Voters Education
Date of event: 2006-03-15, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

Voters Ed Series #1
March 15, 2006, 10-11:30 AM at the Yehey! office 

Online Guests:
    •    Mr. Guillermo Luz, executive vice-president of Ayala Foundation, former secretary-general of the National Movement for Free Elections and former executive director of the  
         Makati Business Club
    •    Mr. Kris Pura, spokesperson of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia-Youth Group
    •    Mr. James Jimenez, COMELEC spokesperson [emailed his response]
 
Logged on: 32 users

Transcript follows:
<paolo> Good morning and welcome to the first in a series of nine virtual press conferences on voters education here at VOTERS ED @ BREWING POINT. The series seeks to educate Filipino voters, especially young people, on the upcoming May 2007 elections, as well as serve as a venue for continuing education in citizenship.

<paolo> For the information of everyone, this event was jointly organized by our site host, Yehey.com; the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), a non-partisan NGO that advocates citizens? participation in governance; and Writers Edge, an editorial content provider.

<paolo> I am your moderator, Paolo, of Yehey! who will guide you through the chat process. Some a few quick reminders:

<paolo> If you want to post a question for the resource person, just type a single "?" and I will take note of your ID/nickname and let you know when it's your turn to ask a question.

<paolo> When it's your turn to ask, type your message in the field at the bottom of the chat window and press the Enter key. Your message will appear in the main chat window and all other chat participants can view it.

<paolo> Our guests will say their piece first then I’ll let you know when it’s time to ask them your questions.

<paolo> Our topic in our first virtual presscon is: ELECTIONS 101 (What every voter must know). We are fortunate to have in our panel: Mr. Guillermo Luz, EVP of Ayala Foundation and former spokesperson of NAMFREL and the Makati Business Club.  

<paolo> To get the ball rolling, could we ask Mr. Luz, being a strong voice in the past elections, why you think young voters, especially the first-timers, should participate in the May elections?

<Bill Luz> A strong democracy must be based upon clean and elections. It is important that everybody gets an opportunity to vote and that their vote be counted accurately. There are many young voters out there, particularly first-time voters, so I encourage you to go out and let your voices be heard.

<Bill Luz> By the way, there should be approximately 3-4 million first-time voters, assuming you all had a chance to register before December 31, 2006. So you have a powerful voice if you put all your numbers together.

<Mong>?

<Paolo> We could now take questions from our media friends and Yehey! users on our topic today. Please don’t forget to type ? and wait for me to acknowledge you before you type your question. While waiting for your turn, you may already type your question on the field but do not hit Enter yet.

<paolo> Yes Mong, go ahead.

<Mong> what do you think of the fire at the COMELEC office? A lot of voters are worried about this incident.

<Bill Luz> I am worried, too. It's not a good sign. The building was supposed to be secured at the time. There's no telling what records have been lost and may never be recovered. Some of those records may be even be part of the evidence to be used in some cases. I think CONELEC should release an inventory list of what was stored at the COMELEC at the time of the fire. By the way, there are more things to worry about, apart from that fire.

<Mong>?

<Paolo> Go ahead, Mong.

<Mong> What can young people contribute to ensure a clean and honest elections?

<Bill Luz> First and foremost, go out and vote on May 14. Study the list of candidates carefully and vote only for people whom you feel have the country's interest at heart. Also check out their track records. Most importantly, try to determine what their character is like. Are they ethical? Are they honest? Do they have integrity?

<Paolo> Unfortunately, due to the fire at the COMELEC building, Mr. Jimenez has sent word that he cannot make it to our virtual presscon.

<nordicgift> I don’t have any updates about what’s coming up during the elections... Will it get computerized already?

<Bill Luz> The next thing you should do is make sure you join a poll watching group to make sure that your vote, as well as that of your fellow voters, are properly and accurately counted. Our elections in the past have been affected by attempts to cheat and change vote counts. Never take anything for granted.

<paolo> If you want to post a question for the resource person, just type a single "?" and I will take note of your ID/nickname and let you know when it's your turn to ask a question.

<Bill Luz> When you vote for Senators, I suggest filling in all the 12 spaces on the ballot. In 2004, the average voter only filled out 7 slots and left 5 spaces open. The problem with that is that leaving blanks makes it easier for candidates you don't like to actually win. It's a matter of arithmetic.

