MANILA, Philippines—A coalition of reform-minded organizations and individuals launched Tuesday what it called the “People’s Primaries,” a system wherein 10 million voters would come up with a slate of nontraditional candidates for public office in the 2010 elections.

The Movement for Good Governance (MGG) presented the mechanics of setting up the People’s Primaries to some 90 leaders of national organizations at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in Makati City.

Spokesperson Ricky Xavier said that through the primaries, a mechanism patterned after the US electoral system, “a slate of ‘nontrapos’ (nontraditional politicians) will emerge by November 2009.”

Representatives of the Subsidiary Movement, Green Convergence, Global Filipino Network, Movement for Hope, Partidong Pandaigdigan Pilipino, Magnificat Movement and ABS-CBN Foundation, among other groups, showed up at the launch.

Jesus is Lord leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio were also represented.

Among the MGG prime movers are Milwida Guevara, a former finance undersecretary; Guillermo Luz, a former executive director of the Makati Business Club; information technology expert Gus Lagman; artist and youth leader Jaime Garchitorena; retired Gen. Jose Almonte; and comedian Mae Paner aka Juana Change.

How it will work

Xavier said that in the past four months, “primaries” was just a big idea in his and his colleagues’ heads until MGG core members formulated the mechanics of the system.

In the United States, the primaries are meant to transfer the right to elect a presidential candidate from the elite or entitled few to the hands of the voters, according to MGG.

This system has played a key role in forming the platforms of the candidates.

Xavier said the People’s Primaries would tap 75 percent of the Philippines’ more than 200 districts to form district working groups, which would, in turn, work on subgroups like spiritual organizations, microfinance groups and cooperatives.

District facilitators, which will serve as the district leaders, will be given the members’ mobile phone numbers, which will serve as voting control numbers.

The members, called district electors, will vote through text messaging. Each voter will be allowed to vote only once.

Alternative presidential bet

The names on MGG’s list of possible nominees for president are Panlilio, Villanueva, Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca, Naga Mayor Jess Robredo, environmentalist Nicky Perlas, Olongapo Councilor John Carlos de Los Reyes, detained Brig. Gen. Danny Lim, Gawad Kalinga leading light Tony Meloto, and Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

The one who garners the biggest number of votes nationwide will become the alternative presidential candidate.

MGG said that by November, days before the deadline of the filing of candidacies at the Commission on Elections, the People’s Primaries would have a presidential candidate and a slate for other government posts.

Good vs bad

One of the main goals of the People’s Primaries is to “create a clear demarcation between ‘trapos’ and ‘nontrapos,’” Xavier said. He described the latter as “effective, ethical and empowering.”

“It’s like a fight between good and bad,” he said, adding:
“If we want to have good governance, then we have to go toward selection. Many groups are working on voter’s education and registration. But we want to take the next step so we can change the type of governance we now have.”

Xavier said MGG would certainly bar traditional politicians from joining the People’s Primaries or using it for their political ambitions.

Asked how, he said: “For one, many of the ‘trapos’ are known. We just have to make sure of the difference between ‘trapos’ and ‘nontrapos.’ A ‘trapo’ relies on patronage politics, on gold, goons and guns,” he said.

He added that the primaries would be brought to the ground through communication with the national leaders of nonpartisan organizations.

5-5-5

The coalition’s target of 10 million voters will only be possible through a multilevel marketing approach called 5-5-5, Xavier said.

“If we have five people, each of the five should convince another five to join, and then each of the third set of five must recruit another five, and so on and so forth,” he said.

Through this strategy, the membership will keep moving and growing, he added.

Convenors of the People’s Primaries said the 5-5-5 system could be utilized even through text messaging.

Those who want to serve as cluster leaders should text JOIN NAME TOWN PROVINCE or JOIN NAME BARANGAY City and send to 09173200022 or 09189138154, MGG said in a leaflet.

Within 10 days, the cluster leaders should text information on their 5 new recruits who must be registered voters.

People’s voice

Luchie Atienza, director of the Women in Development Foundation, told the Inquirer before the launch that her group was interested in the primaries system.

“It is good to hear something like this. And our group is really thinking it over,” Atienza said.

Noli Benavent, the creator of the Stop ConAss Now! campaign on Facebook, said the process of primaries was a way to finally include the people’s voice in the national elections.

Benavent said he would mobilize a huge number of Internet users to join the People’s Primaries and vote for the deserving presidential aspirant.