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. “What the enabling law for political dynasty is to be able to punish the the violator of teh law and and of course clearly define the political dynasty. But the absence of such will never exempt has from severe and negative consequences of violating the principles of “equal opportunity for all” as stated in the consitution.” – rego

    There is no law yet to violate, so there no violators in the legal sense.

    All we have is a constitutional statement of principle against “political dynasty”. The question of what “political dynasty” means has been left to Congress to define. Right now, we don’t know what it legally means. As I’ve said, all we have are our own personal opinions. I’m not even sure if a sibling, or a son, of a serving senator running for the same position would fall under the definition of “political dynasty”. It is premature to raise the issue.

    What I know for sure is that the candidacy of Alan Peter Cayetano does not deprive Rego, or anybody else, of the “equal opportunity” to run for senator. What I know for sure is that the election of Alan Peter Cayetano, and Koko Pimentel for that matter, to the Senate will have a severely positive consequences for the country.

  2. Cat, so what if the small workers of California find investing in the Philippines profitable? It’s not the kind of “economics” that’s relevant to me. What is important to me is the kind of “economics” that puts food on the table of millions of Filipinos, not the one that stuffs more dollars into the pockets of small workers in California.

  3. I’m not even sure if a sibling, or a son, of a serving senator running for the same position would fall under the definition of “political dynasty”. -shaman
    ——————————————————–

    If you don’t know what consitute a political dynasty, then maybe you should do research first before you participate on this debate.

    Go and check the definition of it. Its just a click away. And if want something specific to the Phil setting go and check the drafts that were prepared by Sen Pimentel and Bayan Muna.

    Don’t ever rely on Erap, becuase the started it all. Even to Adel Tamano because everybody knows that he is the spokeman of GO Team ( ano ba yan? sound very much like power hungry hehehe ) He has no choice but to defend the stand of opposition.

    Wag nang pa clueless pwede ba?. It doesn’t help you at all!

    If we want to be proactive, the issue should be raised now when the problem is just starting. Because once the senate or congress is already populated by political dynasty, then how can you expect that a law will ever be passed?

    You dont want this issue to be raised now because you know that your camp is very much into it. You will not gain any “pogi” points from it. Di ba???

    Aminin!!!!!

  4. rego brings up a good point, which is to refer to draft legislation. a good example is the bill proposed by miriam defensor santiago:

    http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:TaoOQhBaiKQJ:www.senate.gov.ph/13th_congress/bills/sbn-1904.pdf+senate+bill+8+anti+political+dynasty+act&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&client=firefox-a

    SECTION 3. Definition ofTerms. -The following terms, as used in this Act, shall mean:
    (1)
    “Political Dynasty”

    shall exist when a person who is the spouse of an incumbent elective official or relative within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity of an incumbent elective official holds or runs for an elective office simultaneously with the incumbent elective official within the same province or occupies the same office immediately after the term of office of the incumbent elective official. It shall also be deemed to exist where two
    (2) or more persons who are spouses or are related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity run simultaneously for elective public office within the same province, even if neither is so related to an incumbent elective official.

    (2)
    “Spouse”

    shall refer to the legal and common-law wife or husband of the incumbent elective official.
    3.
    “Second Civil Degree of Consanguinity or Affinity”

    shall refer to the relatives of a person who may be the latter’s brother or sister, whether of full or half-blood, direct ascendant or direct descendant, whether legitimate, illegitimate or adopted, including their spouses.
    4.
    “Running for an Elective Office”

    shall be deemed to commence upon the filing of the certificate of candidacy by a candidate with the Commissions on Elections.
    5.
    “Holding an Elective Office”

    shall be deemed to commence from the moment the public official takes his oath of office.
    6. “COMELEC”

    shall refer to the Commission on Elections.

    The prohibition in this bill seems to affect provincial and not national, positions. I can’t find the Pimentel or Flavier bills, it would be good to post the different definitions.

  5. Cat, so what if the small workers of California find investing in the Philippines profitable? It’s not the kind of “economics” that’s relevant to me. What is important to me is the kind of “economics” that puts food on the table of millions of Filipinos, not the one that stuffs more dollars into the pockets of small workers in California.- Shaman.

    ———————————————————

    Ano ba yan? Pabobo ng pabobo ang argumento mo!

    You dont have to be a Economics students or rocket scientist to understand the basic impact of foreign investments. Everybody knows that foreign investments means money to fuel the economy. It creates jobs and therefore put food on the table.

    Pustahan tayo pag naging presidente ang isa sa mga manok mo sa opposition you will be high praises to what ever investments that will come to the Phils. And will even proudly shout to the whole world that “your president is doing well for the economic welfare your kababayan….At mas exagerrated pa!

    Aminin!!!!

