying in the country and will work out development projects to counter the
nefarious activity. We would recommend Tagbilaran City and the "Maguindanao"
town of the Third District as a starting point, among others.
KAYA
NATIN, on the other hand, is slowly evolving into an Integrity Movement where
only people of Character and Competence will be recognized as its endorsed candidates
in 2010. From presidentiable down to town Councils, the movement will go through
a selection process, acting more like a Convenor Group.
Civil
society groups like "Black and White Movement", some party list representatives
and senators are veering towards at least giving the Convenor Group a chance to
show its worth this early.
Among
the leaders of the group are Pampanga Governor priest Among Panlilio (bane of
the illegal gambling and quarry lords of the president's home province), Isabela
Governor, polio-stricken woman-broadcaster Grace Padaca (bane of the Dy dynasty),
Mayors Jesse Robredo (Naga City), Florante Gerdan (Sta Fe, Nueva Vizcaya), Roque
Verzosa (Tagudan, Ilocos Sur), Fermin Mabulo (San Fernando, Camarines Sur), former
Mayor Jane Ortega (San Fernando, La Union) and Governor Teddy Baguilat of Ifugao,
among a growing number of others.
The
Movement aims to bring back respect and confidence in public service by getting
competent and honest persons elected into public office. Hopefully, tax paying,
support to government and loyalty to leaders will be commonplace - coup detats
and unrest will be a thing of the past.
On
the other hand, much hope is still pinned on the POLL AUTOMATION project which
has a P11.3-billion approved Budget. Although the process is still bugged down
by bidding technicalities - the delays are clearly technical and not fraudulently
designed by partisan interests.
The
horrors of the manual system of voting and counting are far too scary to even
contemplate that would result again in a nation divided (once more) like what
happened after 2004. This is the time to effect the automation when the COMELEC
is manned by a relatively clean man in Chairman Jose Melo.
In
the past, it was headed by Benjamin "Burger" Abalos which was like asking
Dracula to guard the Blood Bank from robbers. Laughable, then.
Finally,
there is the fourth angel, the YOUTH OF TODAY - oftentimes referred by Dr. Jose
Rizal as the Hope of the Motherland. Let us remember that 60% of today's voters
of 44 million are aged 30 years and below. Very soon there will be over one million
new young voter-registrants by 2010.
No,
he ain't running for politics, but Running Priest Fr. Roberto Reyes has set the
"10/10 Movement" - enjoining the youth to spend 10 minutes a day -everyday
till election - to pray that the nation keeps the sanctity of the ballot by 2010.
This will be a lot of young minds and hearts praying together - and acting later.
Some
of the core members could possibly come from the Filipino student leaders that
recently participated in a 3-day forum "Future Leaders of Asia" together
with their counterparts from Taiwan and Indonesia. If their idealism is harnessed
to good use, it can be a potent force against the 4 Gs of elections. (The youth
leaders of Bohol - should start getting their acts together, too. Any takers?)
On
top of the 4 Angels, of course, stands their Mighty King - who has to continuously
bless their work - to free them from narrow, selfish interests and - "Bayan
Muna" jud.
Let
the Four Horsemen ride.....there they go....
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For
Comments: email to bingo_dejaresco@boholchronicle.com
Or editor@boholchronicle.com
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