Manang's Vote

Purisima Rentosa, the manang behind “Manang’s” carinderia, takes her Manong’s orders when it comes to voting.

Bumoto po ba kayo?
Hindi ako masyadong ano diyan. Basta binigay ni Manong, isusulat ko, tapos na. Bumoto kami, dito sa Miriam.

Ano po ba yung naging experience niyo?
Mainit, tapos maraming tao, siksikan. Pero ‘yung mahirap hanapin ‘yung pangalan, eh lagi kami diyan bumoboto, hindi naman kami nahirapan maghanap ng pangalan namin. Kasi yung iba, nandun sa mga pangalan pagpasok mo, pero pagpunta na nila din sa prisinto nila, hindi na nila makita yung mga number, kaya hahanapin pa nila. Pero kami, hindi naman kami nahirapan. Maayos naman.

Diba sabi niyo po si Manong po yung may alam sa pulitiko, paano po kayo pumipili ng iboboto?
Kasi siyempre nagtatrabaho siya sa barangay, marami siyang nakakasalamuhang tao sa city hall, ganyan, nakakapagkuwento-kuwento, pero ako sa bahay lang. Basta binigay niya yung mga pangalan na iboboto, yun na hindi na ako nagtatanong-tanong. Alam mo naman ako diyan lang sa bahay, sa palengke, sa bahay, ganyan lang.

Ano pong masasabi niyo sa pagkakaiba ng dating eleksyon tsaka sa ngayon?
Wala naman akong ma-anong iba. Ang ano ko lang ngayon, parang tahimik at tsaka malinis. Dati-rati sa Maryknoll naku, ang daming kalat-kalat! Punta ka sa labas may nagbibigay ng sample ballot, gastos pa yun at madumi pa. Ngayon parang tahimik tapos malinis, wala kang makitang mga posters, mga kalat diyan sa semento. Ang linis.

Catherine N. Dellosa and Erik S. Fajardo

Bantay Pangako: Monitoring Promises

by Randy Tuaño
Lecturer, Department of Economics

To help communities monitor the promises of candidates after they win in the elections, the Bantay Pangako project was formed in January by several Ateneo professors and civil society groups. The group requested the Pugadlawin political reform network, headed by Dr. Benjie Tolosa, then chair of the Department of Political Science, to spearhead the project.

Models

Bantay Pangako modeled itself after what has been undertaken by other civil society groups.

One of these is the “Silingan Ka!” (You Are My Neighbor!) project in Zamboanga Sibugay in 2001, which aimed to raise consciousness on issues that should be at the forefront of local elections. A covenant-signing process was then held between Silingan Ka’s representatives and the elected politicians, on the programs to be implemented after the elections.

Meanwhile, in Cebu City, there was the “Kaabag sa Sugbu” project in 1992, which aimed to increase the influence of non-government and people’s organizations in the city government’s policy-making process. The coalition was able to elect into office the Cebu City mayor and several councilors, who agreed to implement policies that this group suggested.

Objectives

In the mold of the said models, Bantay Pangako aims (1) to help poor communities in developing their own electoral agenda based on their needs, and (2) to present these agenda to candidates who can agree to undertake these if they win the elections.

An integral part of this is a covenant-signing process between the candidates and the community leaders. The communities, after the elections, are expected to monitor the winning candidates’ performance based on the agenda they signed. This process is closely linked with the Pinoy Voters’ Academy, a training program of the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), which aims to deepen the electorate’s political consciousness.

Dreams come true

So far, Bantay Pangako has been making progress:

• In February, Pugadlawin held dialogues with the leaders of Ateneo de Naga University, and made contacts with leaders of social action offices in Xavier University, so that similar efforts can be made in their respective areas. It also tasked its members who were working for the Ateneo School of Government (ASG) and the SLB to start conceptualizing the issue.

• In turn, a training manual was developed to help communities who want to undertake a Bantay Pangako process. The manual was developed at the end of March by the staff of ASG, the SLB, and the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI), and the leaders of the Ateneo Student Catholic Action (AtSCA), the Society of Jesus Social Apostolate (SJSA), and the Caucus of Development NGO Networks.

