THE CIRCUS IS OVER

But the clowns, particularly the losing ones, are not about to give up that easily. Although there are candidates who have conceded to their rivals as early as the day after the elections, there are those who have cried foul over the way the canvassing was being done. They probably have a reason to be wary. Just like the previous ones, the 2007 mid-term elections have been marked by incidents of vote-buying, ballot box switching, intimidation, harassment and other forms of violence. 

What really got my goat was the news about a teacher and a pollwatcher from Taysan, Batangas who got burned to death after a group of scalawags suddenly barged in and deliberately set fire on the ballot boxes which eventually led to the burning of the entire classroom. The PNP heirarchy at first laid the blame on the NPA but it was later found out that the suspects were policemen from the so-called PNP Regional Special Operations Group. It looks like politicians these days are now making goons out of inept and corrupt members of the PNP who are more than willing to carry out their orders for a price.  Then there’s also the news about two pollwatchers of Ang Kabataan Party-list who disappeared last May 15, only to be discovered lifeless in Brgy. Mataqui, Capalonga, Camarines Norte. The military later issued a press statement on the killings, saying they were caught in the crossfire between NPA guerillas and the AFP in Bicol. It is quite illogical and absurd to believe the latter’s claims because these pollwatchers had no reason to be in the place where they have been found dead. It is very likely that they were abducted and salvaged by the butcher’s military adherents because of their affiliation with the said party-list group.
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However, the electoral exercise also proved that not all have succumbed to the dark side. Initial election results have shown that majority of the GO senatorial candidates are in the magic 12, with a 7 (GO) – 3 (TU) – 2 (IND) standing as of the latest NAMFREL count. Even those in the TU who are among the magic 12 are not Mrs. Arroyo’s lapdogs. They are perceived to be independent-minded Senators who do not always say “yes” to the President’s whims and caprices. On the other hand, Mike Defensor, Prospero Pichay and Chavit Singson are nowhere near the winning circle, as it is quite obvious that their close association with Mrs. Arroyo was what pulled them down. 

The biggest surprise of the season is detained Navy Captain Antonio Trillanes IV who might yet get a Senate seat if the votes in his favor continue to pour in. His possible victory is seen as a surprise because he practically was not able to conduct a campaign sortie, banking heavily on paid TV advertisements which are few and far between. This is in stark contrast to Prospero Pichay’s all-out campaign, spending hundreds of millions of pesos wooing voters to include his name in their ballots. Unfortunately, his itanim sa senado slogan fell on deaf ears while Trillanes’ (or GO’s) isang boto lang po laban sa nakaupo battlecry sounded like a glimmer of hope for those who are fed up with the current dispensation.
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At the local level, the opposition seems to be having the upper hand with respect to the hotly contested positions. Darlene Antonino-Custodio knocked-out Manny Pacuiao by a wide margin. Fr. Ed Panlilio effectively doused holy water on the so-called “quarry” King and “jueteng” Queen and promised to exorcise the demons of gambling and corruption that have plagued Pampanga for years. In Makati, Jejomar Binay clobbered proxy candidate Lito Lapid, the real opponent being the lady occupant in Malacañang.
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Lastly, while it cannot be denied that the administration has enough allies in the Lower Chamber to thwart any attempt to impeach Mrs. Arroyo, the 2007 mid-term elections have nonetheless shown that sovereignty still resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.