PresElecWatch 2010 – Page 5

January 21, 2010

rePost::MLQ3 on Tumblr!: A Philippinres That Works: Benigno S. Aquino III

nice read. napanood na ni noy ang invictus???

We must find a unity that transcends the divisions of today, based on a shared commitment to transforming our country into one that works: One where traffic flows well, garbage is collected efficiently, crimes are solved, justice is served, and our kids are educated properly. It works in the sense that you do not have to flee the country to move up in the world, improve your lot in life, and rise to the highest level your personal merits can achieve.
We are a nation of sacrifice, of diligence, dedication and, idealism, because we are a people imbued with compassion even when we have officials who lie, cheat, and steal. Our faith teaches us that we are our brother’s keeper. Our logic should tell us that in taking care of others, their growth equals our own.
In the movie “Invictus,” Nelson Mandela says, “In order to rebuild our nation, we must exceed our own expectations.” It requires us to insist, always, that we are not a nation of crooks, of thieves, of murderers who get off scot-free and where justice is won by the highest bidder.
In May, you will be asked to make a choice. Will you choose transformation and change or will you choose to uphold the status quo?
We have already made our choice. Ours is a journey towards transformation. I ask you today to join us in this journey now.
via MLQ3 on Tumblr!: A Philippinres That Works: Benigno S. Aquino III.

January 21, 2010

Best Read::Nicanor Perlas and the Dreams of an Ordinary Citizen | Filipino Voices

Millions share his vision because they see, and feel it. Perlas is someone crying out in the wilderness and asking people to come to him and share his vision for the Nation. Perlas wants to unite people and fight against poverty. Perlas wants to eradicate graft and corruption. Perlas will exercise strong political will to fight the forces that weaken the Motherland. And Perlas will see to it that those who have committed grave injustices against the People are put behind bars.There is something terribly wrong when people like Nicanor Perlas who once lived peacefully in their rich hamlets are suddenly seen in the streets, preaching the Gospel of Salvation from poverty and wants. When people who hate politics are suddenly going around town, preaching of “New Politics”, that’s surely a sign that things have turned for the worst.It just means that the exploitation, the degradation, the immorality, the amorality, the misery of the human condition, has seeped into the comfort zones of those who are not of the hungred kind.And I laud Blogwatch.ph and the Vibal Foundation for allowing me to partake of Nicanor Perlas’ vision even for an hour. Meeting him just makes me realize that the end is definitely not near, because there are still a few good men left who will sacrifice everything, just so that others may live better lives.
via Nicanor Perlas and the Dreams of an Ordinary Citizen | Filipino Voices.

January 15, 2010

rePost::Midnight appointments : Manuel L. Quezon III: The Daily Dose

A well written article that explains to non lawyers the current issue being faced by the Aquino Campaign vs the Arroyo Palace and their tiff with Presidential Appointments. Some people have no shame. Imagine if this was done by someone good. I am reminded always of The Movie Hero by Jet Li . When will someone who has no shame with the balls to do change for the good.

Benigno Aquino III has thrown down the gauntlet in light of the President’s toying with appointing the next Chief Justice when the current Chief Justice retires on May 17 (ideally, by that time, the public would already know who the next President is, and the date falls about a month and a half before the official term of the incumbent expires, when there is a blanket prohibition on appointments from the time the last two months of a president’s term starts). The Palace is suitably miffed.
via Midnight appointments : Manuel L. Quezon III: The Daily Dose.

January 15, 2010

rePost::“A Message of Modern Politics” by Randy David | Filipino Voices

This was an excellent write up of a speech/lecture? Prof Randy David gave. It’s an interesting read!!!

Quest for political stability
David observes that Filipinos are “sick and tired” of politics. In other societies, people are not overburdened with politics. And normally citizens think only about it during elections. The fact the politics consumes much of our national imaginary has both good and bad effects, he says. It is good in that citizens are kept informed. It is bad in that the constant politicking leaves little room to do much of anything else. It is time spent away from thinking about ways to improve education and health, growing businesses and the arts.
He says in the region the Philippines has had the longest experience with elections and yet we cannot seem to get it right. Elections are a good way of making the transition from a ‘traditional’ to a ‘modern’ society.
Here he gives quick yet unerring definitions of these broad concepts. A ‘traditional’ society is one of hierarchies. One might also call them ‘feudal’, ties and associations based on families. He also calls this society ‘limited-access’ in that only certain people enjoy monopolies of power and influence. A ‘modern’ society is ‘open-access’ and allows associations not based on familial or personal ties but through functions. They are ‘functionally differentiated’, allowing for clear divisions between politics and business, politics and religion, politics and other public realms. One might argue that a modern society is also more democratic.
David then makes an astonishing claim, one that many of us will probably instantly recognize but which we have not yet articulated, most of all to ourselves. I know I was struck by it. David claims we cannot seem to make that transition from being a ‘traditional’ (i.e. hierarchical, monopolistic) society to a ‘modern’ (i.e. truly democratic) society. We are stuck somewhere in the middle, exhibiting characteristics of either model. And here is where David makes a crucial point. He asks, why is it important to modernize?
via “A Message of Modern Politics” by Randy David | Filipino Voices.