• Similar efforts were undertaken in Naga City and in Cagayan de Oro City, where leaders in Xavier University and NGOs organized a movement called "Managsilingan Kita!" (similar to “Silingan Ka!”) in Iloilo and Tacloban.

• In Quezon City last April 28, the AtSCA organized a Bantay Pangako process for its areas in Marytown, Park 7 and Kaingin. There, the AtSCA was able to help the communities develop their own agenda and present these to selected candidates for Quezon City councilor, who promised to implement substantial parts of the program.

We hope that Bantay Pangako will not end with the May 14 elections, and that communities will continue to monitor the winning candidates’ promises. We also expect the Bantay Pangako process to be expanded before the elections in 2010.

One on One: Harvey Keh

by Katherine Marie M. Cadeliña

Read about the thoughts of the man behind the controversial e-mail titled "What will make me leave the Philippines: An open letter to every Filipino."

Harvey Keh is the Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo School of Government (ASG). He is also the Executive Director of AHON Foundation, an organization that helps promote literacy by building public elementary school libraries.

Harvey was also chosen as one of the 20 Young Leaders of Asia by the Asia Society, an organization based in New York that aims to strengthen relationships and deepen understanding among the peoples of Asia and the United States of America. He was also the founder and former Director of Pathways.

What is the importance of the 2007 elections?
I believe that this coming May elections is important for several reasons. First, this is our opportunity to select the kind of leaders that we need for our country right now. An election is always very critical in a democratic country since this is one of the few times where the rich and the poor are actually equal. Regardless of their social status, they just have one vote each. Second, this coming elections can also serve as a referendum to whether or not we approve of the Arroyo administration. We have seen this in last year's US Midterm elections wherein the people voted against most of the Republicans since they did not agree with President Bush's actions in Iraq. Third, this election is very important since this will set the tone on whether or not we will do a charter change. If we elect more pro-administration senators then we can be sure that Malacañang will definitely push for Cha-Cha. Finally, this elections is important since this will set the tone for the Presidential elections of 2010, if the likes of Villar and Legarda do well then we can expect them to make a push for the Presidency by 2010.

Can we count on the May elections to be credible?
Yes, there is always hope that the elections will be credible as long as each and every Filipino remains vigilant and does his own share in ensuring the credibility and honesty of the elections.

What qualities are you looking for in a candidate?
I think a candidate should first be God-fearing and should always put the interest of the people over his or her own interests. Moreover, I sincerely believe that a good leader should be able to lead by example. Many of our current batch of public sector leaders only know how to speak well but they do not put actions to the words that they speak. Finally, a good leader is one who is able share his vision to every Filipino. His vision must be able to inspire Filipinos to work together to achieve our goals as a people.

What is the status of the citizen effort / volunteer groups?
There are currently many citizen efforts or volunteer groups that are being run right now and most of them are working under VforCE or the Volunteers for Clean Elections. VforCE is currently raising one million volunteers all over the Philippines who are working to ensure honest and clean elections.

How can each of us contribute to that effort?
Volunteer and share your time with VforCE. We need all the help that we can get. Remember the saying that the only way for evil to prevail is for good men and women to do nothing.

What role can students play in the upcoming elections?
I think the first role of Ateneo students in the coming elections is to exercise their right to vote. After voting, volunteer for election-monitoring work or the quick count. If you don't have the time to volunteer then maybe you can share your resources to the existing efforts that are being done such as the Bantay Bilang that is being hosted by Ateneo. After the elections, I think Ateneans should continue to work towards nation building by joining organizations such as ANI, Hope or Gawad Kalinga. We can’t just let our government leaders work to make our nation great again. We all need to work together if we want to achieve a better and brighter future for our nation.

My POV: A catalyst in history

by Serena M. Vaswani (IV BSM AMF)
Bantay Bilang Volunteer

In Noli Me Tangere, Rizal spoke of a social cancer so malignant and deeply ingrained in society that the issues and events occurring could scarcely be approached, let alone be touched. They were present like a stain that endured in our actions, with a gravity that inspired nothing but helplessness.

