Posts tagged with 2010 elections
Kabataan Party-List Rep. Raymond 'Mong' Palatino, flanked by his family and national officers of Kabataan Party-List, takes his oath as re-elected Congressman before Senator Francis 'Chiz' Escudero
Last Friday, we had our first nominee, incumbent Congressman Mong Palatino take his oath as re-elected Representative of Kabataan Party-list before Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, one of the more prominent legislators closest to the youth sector.
It was a short and simple gathering over lunch. Our regional leaders were also present, as we were also holding our National Council meeting during those days.
A few days ago, an anonymous reader left a comment expressing disappointment over graffitis spray-painted across the city during the election campaign period by members of Kabataan Partylist. These are the graffitis that read “Edukasyon Karapatan!” and “Tutulan ang Tuition Increase!” among others. The comment also asked me to condemn such forms of expression and dissuade our members from executing them.
Like any other form of protest, from rallies to boycotts and walk-outs, graffitis are meant to defy prevailing conditions. They create disturbance precisely because they draw attention to social issues and call people to actively get involved in such protest campaigns, without having to go through mainstream and “legal” limitations.
Graffitis may be unsightly, but they were not meant to be beautiful in the first place. Its very aesthetic, which some have descibed to be “unsightly”, connotes stealth and speed precisely because it is illicit. Protest graffitis are not murals or paintings that take many hours to complete and costly paints and colors to beautify. Youth activists, or any activist for that matter, do not have such luxuries.
The illegality of graffiti is all but expected in a society where the people who rule implement various regulations that seeks (desperately) to maintain the status quo. In a country where such status quo means an impoverished majority, a majority unable to afford tertiary education, graffitis that affirm the people’s right to social services and human development are nothing more but forms of legitimate resistance to the ruling order. Illegal, of course, but definitely legitimate.
Worried about the cost of the paints the government will have to use to cover the graffitis? Why paint over them then? It will simply affirm the guilt and the responsibility on their part. What’s so repulsive with a bridge post or a wall that screams for the people’s right to education?
I will not discourage our members from freely expressing our calls and our slogans through graffitis. And even more, I encourage people to explore similar creative forms of protest. No apologies from us.
Thousands of workers marched on the streets of Manila together with hundreds from other sectors of society to commemorate Labor Day
More than two weeks ago, I marched in my third Labor Day rally in Manila, together with thousands from different sectors of society, to commemorate international workers’ day. Being the last Labor Day celebration under the Gloria Arroyo government, the theme of the mobilization was centered on ensuring her departure from the Malacanang, her nine-year regime having been characterized by record high unemployment, depressed wages and grave abuses of workers’ rights, and on ensuring the people’s commitment to prosecute her for her administration’s sins and failures. Being a few days before the national elections, the celebration was also an opportune time for various sectors to demand from all the candidates a pro-people and nationalist labor platform, a discussion of which has been all but silenced with all the shallow and petty mudslinging that characterized the three-month campaign period.
Reps. Liza Maza & Satur Ocampo marching with leaders of workers' unions and other sectors
Rainier Sindayen, Chairperson of the University of the Philippines Diliman student council, leads the chants as the thousands marched through Quezon Boulevard onto Liwasang Bonifacio
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Elections are over. Though most of the apparent victors are obvious, I would still like to suspend my complacence and hold back my sigh of relief until all the votes have been counted. The past two days saw the sudden slow-down in the electronic transmittal of votes from various precincts. I hope nothing mysterious happens in the five or so millions votes still to be counted. I find it really suspect that while thirty million votes were able to be transmitted to various election counts in less than twenty-four hours, the last millions are taking days to be counted. There are also a handful of irregularities that make me doubt the credibility of the electronic results. It was found that certain precincts, most of them in far-flung barrios of Mindanao recorded 100% voters turnouts. A handful of precincts in Rizal province recorded complete 100% sweep votes for certain candidates favored by a religious voting bloc. An election counting machine in Manila also recorded votes cast in rapid succession the midnight right after polls closed.
These few millions up to the few thousands still to be counted are very crucial in determining the fate of the vice-presidential race, for example, where Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay is neck and neck with Senator Manuel Roxas II. These are also important in determining which party-lists will gain seats in Congress come July, where a few thousands can spell the difference between a seat or two in the House of Representatives.
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law student, film school graduate, student leader, youth activist, Kabataan Partylist legislative officer