Two party system?

Tell me why, when you peruse this list of accredited party list groups, an organization like Ang Ladlad isn’t qualified, but an association of electrical cooperatives, local traders, and Marcos loyalists made the cut?

the perfect trio: Sotto, Oreta, and Pichay (SOP) to campaign together. Opposition makes opening salvo in campaign. Malaya reports administration candidates have asked the President not to be seen with them (perhaps according to the same logic that had Republicans avoiding Bush during the recent mid terms).

House campaign news: Darlene Custodio will go mano a mano with Pacquiao. Scuttlebutt long bruited about finally makes it to the news: the Speaker faces a fight and Luis Villafuerte is at odds with his son (part of the ongoing cannibalism among administration parties). This is just strange, from the same story: the President’s chief of staff makes a bibulous political gambit.

Comelec launches voter education website, according to this report.

In the punditocracy, the Inquirer editorial points says the administration ended up scraping the bottom of the barrel to put together its senate slate.

Manuel Buencamino castigates the entire Wednesday Club. Ellen Tordesillas says the President and Recto et al. deserve each other. Marichu Villanueva says the Palace is furious at Manuel Villar, Jr.

Bong Austero looks into the media projection of various candidates.

In the blogosphere, An entry on the two-party system caught my eye. James Cartmire thinks we are slowly, though informally, returning to the two-party system, and if so, that’s a healthy political development.

One person’s advocacy is another person’s spin? So say Alex Maximo and Abe Olandres who discuss how campaigns will be fought out in cyberspace.

No updates from today to Sunday, I’m going to Bacolod to deliver a couple of talks on opinion writing and blogging.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

120 thoughts on “Two party system?

  1. Here’s one of the dumbest lines I’ve read in a long time. It’s Emil Jurado’s mangling of the administration line about character assassination versus issues based politics.

    “I agree it’s insane, what’s going on. Voters are compelled to vote not on what candidates represent, much less what they stand for, nor what is their party platform, but on what kind of people they really are.”

  2. In America, even without the vote buying, the public relations machinery of political parties strongly believe that MONEY makes candidate win, media packaging is like cinemaatography in movies where actors are made to look better and advertisements get the votes for the candidates.

  3. No doubt every avenue is being considered during this election, and cyberspace is definitely one of the highways that is growing (exponentially) in appeal.

  4. the perfect trio: Sotto, Oreta, and Pichay (SOP) to campaign together.

    probably the likes of joker, zubiri and defensor would rather not be seen with them.

    Malaya reports administration candidates have asked the President not to be seen with them

    and the senators don’t want to be seen with arroyo. pera lang ang kailangan nila, oks na.

  5. Let’s hope that Darlene Custodio’s going mano a mano with Pacquiao will net her two other KO punches: 1 against Fatso Mike ‘Malacanang Don’ Arroyo, 1 against Chavit Criminal Singson, both well-known handlers of the poor sod Pacquiao and by extension against the Malacanang Mafia Matriarch, Gloria Bansot Arroyo.

  6. I also was going through the approved party list and I was really disgusted on what om what is the criteria or rules about party list. I really feel that Ang Ladlad is a good candidate of party list election.

    Danton Remoto theory is that recent election survey is showing that we can easily get two or three seats. And that scares the COMELEC and its favored party list.

    But course we will never be cowed. May plan B rin kami no? Ayaw nila kaming pasalihin sa Party list eh di sa senatorail election na lang. After all pareho naman national ang scope nito. Di pa ako mahihirapan i campaign sa mga straights. Kasi im not really that to out them.

  7. well, the comelec probably didn’t considers gays & lesbian marginalized people seeing they are already ably represented in the both houses of congress. wanna bet?

  8. The party-list system as it stands today is senseless. It’s supposed to give representation to “marginalized sectors”. But the system has been so prostituted that it appears to me that every group with a particular predilection, orientation, or trait is considered “marginalized”. Are cunnilingus-lovers marginalized too?

    The sector that I consider really marginalized are the indigenous peoples. I don’t even consider the poor marginalized, as far as representation goes. Name me one politician, just one, who doesn’t “love” the poor.