Today, I still feel the same helplessness gnawing at me. I feel like our country is wasting away under the acidic encroachment of dishonesty. I am losing faith and am about to give up. As these sentiments echo in my head, I abruptly stop and think of how easy it is for me to criticize with a defeatist attitude. Thus, inspired by Paolo Coelho’s The Valkyries—an invitation to understanding that everything that surrounds us changes us just as we change them—I venture to cross that infamous bridge between thought and action.

Thoreau said it best when he declared that “what lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lives within us.” Though it may be hard to fathom, each of us are integral to the movement of our country as a nation. It is the plurality of our actions that identifies us as a nation. Such innate and infinite responsibility places us on a precipice, asking us how we are going to respond. How am I going to truly be a Filipino?

The Namfrel initiative

This summer, I have been given a chance to actualize my responsibility to my country. Bantay Bilang, a project of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), is mandated by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to “organize, manage, operate, and be accountable for the Operation Quick Count, including the results obtained from the sixth copy of the manually prepared election returns for each precinct,” according to a Comelec Resolution en banc promulgated on April 4.

For Namfrel Quezon City, this is a huge task to undertake. As of January, Quezon City had a total voting population of 1,043,229 distributed among four congressional districts. Each district has a number of voting centers and precincts, at which precinct volunteers will be working to collect the 6th copy of the election return.

The Loyola Schools has volunteered to head the Bantay Bilang parallel vote count for Quezon City for the May elections, thus serving as the tabulation center for Namfrel Quezon City. In order to finish the count in six days, 456 volunteers are needed per day beginning May 14. In the process, volunteers are given a chance to verify and validate the Comelec results in a collective effort. This proves that, as citizens of this country, we are far from helpless.

Volunteering for a cause

When I volunteered to be an encoder for the election returns, I decided that it was the perfect opportunity for me to take that leap from thought to action. There were other volunteer tasks, such as being a checker, a runner, a reader, or a filer. The tapestry that we call history is woven with all the intricacies of human action, be it simple or grand, and it is a product of the collective man. The procedure of the quick count integrates all volunteer tasks in an intricate web that culminates in the release of results. Each task is vital to the end result, making each volunteer crucial to the success of the whole endeavor.

This was something I did not fully grasp until I attended the first general assembly on April 16. The number of people in attendance exceeded the capacity of Escaler Hall that chairs and speakers had to be set up outside to accommodate everyone. As I sat on those plastic monobloc chairs with my friends and looked at the sea of chattering faces surrounding me, I felt proud and inspired to be a part such a shared noble endeavor.

What is the significance of volunteering for Bantay Bilang? What impact will such an act create in the scene of our nation? Not only does the procedure for the quick count highlight the importance of each volunteer’s actions, it also serves as a venue for intersections. Bantay Bilang stands as a witness to the gathering of Filipinos from diverse walks of life, whose intersections will bring life and dynamism to this endeavor. The quick count is about validation, not just of the election returns and the election system, but of national unity. With each additional volunteer, we are resonating that we care—that we are responsible for the Filipino.

In J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Mr. Antolini tells Holden that “the mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” It is so easy to criticize the socio-political situation of our country. In the countless times I have complained about the Philippines, I am merely ignoring the problems, thus living a vapid existence. Volunteering for Bantay Bilang proves that I refuse to simply be a bystander in history. By taking the leap and living humbly for the country’s cause, I am acting as a catalyst in my nation’s unraveling history.

I think therefore iVote

by Charmie D. Lising

“Most of the time, we rely on general impressions of our candidate, formed from sound bytes, catchy slogans and jingles in deciding [whom] to vote for,” says Gabriel Nacianceno, director of iVote.ph, in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Some voters resort to improper decision-making because they lack knowledge regarding candidates’ credentials and platforms.

In response to this problem, a group of concerned youths created iVote.ph, a non-profit Web site that serves as an online guide for voters.

Voting wisely

Nacianceno thought of coming up with iVote.ph while surfing the Internet. There, he found Web sites where the American presidential elections could be monitored, and he figured that this could be a useful and interesting service for Filipinos as well.

iVote.ph contains relevant information that may help the public in coming up with intelligent choices for the May 14 elections. It features profiles, platforms, and stands on different issues of senatorial, congressional, and some local candidates.

The Web site also contains political and economic news, issues, and commentaries. By understanding current events, voters may know which platforms and advocacies are relevant to the country’s situation. Also, by being updated with national issues, Filipinos may be more aware of whether or not the government is doing its job.

