Roundup
23 November 2006
Guest: Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel proposed the possible appointment of an Opposition representative in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) who will serve as a watchdog in the poll body during elections, a practice which he said was done during the Marcos administration.
"My suggestion is that the President should consider appointing somebody recommended by the opposition. The Comelec is supposed to be non-partisan, but considering the reality of the situation in the Comelec, I think the time calls for the appointment of at least one representative coming or recommended by the opposition."
Senator Pimentel recalled that during the Batasan 1984 elections under the regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos, the opposition demanded that they be allowed to nominate a Comelec Commissioner in order to prevent poll fraud and to make the election results credible to the people.
Marcos agreed, Pimentel recalled, and the opposition nominated Comelec Commissioner Mon Felipe. As a result of this, Pimentel said some 50 opposition candidates for the over 200 Batasan seats won in the elections.
Senator Pimentel made the suggestion during the Kapihan sa Senado today. He raised the idea in relation to the coming 2007 elections wherein Opposition candidates said to be heavily favored of wining based on recent survey results on the possible senatoriables.
Pimentel graced the Kapihan sa Senado, a weekly coffee-talk that gives the Senate reporters a chance to interact with senators the important issues of the week. The Senator also gave his opinion on the decision of the Supreme Court on people’s initiative (PI), and its recognition of a sufficient enabling law for the process.
"That is exactly what has been bugging my mind after the decision of the Supreme Court, because it looks like the Supreme Court told the petitioners, ULAP and Sigaw, that the petition is inadequate, but the law is sufficient. Thus, it looks like, that it is possible for the people’s initiative to be revived using the same law. I hope that the Supreme Court meant that the law was sufficient for local initiatives. But, not necessarily for initiatives like amending the constitution, which will affect the whole content, of our basic law. This has to be clarified and my hope is that the people behind the people’s initiative should lay off the proposal until after the elections."
Pimentel also announced that positive progress has been achieved during the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed Biofuel bill. He said the proposed law would eventually help pull down the cost and dependence of the country on fossil fuel imports.
On the claim of Speaker Joe de Venecia to pursue Con-ass by Christmas time:
"Haharangin at haharangin namin dito sa Senado yan, unless maliwanang na voting separately. Yun lang naman ang major controversy namin doon. Amending the Constitution by constituent assembly is possible, but ang preference namin sana ay after the elections. Kung ipipilit nila ngayon, mahirapan siguro, because kulang na nga ang panahon. But if you are talking of people’s initiative as a way of amending the Constitution, by let say Christmas of this year, malabo naman masyado.
On the Mike Defensor’s proposed "Unity ticket" and recent survey results:
"That idea, to say the least, is ridiculous. It is not possible for us to fall for it for the simple reason that we will just provide the administration the horse to ride on for purposes of the coming elections. Because for me, it is obvious, and this is the number two reason, that the administration is not able to come up with its own slate. Kaya, without any hope of winning, lalo na sa senatorial elections. If you will look at the recent surveys, for example, I understand that the highest ranking candidate, supposedly from the Administration, is no. 20 on the list. Yung first 19, puro opposition personalities lahat. Now I am only talking of the senatorial elections. I am sure na ang sentimento ng tao against the Administration will spill over to the local, especially on the congressional positions. And this may be the reason why gusto nilang magkaroon ng unity ticket, dahil natatakot sila na pagdating ng halalan for the congressional elections, maraming opposition personalities ang manalo.
On his suggestion to appoint an opposition nominee to the Comelec:
"My suggestion is that the President should consider appointing somebody recommended by the opposition. Because the Comelec is supposed to be non-partisan, but considering the reality of the situation in the Comelec, I think the time calls for the appointment of at least one representative coming or recommended by the opposition."
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23 November 2006
Guest: Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel proposed the possible appointment of an Opposition representative in the Commission on Elections (Comelec) who will serve as a watchdog in the poll body during elections, a practice which he said was done during the Marcos administration.