<Bill Luz> In 2004, the difference from Senator No. 8 to 13th place was only 661,000 or so votes. The difference between 12th and 13th place was only about 11,000 votes. Imagine what the results would have been if more people filled out the full 12 slots on the ballot rather than only 7.

<Mong> ?

<paolo> Go ahead, Mong.

<Mong> Do you think there will be cheating this year? How can we minimize fraud? What measures do you propose to prevent massive cheating?
<kankunis> ?

<Bill Luz> I also suggest voting for a sectoral party-list representative to Congress. Don't leave that space blank because the vote is calculated against the number of votes cast for that slot. The fewer the votes cast, the easier it is for parties you don't like to gain a seat.

<Shembong> ?

<cheekie> ?

<osborne> ?

<paolo> Go ahead kankunis.

<louis_mcallister> ?

<paolo> Let's welcome Mr. Kris Pura from the Youth group of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia.

<Shembong> Welcome sir.

<Shembong> ?

<paolo> kankunis, you may post your question now

<louis_mcallister> ?

<osborne> ?

<paolo> Shembong, post your question.

<Shembong> Can I put "NONE" on the blank space?

<Bill Luz> I think early potential signs of cheating and fraud are already evident. First, unknown candidates have been fielded mainly because they have the same last names as other candidates. Second, the COMELEC is taking so long to release the voters list. The deadline for registration was last December! COMELEC is even saying that there are 44+ million registered voters. I can't see how that is possible when there are only 88.1 million people.

<Shembong> ?

<Bill Luz> That would mean that virtually everybody of voting age (18 and above) has actually registered to vote. I don't think that's possible.

<paolo> For Mr. Pura, could you tell us what position is the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA)? Can an organization like yours really afford to be non-partisan in an electoral process?

<louis_mcallister> ?

<sheila> ?

<ISA_youth> We have to bear in mind that ISA is an institution that promotes public governance.  Yesterday, ISA published its view for the upcoming 2007 elections in Philippine Daily Inquirer.

<Bill> To minimize fraud, you need to be very vigilant. First, make sure you see the voters list in your area and check if the names of people represent people who really live in your area. Next, make sure that you go early to the polling stations on May 14 to vote. Join a poll watching group to observe elections. Also join a quick count group like NAMFREL so you can help in counting ballots and posting results.

<sheila> For Mr. Luz, do you think trapos will still get elected into office?

<ISA_youth> Incidentally, the title of this press statement was: THERE IS LIFE AFTER 2007 ELECTIONS

<osborne> ?

<Bill Luz> Results are first tabulated on Election Returns in the precinct and then to Certificates of Canvass in the city and provincial levels. Make sure they tally. I know that sounds like a lot of work but I think it is necessary because the system is so flawed and vulnerable to cheating.

<COMELEC Rep’s emailed reply> Unfortunately, I believe so. Of course, we all want traditional politics to disappear in a puff of smoke, but overturning such an entrenched system is not the work of one election season. The fact that people seem to be more disgusted with traditional politics now only means that people seem to be more disgusted with traditional politics; it may signal the beginning of the end of trad-pols, but trad-pols will certainly linger a while lo

<paolo> Go ahead osborne, you may post your question

<zakarias> ?

<louis_mcallister> ?

<osborne> Mr. Luz, many are criticizing quick counts as tools to cheating, as they condition the minds of the people to certain skewed results.  What can you say about this?  Is Namfrel still relevant?

<sheila> ?

<ISA_youth> In the press statement, ISA promoted the advancement of responsible citizenship.  That Filipinos be guided with values when voting for candidates. Thefore; ISA does not support any candidate nor any party.

<Bill Luz> I am sure some trapos will get elected to office. But since we've had so many before and we have seen the results, I hope voters will spend extra time to study and consider the new candidates and the independents. There may be some there who may be able to do a better job serving the country. The trapos have had their chance. Perhaps it's time to see new faces in public service to see if they can do better. After so many years of trapos

<sheila> Young voters have often been described as cynical, apathetic and apolitical. Does this mean their votes will not matter in this coming elections (assuming they will be counted)?

<paolo> Go ahead louis_mcallister, you may post your question

<sheila> ?

<paolo> Go ahead sheila, post your question

<Bill Luz> The quick count only reflects what's on the ballot so I can't see how that should condition anybody's mind. I believe NAMFREL is still relevant. If you don't have a quick count this year, where would you like to get your results from?

