First Philippine Automated Election Experience - We Casted Our Votes and Now We Wait

Today, May 10, 2010 marks the day of the first Philippine automated elections. Yours truly has just arrived from our local polling precinct here in Dasmariñas City and here is my first Philippine automated election experience...



The much talked about Philippine election has still managed to see the day even though there are so many speculations and arguments against it. Me and my whole family woke up early (around 5:30 am to be exact) in order to avoid the long lines that may awaits us later. I think it was just mom being to excited over the whole thing while me and my two other siblings are cool with the not waking up so early to cast our votes. By 6:00 pm the whole family went to the polling precinct only to find out that the lines have just started to build up and the actual voting will start at 7:00 am. after locating our precincts, me and my brother were the second and third one to fall in line. The BEI told us that the election will start at 7:00 pm but it didn't because the PCOS machine failed to start up. By 7:20 we are were allowed to enter the precinct and vote even if the machine have't been fixed yet.

Now on the actual voting process, I have completely made up my mind on who will my President and Vice-President will be, let's just say I went with the red-yellow tandem. The big challenge is the senators and the local candidates. Everything now boils down to the familiarity of the candidates and those who have made a good impression on me on the past election campaigns. On the local candidate lineup I just stick with the known line up of candidates my mom supports, because I personally do not know every one of them and their capabilities.

I was so anxious on how I shade the oval on my selected candidate because I don't want to waste my vote. So I think it took me about 4-7 minutes in carefully shading the ballot and on-the-spot picking of the local candidates. What I noticed and feared as I shade on the ballot is that the ink from the pen provided by the smartmatic/precinct blots through the opposite side of the ballot where the local candidates are listed. what if the machine won't read that side of the ballot. WEll, like anybody else I didn't experienced any public demonstration on how does the automation work so I have my worries. After repetitive going through each candidate and making sure that all ovals have been properly shaded, I now wait for the PCOS machine to be fixed. Two technical support personnel from Placewell International Services Corporations were already there fixing the election machine went haywire. After forty five minutes, we have finally inserted our ballots on the now working PCOS machine. Seeing the "congratulations" on the lower right most corner of the PCOS machine gave me a sense of relief that my vote won't be wasted and safe from any forms of conventional modes of election cheating.

We Casted Our Votes and Now We Wait...

A Citizen's View on Noynoy Aquino and Hacienda Luisita

The Republic of the Philippines, without a doubt is a majestic country and truly stands up for it's other name "The Pearl of the Orient Seas", but like any other nation it has its fair share of flaws and imperfections. This is why I've finally decided to pull off a political series of posts tackling various Philippine issues. Welcome to A Citizen's View on CMABLOGS where yours truly voices out his views and opinions regarding the Philippine and beyond.

The National Election is the most crucial national event that every citizen should be part of (no excuses and buts), for the country's future is at stake here. The 2010 Philippine Election will be marked as the first time that the Philippines will adapt an automated elections and my first time to cast my vote as a responsible and concerned Filipino. With so many candidates vying for the highest seat on the nation, who will we vote for? This is where traditional media (television, radio, and newspapers) and the New Media (blogs and news websites) comes in, to provide us the information for us to carefully scrutinize.

I am not a big fan of traditional media supporting, delivering and spreading news regarding who's on top of the social survey results but that is a completely different topic, today I will focus more on one of the Philippine Presidential candidates this 2010 and the issues that he should face. This is A Citizen's View on Noynoy Aquino and Hacienda Luisita.



Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III, popularly known as Noynoy Aquino is the son of the two late National heroes Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino. With two of his parents recognized by the country as national heroes, plus Noynoy has (so far)no bad political track record, these factors could be more than enough to make him one of the best option this 2010 elections. All seems perfect with Noynoy Aquino except for one thing, an issue that haunts his family... Hacienda Luisita.

Either a black propaganda against Noynoy Aquino or just the natural way of how things unfold, Noynoy is urged to solve Hacienda Luisita by various concerned Filipinos and adversaries. If you are a responsible Filipino voter and wants to know why Hacienda Luisita haunts and threatens the chances of Noynoy Aquino in vying as a Philippine presidential candidate then watch this video.

A warning though some of the scenes contain images of gore and violence. Watch and approach the "Hacienda Luisita massacre: An outstanding issue of the people on Benigno Noynoy Aquino III" featured video in an apolitical manner. Try to carefully weigh things for the video somehow (to me) seems to go against Noynoy Aquino:



The "alleged" land reform injustice and the violence against the farmers of Haceienda Luisita follows Noynoy Aquino like a dark shadow on a path of fame and light. Thanks to the power of new media, the online public may finally know what Noynoy plans for Hacienda Luisita. Noynoy's statement regarding the dispute of their family's (the Aquinos and Cojuagncos) land, Hacienda Luisita still does not offer an immediate answer to the pressing matter.

I am a bit of a realist myself, Noynoy stated that his family shall finally give the land (free from its debt) to its farmers (as mandated by the Law) but it would take another four years and so. Though that is still a big question for his mother, late-Cory Aquino failed to provide the land back at her term as a Philippine president, so chances are that Noynoy might experience the same conflict himself. In the end, Noynoy is only one of the many (family members) owners of Hacienda Luisita his actions and decisions regarding the controversial property may not necessary reflect the intentions and decisions of the rest of the family.

Justice must still be served to those unfortunate victims of the "Hacienda Luisita murder". What I am looking forward to is the incarceration of the people behind the murder (Still hoping that justice will triumph over money and power). The dedicated farmers have worked hard and endured for decades with high hopes that they shall be granted with the land promised to them. An indefinite delay of this is the main reason why the farmers held the massive protest in the first place, which unfortunately ended up in a bloody conclusion.

