Zubiri’s delicadeza unlike Defensor’s

Much is being made in television media about Miguel Zubiri’s “high sense of delicadeza” in resigning his Senate seat. Is Zubiri’s resignation four years too late? Have people forgotten that as early as 2007, unlike Zubiri, Mike Defensor immediately refused to “win” on the then partially counted Maguindanao votes, stating “he did so to stop their Team Unity from committing acts inimical to the essence of democracy and fair play in an electoral battle”?

And is Zubiri’s resignation again at least three years too late? Three years ago Koko Pimentel reportedly proved beyond reasonable doubt that Zubiri had lost the election by more than 200,000 votes.

But already, two-thirds of Pimentel’s rightful senatorial term have been lost due to the delays. Do the delays, all too typical in electoral protests that are uselessly won virtually at the end of the winner’s term, indicate that something is grievously wrong with the system that urgently needs correction?

—BENJAMIN B. AGUNOD,
[email protected]