Voting 101, a section in iVote.ph, answers frequently asked election-related questions, such as the importance of voting and what to look for in candidates.

Conquering obstacles

The iVote.ph team, however, has been encountering difficulties in information-gathering and research.

“It's tough to scour around for platforms and profiles [of] candidates, as it seems like they do not even have platforms to begin with. We try to use our connections and all possible channels to find what we need from the candidates,” says Chin Tecson, deputy director for administrative affairs of iVote.ph.

They contact aspiring politicians personally in order to get firsthand information, but there are some who seem unwilling to help or support their cause.

The team is also struggling in terms of human resources. They need more manpower to cover a wider area. Since all of them are either working or studying, current members of iVote.ph cannot commit full-time to the Web site. They try to gather as many volunteers and affiliates as possible, not only to help them in information gathering but also in information dissemination and Web site promotions.

Reaching out to people

The noisiest supporters of iVote.ph are those from abroad who get a lot of helpful information from the Web site. “I can say [that] we have achieved our goal of educating our voters and reaching out to those who wish to know more about our elections, but of course there is so much more [that] we can do to fully arrive at our goal,” Tecson says.

iVote.ph was created with one mission in mind, which is to help make democracy work. Having a very ambitious goal, iVote.ph is but a small step in changing the way Filipinos view elections and how they make voting decisions. “Our achievements are somehow abstract and immeasurable so it's difficult to gauge our impact to the public, but we believe that in our own small way, by advocating what we stand for and actually doing something about it, we've helped shape the political landscape that the Philippines is currently in,” Tecson adds.

The iVote.ph team constantly updates their website to continuously provide the public with information that will aid them in exercising their voting rights. As stated in their website, “The right to vote is already ours. Let's make use of its power.”

VforCE Projects: Take your pick

by Kristina Amanda A. Cruz and Erik S. Fajardo

VforCE, a nationwide movement to safeguard the integrity of the elections, is a menu catering to all volunteers’ tastes. Political education, election monitoring, public information and communications, resource generation and more sub-cluster programs—just take your pick and make a difference.

POLITICAL EDUCATION

Pinoy Voters' Academy

The Pinoy Voters’ Academy (PVA) of the Pastoral Parish Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) was developed in partnership with the Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) of the Jesuit Philippine Province to be the anchor of political education work. The PVA is a participative process of political education leading to action-planning by local communities.

To volunteer, contact:

- SLB (09263041826; slb@admu.edu.ph)

- Bro. Javy Alpasa, SJ (09205556617; javieralpasa@gmail.com )

- Jess Paul Pasible (09273382282; jesspaul_pasibe@yahoo.com)

Bantay Pangako

Bantay Pangako builds on the covenants signed by the candidates and communities to create mechanisms for monitoring campaign promises and demanding accountability after the elections.

This project is inspired by the Silingan Ka experience in Ipil Prelature, Zamboanga-Sibugay. Organizations like the PPCRV, NASSA, SLB, the Ateneo School of Government (ASG), and the Office for Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) are working on this front. It also aims to draw in various socially oriented organizations involved in direct community development work.

To volunteer, contact:

- Randy Tuano (09192837282; ptuano@ateneo.edu)

- Benj Barretto (09282628384; gesuiella@yahoo.com )

Bantay Pulitiko and Bantay Agenda Candidates' Forums and Profiles

A central component of political education is the holding of candidates' forums. The Union of Catholic Student Councils (UCSC) sponsored a senatorial candidates' forum at St. Scholastica's College (SSC) last March 9.

Various schools, communities, and civic organizations have also been holding candidates’ forums and debates. The Commission on Elections (Comelec), PPCRV, and ABS-CBN have an ongoing senatorial candidates’ forum televised live over ANC on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 6PM, and replayed at various times and channels, as an integral part of voters' education.

