Kanina po mga 11am nagpunta po kami sa Angeles City Hall para humabol sa rehistro bilang 1st time voters, ang nakalulungkot po ay tapos na po ang pila dahil may quota po sila na 300 per day ang mas pangit pa po ay kailangan bumalik ka ng 11pm para makakuha ng voters no.lists na aabutin po ng madaling araw para matapos ng sunod na araw, kanina din po ay humihingi po kmi ng reg.form at sabi ay wala na daw po at kung gusto daw namin ay bumili nalang po kami sa canteen at ipa-xerox sa halagang P6 each anung klase po bang sistema meron tayo at talagang nakakagising po at makapagmumulat sa atin sa katotohanan... Sana po sa bagong Presidente ng 2010 ay magawa po ng lahat ng paraan sa pag-oorganisa ng lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno at magkaroon po sana sa susunod na eleksyon na mobile registration sa bawat Barangay or online registration ang Comelec... Maraming salamat po!
Submitted by red27 on Fri, 10/30/2009 - 16:55.Snap elections poll watcher joins Boto Mo iPatrol Mo
By Julie Javellana Santos, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/26/2009 2:07 PM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
Patroller says given what is at stake, the public needs to be more vigilant to prevent cheats in 2010
At 59, Valentino “Val” Pascua quietly lives his life as Catholic Mass Media Awards Liaison coordinator and devoted grandparent to 6 grandchildren from his three kids.
Over 2 decades ago, however, this senior prevented the theft of the ballot boxes from the Caloocan City Hall over during the historic 1986 Snap Elections.
And with May 2010 fast approaching, Pascua took time out to sign up for ABS-CBN’s Boto Mo iPatrol Mo campaign, vowing in the process to do whatever he can to prevent fraud from tainting the national elections.
Namfrel volunteer
Pascua was one of the thousands who joined the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) in 1986 to watch over the conduct of the snap elections that pitted Ninoy Aquino’s housewife, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino against martial law strong man Ferdinand Marcos.
“Namfrel then was different from what it is now,” Pascua said. “Before, as volunteers we had to rely on giveaways for our food. What came was usually delicious,” Pascua said.
He also remembers that at that time, they were closely helped by nuns and priests in watching over the polling. “The nuns and the priests would help us,” Pascua said.
Armed with a film camera, Pascua watched the polls at a precinct inside the Sampalukan Elementary School near Dagat-dagatan, Kalookan City.
In the process, he spied over some men trying to take ballot boxes out through the back door of the Caloocan City Hall. “I called for reinforcements but even before they arrived, the nuns and priests surrounded the men and the ballot boxes. I think they were even planning to kidnap me, the leader, if not for the nuns who formed a protective circle around me.”
Martial Law
Pascua’s mother was a die-hard Marcos loyalist. But this did not stop him from taking part in the resistance against the Marcos administration.
His mother, he said, left his political beliefs alone. “She would merely say ‘take care’ everytime I went out.”
Martial Law, for Pascua, started out as a mere inconvenience.
He had to forego his 22nd birthday celebration because Martial Law was declared a few days before.
On the day Martial Law was declared, Pascua reported for work as a waiter at the Mexican Garden of Bonanza Restaurant. Work normally required them to stay out late.
This time around, however, the security guard and the manager stopped them from going home that night, forcing them to spend the night inside the restaurant. “They said there was no transportation. Only military trucks remained on the roads.”
There was also a news blackout. There were no newspapers or broadcasts of any kind. It was only after a few days that there was a nationwide broadcast and Marcos said he declared Martial Law Sept. 21.
Bonanza restaurant was among the many businesses affected by the declaration of Martial Law, according to Pascua. Many events and dinners which were scheduled to be held there had to be cancelled.
Secret marshals
It had positive effects. After a few months, people got used to going home early. “There was discipline and the bad elements disappeared.” Likewise, Pascua reminisced that with a curfew pass, “one could walk outside without any fear of being held up,” he said.
Of course this did not last long. “Even I experienced being held up,” he said.
Because of this, the military created “secret marshals” or police officials in civilian clothes designed to intercept hold-uppers and the like. But this practice, Pascua said, eventually led to abuse.
“What was bad was that if you were arrested by a secret marshal, he would not bring you before a judge. He would simply shoot you and then leave you to be buried.”
“This would be good if [the person arrested] was always a real hold-upper. But what about those times when it’s not?”
Witnessing the abuses of the secret marshals eventually made Pascua reject Martial Law.
And when Marcos announced that there will be a snap elections in 1986, Pascua decided to join the Namfrel.
Possible anomalies in 2010
Pascua is certain that Martial Law will remain a thing of the past. “Whoever will declare it needs support from 90% of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and the PNP (Philippine National Police). If the junior officers disagree with their leaders, there will be a civil war.”
That does not mean, however, that people now have to be less vigilant, he says.
“We have to be vigilant even now because all politicians want to win, especially those already in power or those who are rich. And they are the ones most capable of cheating.”
“If you witnessed something wrong, would you just let it go and keep quiet about it?” he asked.
To him, the answer to this question can only be a resounding ‘No.’
Given everything that he has witnessed, Pascua says that definitely, if there is trouble next year, “I will also be there.” - abs-cbnNEWS.com
Comments