On the Recent FACLA elections, May 31, 2009

by Plaridel Inkana Wednesday, Jun. 17, 2009 at 11:35 AM

epcc_la@hotmail.com 818-749-0272 1740 W. Temple St. Los Angeles, Ca 90026

In one day, the FACLA elections brought FACLA from the modern age (US style) to the dark ages (Philippine Style). To compare, in November 16, elections FACLA paid $ 7,000 for a computerized elections and the elections was done within hours and elections results known to the public. In the May 31 court ordered elections. The elections were done Philippine style. With board tabulations and poll clerks with watchers coming from just one party. The Party that won the elections by a landslide- the Ideal Party.

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LESSONS ON THE FACLA ELECTIONS, May 31, 2009

By Plaridel Inkana

Los Angeles --In one day, the FACLA elections brought FACLA from the modern age (US style) to the dark ages (Philippine Style).

To compare, in November 16, elections FACLA paid $ 7,000 for a computerized elections and the elections was done within hours and elections results known to the public.

In the May 31 court ordered elections. The elections were done Philippine style. With board tabulations and poll clerks with watchers coming from just one party. The Party that won the elections by a landslide- the Ideal Party.

Here are some of the observations from the community about the latest FACLA elections.

FACLA COMELEC’s partiality

1. The FACLA COMELEC under Atty. Honorio Cabanilla did a sloppy job of not cleaning the list of voters. It used the Aug 15 cut off for voters and yet the COMELEC did not post the list of voters for the scrutiny of the public.

It does not matter to the COMELEC that there are reportedly 67 registered voters with one address at 240 N Virgil, Los Angeles, CA allegedly owned by a certain Gregorio Gatus.

That there were also 13 voters registered at a school at Beverly Blvd. reportedly run by a certain Rita Dinsay.

That there were two dead people that were registered as voters. There were also voters who are registered to vote but were already reported to be living in the Philippines.

2. The COMELEC designated Ideal party poll clerks, watchers and let the Ideal Party dominate the elections process on the day of the elections.

3. There were divergent “list of voters” that the COMELEC referred to on the date of elections that confusion reigns on that date. Many voters were turned away and were not able to vote.

There was a different voters list outside and anther voters list inside. That is aside from the “official COMELEC’s voters list.”

Lessons on the FACLA May 31 elections

In the first place, the losing party, the Coalition for a Better Community (CBC) should not have participated in the said elections on the principle of participatory democracy.

The court mandated elections disenfranchised more than 1, 200 voters of FACLA by ordering that “ only those who registered on Aug. 16 cut off date are allowed to vote.”

There were 1,908 FACLA registered member on Sept. 19 cut-off date for the November 16, 2008 elections. On the elections of May 31, according to COMELEC figures there were less than 333 people who voted on the election day.

Is this democracy or judicial tyranny?

The Ideal Party has money to spend on litigation. Unlike the CBC with no money to spare. The CBC pitched in just to get by on the court case that saddled FACLA with problems after the elections of Nov. 16, 2008.

The important lesson is you can do anything if you have money. A traditional case of how money controlled Philippine or even Filipino-American politics.

The CBC also erred in placing their faith on the FACLA COMELEC Atty. Cabanilla et al. It appeared that the COMELEC is in cahoots with the Ideal Party. It is a classic case of the COMELEC under Marcos of the Philippines since 1972 until 1986 or under GMA at present.

But it’s all water under the bridge. Now that FACLA is in the Ideal Party hands, we can just hope for the best or expect the worst.

But the biggest lesson is- until the election process is straighten out, FACLA will be the expression of the old type Philippine politics; filled with regionalism, animosities fills the air and the cycle of traditional politics pervades the community.

FACLA will always remain with a bitter fruit with a bitter taste-MAPAKLA.



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