On Comelec and
Security Act

We are not solving our national problems effectively. Media has not been much of a help either. It has lost its focus.

Take the two cases, Comelec and the Human Security Act, the latter started its implementation yesterday.

Media has been harping and focusing on the stepping down of Chairman Benjamin Abalos and the Commissioners. This will not solve the problem. The next appointees might be worse. This is just a band aid solution. The root cause is graft and corruption.

There is the Human Security Act, enacted to solve the 40-year old insurgency. The focus is on the insurgency. Wrong! The focus of the law should be graft and corruption in the military. Insurgency is the product of that corruption. Take out graft and corruption and insurgency will just melt down.

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If media studied at a little, the Pastoral Letter of the Bishops Conference of the Philippines, has as its main focus the prosecution and punishment of all those responsible for anomalies in its resent and past elections. Comelec revamp is not a solution.

Aside from the call to prosecute, the CBCP Pastoral Letter also called for the automation of elections starting 2010, end warlordism in autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao, review laws on party and party-list system, absentee voting, political dynasty, nuisance candidates, and cleansing of the voters' list.

Take out corruption in Comelec and you will have credible, clean, fair and honest election.

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On the Human Security Act - you don't solve insurgency by charging, jailing or even killing activists or rebels. You kill one, ten will replace him.

Take out corruption from those solving insurgency and insurgency will just die a natural death. Corruption has encouraged the rebels and others to rebel against the rebels, and still others to rebel against the rebels to the rebels. There's money there.

There will be many layers of rebels like that group that kidnapped Father Bossi. They call it the splinter group of MILF.

It's not only the rebels' many layers of rebels making money. Also the people charged of solving rebellion with the unaudited intelligence funds. Who bought those defective mortar bullets? They should be hanged for the death of 14 marines.

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And who will solve these? Oh, we can just quote the Holy Writ, let those who are without sin cast the first stone. But no one among our officials will cast the first stone. So, the grafters, like the story in the Bible, will be told, "Go, and sin no more." But because they are not punished, they will go and sin some more.

Why does prostitution continue to flourish? Because Christ did not punish that woman. In like manner, our corrupt will continue to sin some more because they are not punished.

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Will there be politicians who will denounce graft and corruption? No! There is honor not only among thieves, but also among politicians. They do not denounce each other on corruption.

If they do, by pointing a finger, not only four but four times four times four will point back at them.

Let the issues be on track. The CBCP Pastoral Letter is to prosecute, charge and punish those responsible for the anomalies in the recent and past elections. Abalos will be included here already.

Then, let us focus our mind on the fact that the Human Security Act can not solve insurgency as long as there is corruption. On the contrary it will even worsen insurgency. Especially if government will pour in more money, supposedly to solve insurgency.

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But, this cannot be easily done. I am not pessimistic. I believe it can be done, not by bashing the President and finding fault in everything she does. She is just caught in the web and network of corruption where she is sinking and sinking deeper. She will dig in.

I go for media supporting her but demanding that she wields a strong hand against the grafters and the corrupt. Let us make her understand that she has to leave a legacy. And the best legacy is a country, stripped of grafters and the corrupt.

The main player here is media. An active media to denounce graft and corruption will be a big help. And that we prepare ourselves to support one who, we believe, can eradicate corruption here. One of the likes of Lee Kuan Yew, Mahathir Mohammad, and Park Chung-hee. They brought progress to Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea, respectively. Who will he be?

And whistle blowers must be rewarded, not like Bryan Baylon who was the one suspended. Who will report anomalies now? The suspicion is corruption goes up to the office of the Health Secretary.*

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