    Will somebody please put reason into all this?

  9. Shaman: After the May2007 elections, you will have a chance to provide input into making sense of “marginalized” and party-list when the constitution is updated. So the question is which candidates (UNO, UNI, Independents) will tend to side with GMA’s proposals.

  10. UPn student,

    I believe there is a universal consensus that the Constitution needs some amending. What was wrong about what you call “GMA’s proposals” and the manner these were pushed last year was that they were fashioned with a singular objective – GMA’s political survival.

    I’m voting straight UNO down to the local level and pray they win, so that when the time to amend the Constitution comes, these “GMA proposals” will not prosper.

    I’m in favor of a deliberate, well-organized, well-considered effort to amend the Constitution through a Constitutional Convention.

  11. So the question is, after the election-results have been certified by the COMELEC and the voters have gone back to their normal lives, who of the UNO, UNI and INDependent candidates will tend to be swayed by the arguments and inducements that GMA may bring to bear. Just remember that practically all the senators and congressmen will want term-limits to be raised.

  12. Shaman,

    All politicians love the poor But are there politicians who love cunnilingus lovers? How’s is that for being marginalized?

  13. UPn student,

    Hopefully, after the elections and UNO has won, GMA will be impeached and convicted. So, she won’t be there anymore to induce and seduce.

  14. After the election and the new senators have taken their seats at great expense, do you people sincerely believe that they will be amenable to change the constitution by any means and risk losing their jobs if the senate is abolished?
    the constitution will never be changed as long as the elite who are protecting their monopolies of media, transport, and telecommunications are around to thwart all attempts of amending or revising the charter. Another revolution, and I hope this time will be bloody will be the only way to change the constitution.

  15. Zapper, what makes you so sure that the Senate would be abolished? I didn’t even say revise the Constitution. i said amend.

    But all this talk about amending the Consitution is premature. This came up because I was only responding to UPn student’s comments.

  16. Oh di tama nga ang hinala ko about Alan Peter Cayetano
    ———————————————–
    House records show Zubiri most prolific lawmaker, Cayetano least productive
    By Delon Porcalla
    The Philippine Star 02/15/2007

    Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri was the most prolific among the five congressmen running for the Senate in the May 14 elections, and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano was the least productive, according to official records obtained by The STAR.

    The records showed that Cayetano “authored none and co-authored none” of the 37 laws that Congress had passed since July 2004, as compared to the four other lawmakers.

    Zubiri sponsored two bills passed into law, among them Republic Act 9341, or the Rental Reform Act of 2005, and RA 936, the Biofuels Act of 2006.

    The pro-administration’s Unity Ticket candidate is also credited with co-authoring seven other bills that were eventually signed into law by President Arroyo.

    Representatives Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of Tarlac and Prospero Pichay of Surigao del Sur each co-sponsored four bills that have been passed into law.

    House Minority Leader Francis Escudero authored none but co-authored three of the laws that have consequently been enacted.

    Aquino and Escudero joined a multitude of lawmakers in resetting the barangay elections (RA 9340), repealing the death penalty law (RA 9346) and helped pass the Juvenile Justice System (RA 9344) Bill of Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.

    Pichay co-authored four, the last being a local measure. So did Aquino, who helped pass RA 9354 sponsored by his provincemate, Tarlac Rep. Gilbert Teodoro, who withdrew his senatorial bid.

    Escudero had the most number of House bills authored, with 77 measures, 51 of which remain pending, 18 have been substituted by several related bills, while eight have been transmitted to the Senate for approval.

    Next was Pichay with 66 bills filed in the 13th Congress; 40 of which are still under deliberations in the committee level, 13 measures substituted and the remaining 13 others were elevated to the Senate.

    Third was Zubiri. Out of 61 bills, two have been signed into law by Mrs. Arroyo – the Rental Reform Act and the Biofuels Act – and eight have been forwarded to the Senate.

    Fifteen were substituted with related bills, and the 36 others remain pending.

