On the eve of the elections, I received a copy of a proposed action plan for the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It was prepared by a young Tausug.
Ang Kapatiran Party’s three senatorial candidates may not win on May 13. Even if they lose, I like to think that the party will emerge as the real winner in the 2013 elections. By fielding candidates, it has already achieved part of its objective—to start the political education of Filipino voters. Fielding three candidates in a race where the name of the game is money, public visibility and behind-the-scenes political maneuvering is already an act of fortitude vis-à-vis established, present-day political norms.
At no time since its foundation in the 15th century has the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo been so much in the news.
The list of papabiles always titillating the world’s curiosity notwithstanding, no one ever has predicted correctly who gets elected pope.
This is the worst of times; this is the craziest of times.
Now that Kris Aquino is home, will she be true to her word that she will resign from all her ABS-CBN shows? The promise is being awaited by legions, never mind Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations surveys.
At the height of the running gunbattle between the Malaysian forces and the so-called “Royal Army” (which in a few days became the “Royal Security Forces,” but which Malaysia labeled simply as “the intruders”), there was one, among the dispatches we received from our ground sources, that I thought struck at the very core of the senselessness of it all. “Both sides are lying, their statements in their press conferences are mostly lies,” the messenger sounded quite exasperated. He was referring to Jamalul Kiram III and his spokespersons, and to the Malaysian officials.
There she goes again, but the pattern has become familiar. It would seem that every now and then, Kris Aquino treats us to her teary spectacles. And this time, the drama was even more intense—presented on prime time TV news with an all-star supporting cast, courtesy of all three other Aquino sisters looking downcast, for a full 27 minutes and 54 seconds of airtime.
Well, whoever planned this catastrophic mess that is benignly called “Sabah standoff,” if indeed it is a conspiracy, must now be laughing his diabolic head off.
How copious is our understanding of the Sultanate of Sulu? If Malacañang’s statement is true, that it has only begun consulting historical documents, then that understanding is miserably wanting. Manila has always had an ambivalent appreciation of the sultanate and its rightful place as an institution in Philippine polity.
The die is cast. As of this writing, the situationers we at the Inquirer have been receiving from the ground since Saturday indicate nothing less than very bloody developments.
Have we progressed or have we degenerated in our conduct of elections? Voting and vote count have now gone automated, though belatedly. But that we can now determine victor and vanquished in less than a day is something not to crow about before the league of nations, many of which have been into this cutting [...]