Hacienda Luisita farmers claiming their individual land that they deserved, mandated by the Philippine Constitution is the perfect scenario to finally closed this dark chapter of the Hacienda Luisita issue. The people hold Ninoy Aquino responsible because he is an Aquino and as long as this issue isn't resolve, this will haunt him as a public official. For now the only thing that the farmers can hold onto is Noynoy's promise and assurance that they will have their land. The Hacienda Luisita issue must be addressed whether Noynoy Aquino wins this 2010 Presidential Elections or not.

Yes to Dasmariñas City! I Became A Part of the History of the Cityhood of Dasmariñas

December 03, 2009 (Thursday) - Last November 25, 2009 - Wednesday, a local holiday was implemented Dasmariñas Cavite to give way to the plebiscite regarding the cityhood of Dasmariñas in Cavite.



From the Municipality of Dasmariñas Province of Cavite to Dasmariñas City - The Official Dasmariñas History courtesy of Wikipedia...

Cityhood

1997-1998

HB08931 was filed by Congresman Renato P. Dragon with other cityhood bills of Imus(HB 08960) and Bacoor (HB (08959). It was filed last February 11, 1997 and read last February 13, 1997. Committee Report N0. 01361 was submitted on December 17,1997. It was approved on the third reading by the House last January 10, 1998. It did not push through as a Republic Act and no plebiscite happen.

2000

HB099883 was filed by Congressman Erineo Maliksi last March 13,2000. It was first read last March 13,2000. It was approved on the Second and Third reading of House last March 15,2000 and March 27, 2000. It was transmitted to the senate on March 28, 2000 and received on March 31, 2009. It did not push through as a Republic Act and no plebiscite happen.

2008-2009

The idea of converting Dasmariñas into a component city was again proposed after failure in 1997 and 2000. Recent unofficial surveys have shown that the municipality's inhabitants are now willing to push forward with cityhood.

House Bill no. 5258 converting the municipality of Dasmariñas into a component city was filed by Congressman Pidi Barzaga last October 03, 2008. It was read last October 06, 2008. It was approved by the House on Second and Third Reading on October 7 and November 17. It was transmitted and received by the senate last November 17 and 20 of 2008. It was passed by the senate on Second and Third Reading last October 28 and November 05, 2009. It is received by the President of the Philippines last October 14, 2009 and signed as Republic Act 9723 last October 15, 2009.

COMELEC Resolution No. 8682 in connection with the November 25, 2009 plebiscite to ratify the conversion of the municipality of Dasmariñas province of Cavite into a component city pursuant to Republic Act 9723 dated October 15, 2009.

Republic Act No. 9723 was ratified by the registered voters of Dasmariñas through a plebiscite conducted last November 25.2009, converted the municipality of Dasmariñas in the Province of Cavite into a component city to be known as the City of Dasmariñas. There were about 44,000 voters who cast the plebiscite ballot in the town’s 1,508 polling precincts. The yes votes won overwhelmingly. The yes votes got 36,559 while the no votes got 8,141.

Lone District of the City of Dasmariñas

The city of Dasmarinas shall have its own legislative district in the 2010 elections.

A bill was filed by Congressman Joseph Abaya with co-authors Congressman Pidi Barzaga and Crispin Remulla. The bill is supported by Senator Panfilo Lacson, Senator Richard Gordon and Senator Ramon Bong Revilla. It was approved by the president of the Philippines as Republic Act 9727 last October 22, 2009.

However Republic Act 9723 (Dasmariñas City Charter) section 64 also includes the City of Dasmariñas shall have its own legislative district to commence in the next national election after the effectivity of this Act.

More about Dasmariñas City here...

I have noticed banners about the plebiscite of the cityhood of Dasmariñas and was curious on how will it happen... and on this date I've first exercised my right to vote (Yup, I am one of those first-time voters) and all my questions have been answered. Just when I thought that my first time to exercise my vote is on the upcoming 2010 election, came this Dasmariñas wide plebiscite.



We got up at around 6:00 in the morning because mom thought that it was gonna be as chaotic and crowded as the previous national elections, she was wrong. The whole process only took minutes and the prescint was't even that crowded. We went there together with the wife of the former barangay captain to exercise our vote. After a short meal (rice soup) courtesy of the barangay (I do not know what is the meal for, whether it is to bribe us to vote yes, but my vote would not be affected by such gimmicks... I will stick vote "Yes!" hahaha). We were able to get to the local voting prescint (local elementary school) via the public utility jeepney which was also commissioned by the new barangay captain who was the daughter of the former barangay captain.



We were guided to our voting prescints which only took us some minutes. Once there, we were ask to sign the voters registration sheet and place a thumb mark on it. The nail of my right index finger was tainted with a blue indelible ink and was handed out by the election marshal with the official voter's paper. There was a blank box where we could either say "Yes" or "No" to the cityhood of Dasmariñas and I wrote a big...Yes.

The whole process just took 5 minutes and we all head back home. After a day or so, I found out through a friend who called me that Dasmariñas is already a city. I know I am sloppy for not knowing the outcome of the plebiscite too soon for I may have ask mom or the barangay captain for the results, but hey! I was still enthusiastic and happy about the transformation of the municipality of Dasmariñas to the City of Dasmariñas. I became a part of the history of Dasmariñas, Cavite and probably the Philippines. I lived the day that I came to see the progress of our hometown Dasmariñas.