"My suggestion is that the President should consider appointing somebody recommended by the opposition. The Comelec is supposed to be non-partisan, but considering the reality of the situation in the Comelec, I think the time calls for the appointment of at least one representative coming or recommended by the opposition."
Senator Pimentel recalled that during the Batasan 1984 elections under the regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos, the opposition demanded that they be allowed to nominate a Comelec Commissioner in order to prevent poll fraud and to make the election results credible to the people.
Marcos agreed, Pimentel recalled, and the opposition nominated Comelec Commissioner Mon Felipe. As a result of this, Pimentel said some 50 opposition candidates for the over 200 Batasan seats won in the elections.
Senator Pimentel made the suggestion during the Kapihan sa Senado today. He raised the idea in relation to the coming 2007 elections wherein Opposition candidates said to be heavily favored of wining based on recent survey results on the possible senatoriables.
Pimentel graced the Kapihan sa Senado, a weekly coffee-talk that gives the Senate reporters a chance to interact with senators the important issues of the week. The Senator also gave his opinion on the decision of the Supreme Court on people’s initiative (PI), and its recognition of a sufficient enabling law for the process.
"That is exactly what has been bugging my mind after the decision of the Supreme Court, because it looks like the Supreme Court told the petitioners, ULAP and Sigaw, that the petition is inadequate, but the law is sufficient. Thus, it looks like, that it is possible for the people’s initiative to be revived using the same law. I hope that the Supreme Court meant that the law was sufficient for local initiatives. But, not necessarily for initiatives like amending the constitution, which will affect the whole content, of our basic law. This has to be clarified and my hope is that the people behind the people’s initiative should lay off the proposal until after the elections."
Pimentel also announced that positive progress has been achieved during the bicameral conference committee meeting on the proposed Biofuel bill. He said the proposed law would eventually help pull down the cost and dependence of the country on fossil fuel imports.
On the claim of Speaker Joe de Venecia to pursue Con-ass by Christmas time:
"Haharangin at haharangin namin dito sa Senado yan, unless maliwanang na voting separately. Yun lang naman ang major controversy namin doon. Amending the Constitution by constituent assembly is possible, but ang preference namin sana ay after the elections. Kung ipipilit nila ngayon, mahirapan siguro, because kulang na nga ang panahon. But if you are talking of people’s initiative as a way of amending the Constitution, by let say Christmas of this year, malabo naman masyado.
On the Mike Defensor’s proposed "Unity ticket" and recent survey results:
"That idea, to say the least, is ridiculous. It is not possible for us to fall for it for the simple reason that we will just provide the administration the horse to ride on for purposes of the coming elections. Because for me, it is obvious, and this is the number two reason, that the administration is not able to come up with its own slate. Kaya, without any hope of winning, lalo na sa senatorial elections. If you will look at the recent surveys, for example, I understand that the highest ranking candidate, supposedly from the Administration, is no. 20 on the list. Yung first 19, puro opposition personalities lahat. Now I am only talking of the senatorial elections. I am sure na ang sentimento ng tao against the Administration will spill over to the local, especially on the congressional positions. And this may be the reason why gusto nilang magkaroon ng unity ticket, dahil natatakot sila na pagdating ng halalan for the congressional elections, maraming opposition personalities ang manalo.
On his suggestion to appoint an opposition nominee to the Comelec:
"My suggestion is that the President should consider appointing somebody recommended by the opposition. Because the Comelec is supposed to be non-partisan, but considering the reality of the situation in the Comelec, I think the time calls for the appointment of at least one representative coming or recommended by the opposition."
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1 comment:
Tuloy po kayo! WElocome sa kapihan sa senado online. WE hope to hear more from the global, virtual pinoys in and around the world. mahalaga po ang inyong mga opinyon. soon, i hope to hear queries from you, so we can give them directly to our senators.
God bless us all!
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