I think this is foul. One of the few good men in the Commission on Elections has been relieved of a media-based position. Comelec spokesman Ferdinand Rafanan was removed as officer in charge of the Education and Information Department of the Comelec and transferred as regional director in farflung Region 8, where he will apparently be kept silent. Rafanan has consistently appeared on TV denouncing election candidates’ gross violation of election campaign rules, including that of the incumbent, Mrs. Arroyo. In one interview in Unang Hirit I remember seeing during the height of the PhilHealth cards dole-outs issue a couple of weeks ago, when Comelec spokesman Rafanan was asked if he thinks Mrs. Arroyo is violating election campaign rules, he said yes and further expounded on why he thinks so. What’s interesting is, it was Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, an Arroyo appointee and election sponsor, who recommended the transfer of Rafanan. Furthermore, Rafanan has been giving out statements contrary to his boss’, Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos, on the same issues of campaign rules violations.

Just like in the first attempt to reassign him after Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. berated him for criticizing President Arroyo on illegal posting of campaign materials, Rafanan said some people are after his post since he has “abolished” corruption in his department.

“There is a lot of money here, which I do not see but is placed on other people’s hands if I am not here,” he said.

[from ABS-CBNnews.com, March 19, 2004]

Rafanan, who has been designated director of the poll body’s information division a couple of months ago, apparently got the ire of Abalos because they were both giving contrasting statements to the media…

..A poll official earlier said Abalos got irked by Rafanan’s bold statements to the media that were uncalled for.

“The chairman said he looks stupid because he and Rafanan tell the press contrasting statements,” said the official who requested anonymity.

[from ABS-CBNnews.com, March 19, 2004]

“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.” - Edmund Burke

EDIT (17:38): (through Wayne):

In an en banc resolution, Comelec director Ferdinand Rafanan was also ordered relieved as the head of the group tasked to prosecute the 110,000 double/multiple registrants in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

[from Inq7.net, March 19, 2004]

Oh yeah! 110,000 extra votes for Mrs. Arroyo! Enough to cheat her way to victory. (Well, yeah, unless her opponent’s gap is far too much to catch up on. But when the “surveys” are inclined to say that it’s a close fight between GMA and FPJ, a hundred thousand votes is more than enough).

Gusto ko ng aircon sa kuwarto ko. Isang buwan na kong halos araw-araw natutulog sa sahig ng kuwarto ng mga magulang ko kasi ‘yun lang ‘yung silid na may aircon sa bahay. Wala lang. Pero okay lang naman matulog sa sahig nang may sapin eh. Matiisin naman ako.

Anyway, may credit card na ‘ko! Hindi ko nga lang alam sa ngayon kung paano, saan at kailan ko ‘to maaring gamitin. Isa akong batang halos walang pinaggagastusan sa sarili ko (kaya nga hindi ko lubos maisip kung bakit ako binigyan ng credit card).

Masarap magbisikleta nang ika-apat at kalahati ng madaling-araw — walang katao-tao sa kalye (maliban sa mga nag-iinuman pa sa kalsada), malamig ang simoy ng hangin, madilim, at ang tanging maingay ay ang lumalangitngit kong bisikleta. Aaraw-arawin ko na siguro ‘to. Hindi na rin lang naman ako maggi-gym, eh magbibisikleta na lang ako nang kalahati hanggang isang oras araw-araw.

More jobs, Mrs. Arroyo? (Yeah, maybe there are more jobs. Still, the labor force increased much more. Plus, the jobs created might’ve demanded qualifications many from our work force cannot fulfill - useless job generation).

Job generation, which according to President Arroyo reached three million during her term, was again proven a myth as the unemployment rate grew to 11 percent in January from 10.6 percent a year earlier, based on National Statistics Office (NSO) data released yesterday.

[from The Daily Tribune, March 17, 2004]

Bloomberg News, which released the report, said the unemployment rate is the highest among 11 Asia-Pacific economies it monitors… Within Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore all have unemployment rates of less than 5 percent.

[from The Manila Times, March 17, 2004]

GMA’s TV advertisement is deceiving. At the very least, she should have served as a leader to inspire the 2.7 million unemployed not bothering to look for work. She is not inspiring at all.

Matagal-tagal na rin akong ‘di nakapagtala ng panaginip ah.

Nagmamaneho si Papa sa highway na paikot-ikot at maraming fly-overs. Dumaan kami sa madaming tulay na dumadaan sa dalampasigan ng isang napakabahong dagat. Ang sinasakyan namin ay biglang naging bangka at nagsimula kaming pumalaot sa maalon, madumi at napakabahong dagat. Nakasalubong namin ang isang higanteng barkong gawa sa mga hinipang malalaking salbabida at mga plastik ng basura, ‘yung kulay itim. Matapos nun ay dinatnan namin ang isang barkong kulay berde na biglang nagluwal mula sa kanyang malaking katawan ng isang malaking berdeng freight box. Nang buksan ‘to, nakita namin ang pagkaramiraming siopao! Kailangan namin silang ibenta bilang negosyo. Namalayan ko na naaalala ko noon ang amoy ng dagat nang kami’y nasa Hong Kong.

Makulimlim ang larawan ng panaginip. Kulay putik.

Nakakabagot din magbantay sa ospital nang tatlong araw ah. Buti na lang nakauwi na kami ngayon.

Dahil magiging medyo paralisado si Mama nang ilan pang buwan, t’yak hindi na matutuloy ang pinagplanuhan naming Asian cruise ngayong bakasyon. Nakakapanghinayang nga eh. Sa tingin ko, kahit man lang bakasyon sa anumang pulo o probinsya sa Pilipinas hindi p’wede. Pero, okay lang. May ibang paraan naman para hindi masayang ang bakasyon ko. Nanghihinayang at nalulungkot lang talaga ako, pero okay lang talaga. Pansamantala lang siguro ‘to.

Inooperahan na ngayon ang Mama ko dahil sa insidente kahapon kung saan napunit ang kanyang Achille’s tendon habang naglalaro kaming dalawa ng badminton.