<COMELEC REP’s emailed reply> If they [youth] actually vote, then they will make a difference in the sense that the youth vote on May 14, 2007 can be the seed of a greater movement towards increased youth participation in subsequent elections. If they don’t vote, well, how can they matter?

<subZer0> ?

<Mong> ?

<paolo> Go ahead subZer0, post your question

<subZer0> but is it true that NAMFREL is running for party list?

<subZer0> rep?

<Bill Luz> Apathy, cynicism, and being apolitical never solved any governance problem. If we want to fix our nation and make it a better to place to live, then we should work at it. If that includes complaining, then we should do that, too. The important this is that we should all do something. Doing nothing only keeps the status quo.

<sheila> Part of the cynicism towards the elections is the general attitude that "my vote won't be counted anyway." This perhaps reflects on the COMELEC's credibility in ensuring a fair and honest elections. What can COMELEC do to disabuse this notion?

<sheila> And how would you gauge COMELEC's credibility at this point?

<paolo> Yes sheila, your questions will be answered after Mong.

<paolo> Mong, go ahead

<Mong> After the elections, what electoral reforms we need to make in preparation for the 2010 elections?

<cheekie> ?

<ISA_youth> May I respond to the COMELEC's statement: I believe that the youth (which comprises more than half of the total population) would want to actively participate in the elections.  However; we are already dampened with the many issues that the government is facing.  The gov't officials should communicate to us more effectively if they actuall want more youth participation

<COMELEC Rep’s emailed reply> This cynicism is the fruit of the determined campaign to discredit the COMELEC. Bear in mind that through all the hew and cry of the last three years, there has not been a single shred of solid evidence to prove any wrongdoing on the part of the COMELEC. All there have been are accusations repeated loudly and often enough to make it sound like the truth.
Having said that, however, we must also admit that whether deserved or not, we do have a perception problem. To fix that, we’ve been increasing transparency in all our operations, addressing issues more proactively, and increasing the ability of the public to interact with us through our on-line presence (http://comelec.wordpress.com and http://jimenez.wordpress.com) and our information website www.bagongbotante.com.

<Bill Luz> I can understand the cause for cynicism because so few people trust the COMELEC. A lot of this goes back to the unresolved issues like Hello Garci and computer automation deal which the Supreme Court overturned. If people are unhappy with the COMELEC, or with any government agency for that matter, they should let their displeasure be known and felt. You pay for their salaries through your taxes.

<sheila> ?

<paolo> Go ahead, cheekie, post your question.

<cheekie> what can u say about the fleeting alliances of candidates and parties in this year's elections? some of them cant seem to make up their minds about which side they’re on?

<Bill Luz> Even youth pay taxes even if you don't work. You pay taxes through VAT and other indirect taxes. You pay for government services. So why shouldn't you expect better. You are both citizen and customer after all.

<Bill Luz> No shred of evidence of wrongdoing at the COMELEC ? There seems to be plenty. Didn't the Supreme Court nullify the automated counting machine contract? Didn't the Ombudsman's draft decision recommend suspension of certain COMELEC officials and possible impeachment of a Commissioner ? Why was the recommendation reversed by the Ombudsman's office ?

<Bill Luz> Didn't the President admit that she talked to someone on the COMELEC and say sorry on national television ?

<ISA_youth> I believe you are right, Mr. Luz. The youth is not aware of this (ie. VAT and other indirect taxes) that we do actually pay for government services.  Perhaps it is still not imbedded in our minds that we need to actively participate in the electoral system.

<sheila> ?

<paolo> Go ahead sheila, you may post your question.

<sheila> What will be the 'benchmarks' that will lead us to safely conclude that the results of this election were fair and honest?

<ISA_youth> ?

<Bill Luz> Regarding fleeting alliances, it just shows you that their focus on themselves and not issues or on the national interest. This is politics of convenience at work. That's why I always advise voters to look into the character of the candidates. Can they be trusted to have YOUR or the NATION'S INTEREST at heart or will they just court you and drop you ?

<COMELEC Rep’s emailed reply> Let me first tell you what are NOT benchmarks: The complaining of losing candidates: candidates love whining about having been cheated, so we must be careful about taking their word on this. All allegations must be substantiated. Reports of cheating released only through media: this is the easiest way to undermine the credibility of any person or agency or electoral exercise. It is also the safest for the provocateur because there is virtually no mechanism for accountability. How many people have been arrested for giving journalists a false lead (kuryente, they call it)? Come to that, how many journalists have actually given their retractions. The press releases of partisans: by definition, partisans are not interested in fair reporting. So what ARE the benchmarks? The absence of substantiated reports of anomalies or irregularities -- while perhaps not 100% proof, the absence of unsubstantiated reports give a pretty good indication that the polls were generally clean. The absence of much coverage by the media in the ARMM elections of 2005, hardly a whimper of news about the polls made it to the evening news. The reason journalists gave for the lack of coverage? The polls were boring because no one complained of cheating; the elections were boring because there was no scandal to report.