To volunteer, contact:

Bantay Pulitiko Web Profiles (SLB / De La Salle University / ivote.ph)

- Bro. Javy Alpasa, SJ (09205556617; javieralpasa@gmail.com )

- Wadel Cabrera (DLSU COSCA: 09214850920; cabrera@dlsu.edu.ph)

- Gino Nacianceno (iVote.ph: 09176270870; gnacianceno@ivote.ph)

Bantay Agenda Candidates’ Debates (UCSC)

- Luis Abad (09178318861; luish0328@yahoo.com)

Voter and Volunteer Information Call Center

As the main secretariat for VforCE, the SLB, in cooperation with the ASG and Puwersa para sa Ganap na Demokrasya – Laban na Wagas para sa Isang Nasyon (PUGAD-LAWIN), operates a call center that helps in the recruitment, deployment and coordination of volunteers, and answers election-related inquiries from voters around the country and overseas.

To volunteer or call:

- vforce2007@gmail.com (email)

- 09263041826 (mobile)

- 4265968 (fax)

- 4266101 ext. 3440/3441 (landline)

ELECTION MONITORING

Bantay Kampanya: Campaign Finance Monitoring

Transparency and Accountability Network’s (TAN) Pera’t Pulitika, Ehem!, Libertas, the Consortium on Electoral Reforms (CER), the Philippine Political Science Association-Democracy Audit (PPSA-DA) and Access to Information Network (ATIN) all investigate fund-raisings for campaigns, ensuring expenditures do not go beyond the implemented budget per voter.

To volunteer, contact:

- Campaign Finance Monitoring (Pera’t Pulitika): Vince Lazatin (09228651228; vtlazatin@yahoo.com)

- Walang Hihingi (Ehem!) Fr. Albert Alejo, SJ (09177045474; paringbert@yahoo.com)

Bantay Presinto: Pollwatch 2007

The PPCRV is now on its 15th year of campaigning for clean elections and training poll-watchers to monitor election activities in almost 300,000 precincts.

Bantay Bilang: Operation Quick Count

It may be called “quick,” but accuracy is still priority over speed in the quick count simultaneous with the Comelec’s official tally. Volunteers of the PPRCV and National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) also participate in the quick count, aside from accredited citizens’ vote counters National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel).

Bantay Canvass: Monitoring of vote aggregation

The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) is composed of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) National Secretariat, other law schools, and One Voice—all volunteering not only as trained and knowledgeable monitors of vote totals, but as legal assistants when needed. IBP is harnessing its close to 50,000 members to volunteer in addition to LENTE’s lawyers, paralegals and law students fielded out in over 1,600 canvassing points in municipal and provincial levels.

To volunteer, contact:

- Atty. Carlos Medina (09178957001; cmedina@aps.ateneo.edu, cp_medina@yahoo.com)

- Ona Caritos (09064924438; rcaritos@yahoo.com )

Bantay Text and Bantay Blogger

Seminarians Network (SemNet) and the SLB take on the youth’s mode of communication: SMS and Web logs or blogs to attract (perhaps younger) citizens to participate in monitoring and documenting the election process.

Bantay Eleksyon: Comelec Watch

The Consortium on Electoral Reforms (CER) is focused on documentation of all election activities, especially those of the Comelec.

To volunteer, contact:

- bantayeleksyon07@gmail.com

- 09214831153

PUBLIC INFORMATION and COMMUNICATION

The media campaign for VforCE is being conceptualized by Campaigns and Grey. For LENTE, Joan Orendain and Associates are handling communications. The communications work for Pinoy Bantay Bayan, the Ateneo-Jesuit contribution to VforCE, is led by the Ateneo Debate Society (ADS), the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR), and the Association of Communication Majors (Acomm).

RESOURCE GENERATION

The Makati Business Club (MBC) is set on financially mobilizing VforCE by putting up the Democracy Fund. The political education groups, election monitoring groups and other supported clusters of VforCE may all withdraw from the fund once all plans and efforts are formalized.

More contact information:

PPCRV Email: parishpcrv@yahoo.com
Landline: (632) 5242855
Fax: (632) 5280149

NAMFREL Email: namfrel@yahoo.com
Text: 09177339619
Landline: (632) 6362921
Fax: (632) 6345136

NASSA Email: admin@nassa.org.ph
Landline: (632) 5274147
Fax: (632) 5274144

LENTE: Email: aacunesco@yahoo.com
Landline: (632) 8997691 ext. 2123
Fax: (632) 8994342