BAGO CITY -- Former President Fidel Ramos yesterday called on this year's senatorial candidates to focus on issues important to the people instead of concentrating on making "pogi (handsome) points"

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, also said that, as of now he sees a 6-6 win for the administration and the opposition in the May senatorial race. Ramos and Enrile were at the Rafael M. Salas Park and Nature Center in Barangay Guintubdan here yesterday for the 20th death anniversary of Rafael Salas, who headed the United Nations Fund for Population Activities.

"I do not see any of the candidates for senator focusing on the issues, instead it is all pa pogi," Ramos said, citing the need for them to address poverty, livelihood, the environment and development.

"Our electorate today is much younger and smarter and therefore more selective of their candidates for higher office," he said.

"First priority should not be pa pogi or popularity, but it must be competence, performance potential and vision that must be proven by all candidates," he said.

"In the coming elections the smarter candidates will do well to focus on people empowerment issues which carry a huge appeal for the masses," he said.

He, however, refused to name those whom he will vote for. "I will decide on election day because right now it is too muddled," Ramos said.

Asked about the shift of some candidates critical of President Gloria Arroyo to the administration party, and those previously associated with her going to the Genuine Opposition, Ramos said it is nothing new.

"When President Arroyo first came into the presidency in January 2001 there were so many there supporting her, but at the turn of the hat in three or four months most of them were already opposed to her," he said.

This is the same thing that happened with the administration senatorial line up in 2004, I don't know what will happen in 2007,he said.

Enrile said in these elections the voters will have to select the senatorial candidates who will merit their votes, as there are good material from both sides.

"The challengers are always at a disadvantage because they have no organization and structure in the field. On the other hand they have their popularity, they claim the public opinion is against the administration," he said.

As of now I would say that it would be a 6-6 win in the senatorial race but that could tilt one way or the other, Enrile said.

Let us be sure we have honest, orderly, peaceful elections that are credible to the people and to the international community, Ramos said.

He said he was hoping that amendments to the 1987 Constitution, that included electoral reforms, would have been put in place by now.

The electoral process must be made as short and honest as possible, the waiting time between voting, canvassing and proclaiming is just too protracted and expensive and not good for the moral of the people, he said.

He was also hoping the unwanted practices called "dynastysm and turncoatism" would have already been defined in the Constitution itself by now, Ramos said.

In Thailand the turncoats are prohibited from running for any office within three years after they change political parties, he said.

In the 1987 Constitution there is a provision prohibiting the President from appointing relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity. Something like that can be incorporated in the Constitution itself to prevent political dynasties, Ramos said.*CPG

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