    Cayetano came in fourth. He filed 12 bills; three have been sent to the Senate, five remain pending, while the four others have been substituted with other related measures.

    Last was Aquino with eight bills authored, one of which was transmitted to the Senate, while another is on third and final reading in the House. Two bills of his were substituted, while three are undergoing committee deliberation.

    All five congressmen will be “graduating” by June 30. They are on their third and last term and can no longer seek reelection.

  17. Rego, number of laws passed is a simplistic measure of performance in Congress. It’s like saying that Recto (the street, not the Senator) is the most productive because it produces the most number of diplomas.

  18. zapper… you are right, the members of the new congress after May2007 will not want to lose their jobs. So if you are GMA, would you make them an offer that they can see as a risk to their newly-won jobs, or will you offer the promise of lifting the term-limits?
    As for the elite of media and telecom and transport, they are probably the easiest to convince for a charter change. Again, if you were GMA, you won’t offer them higher taxes, you offer increased business opportunities. There is a particular constitutional item that can easily be made attractive to almost everybody, and this is the one on “nuclear” on Philippine soil. You should expect alliances to form quickly — e.g. which Philippine group with which European company, etcetera — so that the Philippine electrical needs can be met by nuclear power plants. If you do your research, you’ll see a lot of countries (best example is France) that successfully use nuclear power plants on their soil.

  19. But back to the elections and getting congressmen and senators into office who are in favor of GMA’s impeachment. Needless to say, the voters (and not soldiers being directed by coup-plotters) hold the key. Many of these voters are like the elite of media and telecom… they follow the “what’s in it for me?” philosophy. If this voter looks at “Garci” as “laos na iyan.. iba naman” and cares more about jobs, education… also law-and-order, you may want to tell the voters why (your) candidates will be the best choices for jobs, education, and law-and-order.

  20. cvj,

    Common CVJ, passing laws is the primary job description of a congressman….

    What Alan Peter did is that he stayed so much on doing papogi in the media used all his time ganging up the Arroyos.So he will be very visible to the media. Resulta wala rin. Hindi rin na convict si Miek Arroyo hindi na impeach si Gloria. Wala ring naipasang batas.

    So ano na lang ang accomplishments nya?

    Now I think I going to vote for Miguel Zubiri.

  21. Rego, of course passing laws is part of their job, but so is upholding the rule of law. Zubiri was one of those who showed disrespect to the Constitution with their unilateral Con-Ass initiative. That brazen attempt was successfully stopped with the help of oppositionists like Cayetano.

  22. zapper, shaman and francis… you will probably enjoy each other’s company as you shout “talsik diyan!” and “sobra na ang daya… Garci! Garci! Garci!”, and you should get together often to give each other energy. But always remember that there are the rego’s and the bencard’s who will negate your votes. This means that you (if you really want pro-impeachment folks into the new congress) will have to talk to the middle-class — the call-center workers, teachers, nurses, principals, small-business owners, department-store workers, etcetera — as well as the classes-D and -E. For these folks, you may have to tone down your screeches and listen for a few minutes, then talk as to how your candidates can serve this voter well. [The cvj-approach of laying a guilt-trip on the voter probably won’t work. Especially when they learn that you may have been part of the push-out-ERAP marchers.]
    Remember that the GMA-machinery is bombarding the airwaves with radio- and TV-ads and have their own footsoldiers walking and talking to the voters. To win May2007 will need you to be a listener before a talker.

  23. Sponsored laws, authored laws, yeah, sure. About what? Renaming a street or a bridge?

    So, what are those laws about, exactly?

    Even if a congressman has not authored many laws, he can still be an effective legislator by actively participating in the deliberations of bills submitted by other legislators.

    CVJ is right, mere numbers are no big deal.

  24. The cvj-approach of laying a guilt-trip on the voter probably won’t work. – UPn Student

    It’s only guilt-trip for those voters who explicitly or tacitly support Arroyo’s cheating. For those who were cheated, as well as those who are against cheating, it’s about Justice and fairness, which by the way, are key ingredients to any nation’s economic development.

