LINTANG bedol, a former election supervisor in Maguindanao, has exposed the existence of a “syndicate” within the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that shaved votes in favor of certain candidates for a fee.
So what else is new?
The entire Comelec itself, many claim, is one big criminal syndicate.
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But you will say that was in the past and that the present Comelec is composed of clean and honest officials and employees.
If you think that way, then you were born only yesterday.
Bedol, who helped Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo win over actor Fernando Poe Jr. in the 2004 presidential election, was not the proverbial exception to the rule.
Bedol typifies the whole Comelec caboodle.
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Remember the case of the late Angelo Reyes who ran for Congress under the party-list 1-UTAK in the last elections?
Reyes won, but the Comelec didn’t allow him to sit as party-list representative.
The Comelec syndicate, however, allowed the swearing in of Mikey Arroyo and Teodorico Haresco, both party-list representatives in the same category as Reyes.
Why? Because Reyes crossed the syndicate.
Had Reyes appeased the poll body syndicate or paid it off, he would have been allowed to become a party-list congressman.
Who knows, he would still be alive today had the syndicate allowed him to take the seat that he won honestly and fairly.
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Relatives told me that Reyes was not in the proper frame of mind when he decided to end his life.
He had a stroke weeks before, and this was hidden from the public.
That’s the reason why Reyes, who was very articulate, was hard put explaining himself to senators investigating him on the massive corruption in the Armed Forces.
The depression apparently caused by his not being allowed to be sworn in as party-list representative in the House of Representatives led to the stroke.
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Brig. Gen. Eduardo D. del Rosario, commander of the Armed Forces Civil Relations Service (CRS), has taken issue with my column of Oct. 13.
In that particular piece, I said that there is demoralization in the ranks of government troops.
“The allegation that there is demoralization among our troops due to lack of support is … far from the truth,” General Del Rosario said in his letter.
“Ever since the institution of reforms in the AFP way back in 2005, more than half of the AFP resources are channeled to field units to ensure that AFP field operations in the conduct of insurgency operations and development projects in insurgency affected barangays are adequately supported,” the general added.
Now comes the report that 12 soldiers were killed in a recent clash with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels.
Twelve soldiers against 6 MILF rebels killed.
That’s 2 to 1 in favor of the MILF.
If the soldiers were not demoralized because they had all the support they needed from their bosses at headquarters—meaning Camp Aguinaldo and the Department of National Defense—many of the casualties would have been on the MILF side.
No demoralization among government troops?
Now say that again, General Del Rosario, without batting an eyelash.
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The Ramon Tulfo, Good Samaritan Foundation, is holding the “We Rock for Autism … Are You Ready to Listen?” concert at the Elbow Room bar and restaurant, Metrowalk Commercial Complex on Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City, on Oct. 27.
The show, which starts at 9 p.m., is for the benefit of children with autism.
Some of the performers are special children.
San Miguel Corp. is the biggest sponsor of the fund-raising event.