"All assumptions are false!" This is an often invoked expression precisely because it is obvious. What is real, actual or factual needs no assumption at all on account of its given objective truth. Assumptions wherefore are merely forwarded -- as non-existent bridges - in order for a thinking process to move on. The following are no less than impressive assumptions which are somehow wild but worth making - in conjunction with the forthcoming fully automated local and national elections:
Assuming that all of the thousands of PCOS machines would function perfectly, without any mechanical problem or technical trouble of any kind, notwithstanding the lack of due knowledge on the part of many voters plus their mishandling of the ballots for one reason or another;
Assuming further that nothing at all would impede the proper and correct counting of all the ballots in all the thousands of clustered Precincts in the whole Country, and that there would be enough power for the exact and timely transmissions of the votes cast from the local to the national levels;
Assuming finally that not only the COMELEC but also all political parties as well as Party Lists plus duly accredited "Election Watchdogs" would be given their duly identified and certified copies of the election returns, as provided by law and thus rightfully demanded by the said entities;
Notwithstanding all the marvelous and impressive assumptions above made, there is still much left to realistically and ardently expect honest and orderly, peaceful and credible local and national elections - considering but the following reservations:
There are the Voters' Registrations in the thousands of Precincts in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, that are thus progressively padded according to a trusted former COMELEC Commissioner: In 1998-2001, the Registrations were padded by some 500,000 voters. In 2004, the Registrations were padded by some 3,000,000 voters. For 2010, the Registrations are padded by some 5,000,000 voters.
Furthermore, in the clustering of five to six Precincts, there will be some 1000 voters casting their votes in the same place, using but one PICOS machine. With all Precincts open from 6AM to 6PM (12 hours) on 10 May, each voter has but some 43.2 seconds to vote - from looking for his/her name, to registering his/her presence, to getting-filling-casting his/her ballot.
Finally, with but one of them dismissed lately by COMELEC itself, there are still "Operators" and "Hubs" either at the command of high public Officials or acting independently on their own with the "proper incentives" from interested parties, and whose "official" task has been the so called "Dagdag-Bawas" projects, long since.
What now, Philippines my Philippines?!
OVCRUZ ,JCD
05 MARCH 2010
Friday, March 05, 2010
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Imprudence
Prudence has nothing to do with timidity or fear. Much less is a prudent person identified with someone who is unusually uncertain, meek or ambivalent. The virtue to discern well and to thereafter accordingly act pursuant to the dictate of right reason in a concrete or practical issue — this is prudence. Briefly, prudence is right reason in action. It is prudence that intimately guides conscience in deciding what to do and what to avoid doing — not really because the former is allowed or the latter is forbidden. Instead, prudence is choosing better than simply good, preferring what is honorable than what is merely permissible.
Imprudence then is the equivalent of indiscretion, tactlessness or insensibility “Who care?” “So what?” “Never mind.” These and similar expressions are the standard expressions of someone imprudent when advised to say and/or do otherwise — in the name of delicadeza. Indiscreet, insensitive or even egoistic and callous are the usual character traits appended to an imprudent person, This individual can be anything but dutifully concerned, considerate or altruistic.
Thus cores the question why is someone so in a hurry to appoint a new Chief Justice for the Supreme Court? Why is the person concerned willing to throw caution to the wind with the undue eagerness of already naming someone to replace somebody who is still in Office? With so many urgent socio-political agenda in need of immediate attention, why is precisely the same persona so eager to do something which someone else could rightfully and legitimately do instead? Why the manifest imprudence?
Such insistent move and inopportune desire against the dictate of prudence cannot but have a motive and design definitely other than love of justice for the good of the Country. This is precisely why there are not few people who harbor the conviction that it is exactly the opposite that is evidenced by such an imprudence, i,e, preparation for injustice in view of a selfish interest of the subject party concerned,
It is not altogether impossible that the so called “ first fully automated elections” in the Country scheduled for 10 May this year, could generate confusion and disorder on the day it is held, or might sow disgust and cause violence thereafter. In such an eventuality, the same someone long holding power and influence might, want to prolong such a tenure, and could later on eventually need the affirmation of the Supreme Court. Evidently, when this highest judicial body in the land were then headed by a thus appointed ally, then everything would be “in the bag”. Neat!
OVCRUZ,JCD
3 MARCH 2010
Imprudence then is the equivalent of indiscretion, tactlessness or insensibility “Who care?” “So what?” “Never mind.” These and similar expressions are the standard expressions of someone imprudent when advised to say and/or do otherwise — in the name of delicadeza. Indiscreet, insensitive or even egoistic and callous are the usual character traits appended to an imprudent person, This individual can be anything but dutifully concerned, considerate or altruistic.
Thus cores the question why is someone so in a hurry to appoint a new Chief Justice for the Supreme Court? Why is the person concerned willing to throw caution to the wind with the undue eagerness of already naming someone to replace somebody who is still in Office? With so many urgent socio-political agenda in need of immediate attention, why is precisely the same persona so eager to do something which someone else could rightfully and legitimately do instead? Why the manifest imprudence?