  25. CVJ,

    Proposing changes to the consitution is not desrepecting the laws There is nothing wrong with proposing changes in the consitition. Its up to the people if they would agree to the propose change or the way it is being proposed. And its for the author of the proposal to take heed that feed back from the people. Thats what Zubiri did .

    And oh look who’s talking!

    If you care to read back all your comments in these blog you have proposed a lot of changes in the laws. And even some are really unconsitutional.

    And of course another big issue with Alan Peter is there political dynasty! Does he really need to be in the senate to make this our country really progressive. Her sister is already there, Can he noy just work with her sister?.

    Kayo comment kayo ng comment na nakakahiya yung mag ginagawa ni Gloria at gusto nyo syang i pahiya sa buong mundo.

    Pero yung pag kakoroon ng magkapatid sa senate ay obviously pagtatawanan tayo sa buong mundo. Bakit wla na bang ibang kandidato?

    See thats how twisted you are because of the so much hatred in you.

  26. Thanks, UPn student, for your advice on campaign strategy. But, frankly, I don’t understand what you are trying to say. Frankly.

  27. Yeah right, Shaman! you said you are not for political dynasty in the other thread and here you are defending the candidacy of Aln Peter. What happened to THE word CONSISTENT?

  28. Rego, of course we now know that the constitutional changes that Zubiri et al. proposed and tried to railroad were repudiated by the people, that’s why they backtracked. Shows their real quality as legislators – poor.

  29. And thE sad thing Shaman, not even renaming the streets walang naipasa yang si Alan Peter mo. And here you are telling as that we will be better off with these people than Mrs Aroyo?

    OHH PPPLLLEEAAASSE!!!!!!

  30. Proposing changes to the consitution is not desrepecting the laws There is nothing wrong with proposing changes in the consitition. – Rego

    To refresh your memory, the House wanted to propose Constitutional change unilaterally (i.e. without the Senate), which is against the provisions of the existing Constitution.

    As for political dynasties, there is no shame in having two Cayetanos in the Senate as long as they got there by their own merits. Even the United States have their political families in the form of the Kennedy’s and Clintons (not to mention the Bushes) and family affiliation is not the main points raised against them.

  31. But Zubiri did not coerce the people. When the peopel repudiated his proposal and the way he proposed, he respected that!

  32. CVJ,

    When did the US have two Clintons, two Bushes, and Kennedys in the senate?

    Good merits huh? Alan Peter is going to the senate by manipulating the public. He knows that he can longer run for another term in the congress. So he has to highlight as many issues as he can against the Aroyos to get all the media attention and natioanl scope at that. Paikutikotin ang issue para tumagal at humaba. Issue a lot of innuendos para laging nasa headlines . And in the end hindi kayang i subsantiate ang kanyang accusation. But of course all the hearings along the way are covered by the media.

    Pero ang bottomline wala na accomplsihe kahait mana lang makasuhan si Mike Arroyo.

    Ah oo nga pala, the strategy is to keep dangling the head of Mr Aroyo to the public. “Put me in the senate and I will deliver you the head of Mr Arroyo in silver platter”

    Kahit nadoon na ang ate ko!

  33. Rego,

    Real political dynasty involves succession – a father handing down the position to his son, daughter, wife, sibling, grandchild, great grandchild, keeping the position within the family as some sort of a heirloom. Kaya nga dynasty, yung parang Ming or Tang or Hapsburg.

    The political dynasty issue being raised against siblings or father and son finding themselves together in Congress is a false issue. To me, Mikey’s, Iggy’s, or Dato’s (if he wins) being in Congress together does not a political dynasty make.

    So, the charge of political dynasty against Alan just because Pia is in the Senate is false.

  34. “And thE sad thing Shaman, not even renaming the streets walang naipasa yang si Alan Peter mo. And here you are telling as that we will be better off with these people than Mrs Aroyo?

    OHH PPPLLLEEAAASSE!!!!!! ” – rego

    Siguro, okay pa lahat ng street names sa Taguig. No need to change them.