<Thanatos> ?

<paolo> Go ahead Thanatos, you may post your question.

<Bill Luz> Regarding the youth, you literally have the most at stake. I know that sounds like a cliche but it is true. Just think - every piece of legislation that Senators and Congressmen pass or every act of LGU officials will affect your life for many years. Not just 3 or 6 years which is the length of their term. More like 10-20 or until a law is amended or repealed.

<ISA_youth> ?

<sheila> ?

<paolo> Go ahead ISA_youth, post your question.   

<ISA_youth> Mr. Luz, for the youth what type of activities and initiatives you think that COMELEC or any organizations should stage in order to rally the support of the youth in the upcoming elections? Or even beyond this upcoming elections?

<Thanatos> Is there such thing as a fair and honest election? [laughs] Anyways here’s my question. How secure are the teachers and people who will be sacrificing their lives on the election?

<Thanatos> Is there an assurance of their safety?

<paolo> Yes, Thanatos, your question will be answered before ISA_youth's question.

<Bill Luz> If you are planning activities, don't count on the COMELEC. I am not rapping them but they have other things to do now. I suggest organizing things on your own like candidates forums before elections. Politics is a game of numbers and numbers are what your strength. There are millions of you - in fact about 4 million from age 18-21. Even if all of you are not registered voters, there's nothing that says you can't ask questions of the ca

<Bill Luz> After analyzing the candidates, talk to your parents, friends, elders and engage them in discussions about which candidates are better for the country. After that, make sure that the youith do actually go out and vote and, as I keep stressing, filling out all slots on the ballot. Even if you vote for 6 Senators, for instance, 12 will win. You may not even like the other 6 so you better use your voice and vote to express your support for

<Bill Luz> Join an election monitoring group because I can't say it enough times that you need to protect your vote and make sure it is counted correctly. After elections hold the winners to their promises. Between now and May 14, they will promise you everything when they court you. The true test of commitment is if they keep their promises.

<paolo> Go ahead sheila, post your question

<sheila> For Bill: Are there any election-related initiatives from the business sector that will be sustained after May 2007? Shouldn't we be educating voters continually, and not just during election season?   

<paolo> What's your fearless forecast on the length of time it will take to count the votes and proclaim the winners?

<Bill Luz> Elections will be free and fair only if we work at it. It is a failure of government and governance if it cannot assure the public of honest and fair elections.

<Bill Luz> As for security, there is safety in numbers. Our teachers do a great work but need to be secured. We should come out in big numbers to watch over their safety and to guard the ballots.

<Bill Luz> By the way, if you want to join NAMFREL, call 634-5604 or email namfrel@yahoo.com.

<Bill Luz> The business community supports poll monitoring efforts. The Makati Business Club also monitors the performance of Congressmen and Senators and posts them on www.mbc.com.ph/congresswatch. You can check their voting records there. You can also go to www.tag.org.ph to read up on transparency and accountability in governance. That site is also managed by MBC. Finally, both MBC and CODE-NGO, under the Coalition Against Corruption, monitors

<Bill Luz> Data is available on www.mbc.com.ph/congresswatch or www.tag.org.ph

<Bill Luz> Thank you. I enjoyed the session and I hope your readers found it useful. Let's all work for honest elections and elect good candidates to office.

<paolo> This is such a lively discussion on our topic, ELECTION 101 (What every voter must know). Unfortunately, we now have to end our virtual presscon.

<paolo> In behalf of ISA, Yehey! and Writers Edge, and all our guests who joined us today at the Yehey! office, we’d like to thank the press and our loyal Yehey! users for taking the time to link up with us and participating in this virtual presscon series. We will make the transcript of this presscon available to you.

<paolo> See you again next Thursday, March 22, 10 AM to 12 NOON, here at Brewing Point when we tackle the topic, In Search of a Philippine President for 2030. Our guests will be: Dr. Paul Dumol, noted playwright and a member of the University of Asia & the Pacific.