  6. The prohibition in this bill seems to affect provincial and not national, positions. I can’t find the Pimentel or Flavier bills, it would be good to post the different definitions. – MLQ3
    ——————————————————–

    I just hope you are not issuing this opinion becuase there is no relative of Gloria running for senate….=)

  7. “The prohibition in this bill seems to affect provincial and not national, positions. I can’t find the Pimentel or Flavier bills, it would be good to post the different definitions. ” – MLQ3

    ——————————————————–
    I just hope you are not expresing this opinion because there is no Gloria relatives running for senator….:)

  8. the only reason there isn’t, rego, is that the surveys showed it was pointless for mikee to run for senator. if he had a chance of winning he would have -and the way they kept floating his name indicates he wanted to.

    miriam’s bill suggests that even the administration views the dynasty question from the perspective that it’s something that has a bad effect locally.

    it’s on the local level where a dynasty can unfairly manage things for itself not only through name recall, but through intimidation, bribery, etc. on a national level, that’s very difficult to do.

    your objections to say, koko, is that he has an unfair advantage because of his father’s name. but if name is the only advantage, then you would have to make it illegal to let an actor, entertainer, journalist, doctor, etc. run on that basis alone. but none of these, from the son of a senator to an actor entering politics for the first time, has the corrosive claim to an unfair advantage a dynasty member has on the local level.

  9. Direct foreign investments that go into either expansion of existing production facilities or creation of new ones certainly produce jobs. No questions about it. Calpers’ investments are in capital and money markets. These are the kinds of investments that fly out of the country at the slighest sign of trouble.

  10. well, manolo, gloria pick Kiram who is a nobody in the surveys… if Gloria is realy that garapal as Pimentel the father. mikee should be running by now. after all mikee has some political experience than koko…

    political dynasty is just as detrimental in the national level because that is where the policies of the country is coming from. No matter how you put it. it just violate the principles of equal opportunity for all as stated in the consituition.

    regarding name recall, if we are allowing koko to capitalized on the popularity of his father. then there no point on criticizing the TEAM UNITY for fielding actors in their slate. Again babalik na naman tayo sa “pare pareho lang”.

    and if creating a law that will prevent anyone from running based on name recall alone will make these country more progressive, why not? What is the chance of having this kind of law when we have a lot in the senator that were elected through this trick. And now we are also electing political dynasty in the senate. So ano ang chance for us to have an anti political dynasty law? Saan na papunta ang bansa kung gaganyan ganyan tayo?

  11. “Direct foreign investments that go into either expansion of existing production facilities or creation of new ones certainly produce jobs. No questions about it. Calpers’ investments are in capital and money markets. These are the kinds of investments that fly out of the country at the slighest sign of trouble. ” – Shaman.
    ———————————————————

    So as long as they are IN the country they can be used to make the economy going, right? Calpers is coming not going away, so that is positive and its a good news.

    Oh I know, why dont we make investments like Calpers go away. Para mapahiya uli si Gloria….

  12. O kaya ipasara na rin natin ang PSE hindi naman pala nakakatulong and capital at money markets eh….

  13. “re the economy. if one area is showing improvement, say the peso rate, do we necessarily have to follow that with a big “HOWEVER” to prove that GMA is not doing a good job?I’m just wondering why that’s all. it would make opposition look better, more rational and more honest if we can simply give credit where credit is due.” – mita

    The strength of the peso vis-a-vis the US dollar is the consequence of the billions of dollars pouring into the country from OFWs. It is not the result of something that Gloria did. She just happens to be there, period. Where’s the credit?

    Even the strength of the peso is not all that good. It has adversely affected exporters (less pesos for their dollars) and producers for the domestic market (greater competition from cheaper imported goods), and even reduced the income of the OFWs’ dependents.

  14. Cat, so what if the small workers of California find investing in the Philippines profitable? It’s not the kind of “economics” that’s relevant to me. What is important to me is the kind of “economics” that puts food on the table of millions of Filipinos, not the one that stuffs more dollars into the pockets of small workers in California.

    I doubt if you are really economics degree holder.

  15. RE ECONOMY:

    Tell me how this happened: MBC BULLISH ON 2007 PROSPECTS.

    That is the same Makati Business Club that was pushing for GMA’s ouster over a year ago. Business is business, when you’re making money, you support the one in power. When things are down, you support the opposition.

    Where is all the opposition from the business sector today? They managed to pre-pay some of the debts incurred during the 97 Asian crisis with the peso’s strengthening and are happy as clams to see their profit margin go up…and so – they’re quiet.

    http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0223&242007/headlines04.html

  16. “But when the peso is weaker and is hurting the imports kasalanan ni Gloria….

    Oh common!” – rego

    I didn’t say that. All I said is that the strengthening of the peso is not Gloria’s achievement so she cannot claim credit for it.

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