Today, which was wisely proclaimed a public holiday by President Duterte, is the time when we are all given the chance to have our voices heard. While this election was particularly controversial considering we weren’t even sure if it was going to push through amidst talk of a shift in government, the fact is the time has come to make our way to the voting polls and elect the candidates of our choice in the Barangay and SK Elections.
While these elections may not seem as big a deal as the national elections, it is still important to take them seriously as many of our future leaders come from the Barangay and SK levels. We need to be careful even as early as now and select the right people. I know that many of us might not know as much about these candidates but it can’t hurt to try to do a little research – the Internet has made that much easier for us. We just have to exercise discernment when sifting through all the information.
At the end of the day it is most important for us to go to the voting polls and make our votes count. While we still have a democracy, we are afforded the right to let our voices be heard and we can’t – and should not – take this for granted. We must do our best to take responsibility for our actions. If we don’t make an effort than we really can’t complain when our leaders fall short of our expectations. After all, we had no hand in putting them in office (or voting against them).
I understand that going to the polls can be quite taxing – especially in this heat and in the crowds that are sure to be there – but we have to do our duty. This is the essence of democracy and we have to protect it while we can.
Additionally, whenever elections roll around I know I inevitably write about the teachers who volunteer to watch the ballot boxes and help with the elections. I am in awe of their dedication. We often complain of having to spend an hour at the polls because of the heat and the crowds, but these women and men are there all day to ensure the elections run smoothly and efficiently. My hats are off to them.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I truly believe that teachers in the Philippines deserve an increase in their salaries. They have the truly challenging and rewarding task of preparing the next generation and yet they can barely make ends meet. It’s terrible that we can’t take care of the people who take care of our kids. I hope President Duterte continues what he began with our soldiers and policemen and keeps his promise to our teachers to increase their pay soon. They truly deserve it.
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We were stunned by the victory of Mahathir Mohammed who was sworn in as Malaysia’s seventh prime minister following a landslide victory over the coalition that has ruled Malaysia for six decades. He was considered a “dark horse” in the race and it didn’t seem likely that he would emerge victorious – but then again, the world has seen its share of shocking election victories in the past few years and this is just another one of them.
Mahathir already knows the ropes when it comes to politics in Malaysia as the prime minister from 1981 to 2003 leading the country towards economic transformation. Now, at 92 years of age, he is going to be the oldest elected leader in the world. One can only hope that he can maintain his health so that he can do his job properly. He ran with his former partner Anwar Ibrahim’s wife Wan Azizah who will serve as his deputy prime minister. Mahathir promises that he will secure a pardon for Anwar who was jailed on charges that some labeled as “political reasons.”
I believe that Mahathir could be a good leader for the country and I am curious to see how he leads Malaysia forward, especially when it comes to the country’s territorial claim against China. Will he take a hard stance – like he did when he was in power before – or will he opt for diplomatic channels and adopt a softer stance like the Philippines? Time will tell.
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The Human Rights Victims Claims Board (HRVCB) has ended its job by recently uploading the approved human rights claims by victims during the martial law era onto their website. The board was working under RA 10368 or the Act Providing for Reparation and Recognition of Victims of Human Rights Violations during the Marcos Regime and was headed by former police woman general Lina Sarmiento.
Currently out of over 75,000 claims made the board has approved compensation for just over 11,000 claiming they did their best to really pore over the evidence and documentation submitted by each claimant to truly verify those that were deserving of compensation. Sarmiento claims that they had to be fastidious because some of the claimants were submitting falsified documents.
The board has awarded damages ranging from P176,000 up to P1.76 million based on the atrocities committed. The money will come from the P10 billion in Swiss bank account deposits seized by the government from the family of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. This reparation has been too long in the making and I am happy to hear that some of the victims of the martial law regime are getting some compensation. Though it can never truly erase what happened to them – it’s a necessary step towards fixing what came before.