January 11, 2010

rePost::Pagbabago and what it really means to us, Pinoys | Filipino Voices

Aquino and Villar do not offer “pagbabago”–they offer an “exchange” or only “palitan”—from an administration dominated by one elite group to another. They want their elite groups to transpose the existing one.
Worst, are the two remaining presidentiables, namely Teodoro and Gordon who offer the worst form of “pagbabago”. There is nothing transformative about Gordon’s “transformative politics”, read his platform—there’s no “transformative ideas” there–only motherhood statements.
Gordon wants to barter and what’s worst, he will be bartering our very futures when he becomes president. What Gordon offers is what we call “cosmetic change”–he wants nothing more than changes in the exterior aspect of our life.
Teodoro offers new leadership only, the kind which we have been accustomed to since nine years ago. Nothing about pagbabago as we want or aspire for—more of “transactional” change. In fact, Teodoro wants Gloria to be on his side when he wins and that is so evident in his public statements. Teodoro represents grossly traditional or G.T. politics.
Who, then, holds the right interpretation of “pagbabago” ? Is Erap Estrada, who did not attend the forum, offers us the “pagbabago” which we so desperately seek?
No. Estrada just wants to continue what he failed to finish. He offers nothing new, except perhaps, a new face?
Who, then, holds the right interpretation of “pagbabago”?
via Pagbabago and what it really means to us, Pinoys | Filipino Voices.

January 9, 2010

rePost::Kilalanin! A presidential forum moderated by Mike Enriquez on dzBB – Nation – GMANews.TV – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News

I’m beginning to think that all these presidential forums etc are only really helping the news organizations to drive viewers to their show. Why? Because if history has anything to tell us; People who vie for the presidency would lie,cheat,steal to get it. We have no way of holding them accountable. Even in an advance democracy we have Barack Obama lying about campaigning for the public option, what can we expect from our more gullible and manipulated media. I’m not saying that knowing your candidates views on stuff isn’t important. What I’m saying is that; what we should be doing is looking at what they earlier promised when they ran for public office and how they followed through with their promises.

Kilalanin! A presidential forum moderated by Mike Enriquez on dzBB
01/09/2010 | 05:35 PM
Listen to an audio recording of Kilalanin! – a presidential forum with four candidates in Alabang on Sunday, January 9, moderated by Mike Enriquez and broadcast on dzBB. The four featured candidates:
* Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III
* Richard “Dick” Gordon
* Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro
* Manuel “Manny” Villar
via Kilalanin! A presidential forum moderated by Mike Enriquez on dzBB – Nation – GMANews.TV – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News.

January 3, 2010

rePost::Voting machine source-code leak shows election-rigging subroutines? Boing Boing

Voting machine source-code leak shows election-rigging subroutines?
Sequouia, a company that makes many of the electronic voting machines used in the US and elsewhere, has inadvertently leaked much of the secret source-code that powers its systems. The first cut at analysis shows what looks like illegal election-rigging code (“code that appears to control or at least influence the logical flow of the election”) in the source.
Sequoia blew it on a public records response. We (basically EDA) have election databases from Riverside County that Sequoia insisted on “redacting” first, for which we paid cold cash. They appear instead to have just vandalized the data as valid databases by stripping the MS-SQL header data off, assuming that would stop us cold.
They were wrong.
The Linux “strings” command was able to peel it apart. Nedit was able to digest 800meg text files. What was revealed was thousands of lines of MS-SQL source code that appears to control or at least influence the logical flow of the election, in violation of a bunch of clauses in the FEC voting system rulebook banning interpreted code, machine modified code and mandating hash checks of voting system code.
I've got it all organized for commentary and download in wiki form.
This is the first time we can legally study a voting system's innards without NDAs or court-ordered secrecy.

Sequoia Voting Systems hacks self in foot (via MeFi)
via Voting machine source-code leak shows election-rigging subroutines? Boing Boing.

To the chagrin of friends from IT to the Academe etc. I’ve always been optimistic in the computerization of elections in the Philippines. Articles like this gives me pause.

December 27, 2009

rePost::Nick Perlas and the Missing Manual of Maria Clara

I’ve never thought of Don Quixote as a geek. This framing of Nick Perlas as the geek suitor help me make the connection. This was a nice article, read the whole thing, tis really short. The funny thing is if we use his way of thinking what would Manny Villar be? the rich suitor? Eddie Villanueva would then be the suitor that speaks of spirituality and purity? Gibo would be the intelligent talented guy who doesn’t have much charm? Erap would be the Bad Boy?
What scares me with this is that my jaded ecxperience tells me that the nice guys finish last and ; It’s either the Bad Boy or The Rich Guys who get the girl.
I’m rambling. Once you get blogging into your system, you sometimes just have too. Okay vacation mode again!!!!!!!!

Think about Nick Perlas as the quintessential geek, neither flashy nor fancy.
The geek is plain. He is ordinary. He isn’t in it for the money or the honor or whatnut. He wants to solve problems that he is presented with. He is geek and like all geeks, a woman throws him into a recursive loop.
The geek is like that reliable knight who does Maria Clara’s will, and the perfect confidant. The geek is the guy who shields her as best he could and picks her up when she falls. He stands by her when no one does. But seduction is not in the geek’s repertoire.
And Nick Perlas the candidate is as exciting as the wrapping of bond paper.
Noynoy Aquino is the Trojan horse, the least expected and unlikely suitor/hero of the story who comes riding to save the day. He isn’t evil. He comes from a good background. He is not a genius and knows he cannot surpass his own parents’ success. In fact, of the list seeking her sweet approval he is the one best-shot Maria Clara has at happiness.
(And yes, how ironic since Mr. Aquino is a bachelor).
via Nick Perlas and the Missing Manual of Maria Clara.

December 23, 2009

Holiday Reading::Published platforms : Manuel L. Quezon III: The Daily Dose

Published platforms
December 23, 2009 by mlq3
Filed under Daily Dose
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See my previous entries, Platforms and Platform time begins November 30.
In chronological order, the platforms thus far, are the following.
via Published platforms : Manuel L. Quezon III: The Daily Dose.

Manolo Quezon is a gem. He has compiled all published platforms of Presidential Candidates to the 2010 National Elections of the Philippines.