Such insistent move and inopportune desire against the dictate of prudence cannot but have a motive and design definitely other than love of justice for the good of the Country. This is precisely why there are not few people who harbor the conviction that it is exactly the opposite that is evidenced by such an imprudence, i,e, preparation for injustice in view of a selfish interest of the subject party concerned,
It is not altogether impossible that the so called “ first fully automated elections” in the Country scheduled for 10 May this year, could generate confusion and disorder on the day it is held, or might sow disgust and cause violence thereafter. In such an eventuality, the same someone long holding power and influence might, want to prolong such a tenure, and could later on eventually need the affirmation of the Supreme Court. Evidently, when this highest judicial body in the land were then headed by a thus appointed ally, then everything would be “in the bag”. Neat!
OVCRUZ,JCD
3 MARCH 2010
Monday, March 01, 2010
Boy Mayor Ambushed 4:20 AM, 28 February 2010, R.I.P
There was this man who was once involved in the devious and odious gambling called “jueteng”. It is not a secret that the eventual and constant “winners” from the said racket have been always the same: The influential gambling lords. The crooked public officials. The covetous police officers. Everybody else was a loser—except this or that bettor allowed to win every now and then simply for “come on!” purposes.
That man was Boy Mayor. He realized the social evil inherent to jueteng. He came to loathe the illegal numbers game. He therefore denounced it decidedly, publicly and officially before no less than the Philippine Senate. Together with two other brave and upright Senate witnesses, the man exposed the viciousness of jueteng. Without the advice or assistance of any lawyer or counsel, they gave their own sworn testimonies, naming names of infamous individuals they personally knew, viz., who regularly got their shares of their loot, how much and how often, from this and that gambling lord particularly in Luzon.
Boy Mayor thus had to little by little engage in this and that small construction business to support his family. In other words, be became a small contractor of this and that small government project—usually funded by portions of the CDF of one politician or another in the country for the supposed development of his dear province. It was hard and the earnings were small. But work and toil he had to, lest he had nothing at all to provide for his relatively few yet regular domestic needs.
Late afternoon of 24 February Wednesday, he arranged a visit with the undersigned—worried and lamenting primarily about the following facts: One, he was not able to win any small project of any kind, for some two years past. Two, he knew that practically all the big and small government construction projects were cornered by one big construction company. Three, he wanted to expose the huge dirty scam before the general public so that small contractors like him could hopefully win some equally small public works projects, again. Four, he was prepared to name names, to expose the graft and corruption, and to even say how much public funds was lost to numerous ghost projects here and there. Five, he was decided to find a media outlet that would be willing to put his exposé on record for people to know, and for the government agency concerned to act in order to put a stop to the big racket.
Boy Mayor was then already apprehensive about his safety, about the danger to his life the exposé would bring. And it happened! He was ambushed. He was shot. He died. Question: who are those individuals in the construction business in his province responsible for his murder? Will the competent government authorities like to investigate and know? Are they prepared to go to his province to do the needed inquiry in order to eventually bring the hired and principal murderers to justice?
OVCruz, JCD
March 1, 2010
That man was Boy Mayor. He realized the social evil inherent to jueteng. He came to loathe the illegal numbers game. He therefore denounced it decidedly, publicly and officially before no less than the Philippine Senate. Together with two other brave and upright Senate witnesses, the man exposed the viciousness of jueteng. Without the advice or assistance of any lawyer or counsel, they gave their own sworn testimonies, naming names of infamous individuals they personally knew, viz., who regularly got their shares of their loot, how much and how often, from this and that gambling lord particularly in Luzon.
Boy Mayor thus had to little by little engage in this and that small construction business to support his family. In other words, be became a small contractor of this and that small government project—usually funded by portions of the CDF of one politician or another in the country for the supposed development of his dear province. It was hard and the earnings were small. But work and toil he had to, lest he had nothing at all to provide for his relatively few yet regular domestic needs.
Late afternoon of 24 February Wednesday, he arranged a visit with the undersigned—worried and lamenting primarily about the following facts: One, he was not able to win any small project of any kind, for some two years past. Two, he knew that practically all the big and small government construction projects were cornered by one big construction company. Three, he wanted to expose the huge dirty scam before the general public so that small contractors like him could hopefully win some equally small public works projects, again. Four, he was prepared to name names, to expose the graft and corruption, and to even say how much public funds was lost to numerous ghost projects here and there. Five, he was decided to find a media outlet that would be willing to put his exposé on record for people to know, and for the government agency concerned to act in order to put a stop to the big racket.
Boy Mayor was then already apprehensive about his safety, about the danger to his life the exposé would bring. And it happened! He was ambushed. He was shot. He died. Question: who are those individuals in the construction business in his province responsible for his murder? Will the competent government authorities like to investigate and know? Are they prepared to go to his province to do the needed inquiry in order to eventually bring the hired and principal murderers to justice?
OVCruz, JCD
March 1, 2010
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