  35. “But Zubiri did not coerce the people. When the peopel repudiated his proposal and the way he proposed, he respected that!” – rego

    He had to, or else…

  36. Pwede ba Shaman, matalino ka naman so wag ng magbobohan! At wag ng lituhin pa ang publiko. Ilang million ba ang Filipino, wala na ba talagang karapadat na mailagay dayn sa senate at kailangan na nating mag lagay ng magkapatid. And with an unimpressive record at that.

    The reality is, naggagamitan lang kayo ni Alan Peter. You wil use him to get the head of Gloria . And Alan Peter is using you to get a senate heat.

    Oh well mag kakatotoo naman kaya

  37. CVJ,

    Ah kaya pala si Alan Peter almost got suspended in the congress.. Ano yun because he always following the law?

  38. Rego,

    Magbobohan? Do my answers make you look stupid? Not my fault.

    GMA’s head for a Senate seat for Allan? Fair exchange.

  39. Good luck then to both you! At sana lang kung ano man ang mga personal nyong adhikain wag nag idamay pa ang buong bansa. Alrighty!!!!!

  40. Not to worry, Rego, after the victory of GO (formerly UNO), the country will be in good hands, again.

  41. cvj, dahil meron and mga Merkanong Kamag-anak Inc., okay na din sa tin?? baket naman??

    oo nga pala, bakit mo naman klinaro (pun intended) pa na yung ibig mong sabihing recto ay yung senador at hindi kalye? hindi naman bobing yung kausap mo…yan nga ba ang sinasabi kong demeaning eh…

    rego, LOL! ang tyaga mo…bilib talaga ako sa yo!

  42. rego,

    having brother & sister or father & son in the senate is not dynasty. its called public service or patriotism or love of country or whatever basta its not dynasty because as adel tamano love to say in TV there is no dynasty because there is no enabling law, period.

  43. Manolo,

    The administration’s cannibalism has led to the renaming of its two most powerful members of the coalition, Kampi is now KAMPON and Lakas is now LAGAS.

  44. cvj, dahil meron and mga Merkanong Kamag-anak Inc., okay na din sa tin?? baket naman??

    Gusto ko lang ipatunay na ang magka-kamag-anak sa pulitika ay isang pangkaraniwang pangyayari kahit sa Amerika, kaya malayong mangyari na dahil lamang dito ay “pagtatawanan tayo sa buong mundo.” gaya nang sinasabi ni Rego.

    Mas-pagtatawanan tayo kung pananatiliin nating nasa poder ang isang pekeng pangulo na huling-huli namang nandaya.

  45. “The Ca t :
    blockquote>To win May2007 will need you to be a listener before a talker.

    Right you are, UPn.”

    If all I do is listen to the likes of you, it won’t make me win the May elections for my side. It will make me lose my mind.

  46. CVJ,

    Oh so now your saying that the foundation of your moral crusade is based on “karaniwang pangyayari”. Pero hindi naman karaniwang pangyayari yung magkapatid o mag ama holding the same national position ah. Even in the US walang ganyan. You know very well the impact of this but you just wanted to ignore it in the name of thwarting Mrs Aroyo.

    I just can help but laugh on your abhorence to the line ” pareho pareho lang yang mga politiko”.

    When are you going to realize that you are just being manipulated by your choiced politicians? Or you already realized it but you just dont want to admit it because its just very hard to swallow your own ego?. And of course you invested so much on your extremely negative feelings towards Mrs Aroyo. Its just need to satified at all cost . Even rationalized it…..

  47. Zapper,

    Pwede ba, if political dynasty is really good for the country, then why is Pimentel the father has been working on to paased a a bill about it? Only to field his son later. Then why is Pimentel the son is saying that once he get elected he will also work on the same bill?

    Maybe you dont know the implication of this. This will be setting a very bad precedent. Before you know it. we will have a governor and vice governor, a mayor and a vice mayor, who father and son, husband and wife, first degree cousin, in-laws. We already saw a wife or a son running and won election after the father has reached a term limit. Or a provincial board , city and down council full of close relative people

    You know zapper you are starting to create another political monster here. And I hope you dont call for people like us again to help you control that “monster” that you help created.

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