The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has been urging people to have their biometrics taken to be able to vote in 2016.
The public welcomes this believing that it would prevent electoral fraud. I am happy with the Comelec’s move, but I have some questions.
What is the reason for taking our biometrics and what is its use in the elections?
I just got my voter’s ID and noticed that it has two boxes on the right portion. What are these two boxes for? I presume that the voter’s ID would identify us when we vote. When we cast our ballots, we are identified by the picture found on the ID.
This is good for those who are known by people manning the precincts. But what about those in far-flung areas who are not familiar to the poll clerks? How can poll officers determine if the voter is really the person he claims to be?
These are just initial questions for the Comelec especially since the poll body still recognizes the role of the controversial Smartmatic in the 2016 elections.
With Vice President Jejomar Binay stating that Mar Roxas can only win through cheating, Comelec must secure the 2016 elections so that it will not be tainted by fraud.
Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista, my schoolmate at the Ateneo de Manila University Law School, should always embrace the virtue exemplified by the patron saint of the law school, St. Thomas Moore, who said, “I may be the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”
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Tomorrow is the last State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Aquino.
The nation is excited to hear what the president has to say and how he fared as our leader.
I believe Aquino is an honest chief executive but he does not have much control over his men in government. Classic examples are the anomalies committed by his allies in the legislative department, specifically on the issue of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), and the controversies hounding the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on the LRT and MRT, plus the new license plates distributed by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and paid for by the people.
One other thing that the people are waiting for is the President’s announcement of the presidential candidate that he will anoint as standard-bearer of the Liberal party. Secretary Mar Roxas has the inside track here.
Some say that the endorsement of the president is a big factor for a candidate to ensure victory, while others call it the kiss of death.
I will vote for a presidential candidate who has a bias for Cebu. We do not want a repeat of what transpired during the administration of Aquino who provided few projects and assistance to Cebu despite the fact that we gave him an overwhelming margin of victory.
I envy Luzon and the National Capital Region which got a hefty amount of assistance from the president, especially now that road projects in Luzon are sprouting.