E·N·Q·U·I·R·Y
DEMAREE J.B. RAVAL
DEMAREE J.B. RAVAL
Angara and the Absentee Voting Law
Sunday, 09 01, 2002
Sunday, 09 01, 2002
For a skillful legislator of 13 years whose incisive understanding of the Filipino’s needs led him to author and sponsor relevant laws benefiting a wide spectrum, and which have invariably reaped him dividends through four elections – senior citizens under the Senior Citizens Law; students under the Free High School Education Act; nurses and health workers under their respective magna carta; teachers under countless education reform laws; the general populace under the PhilHealth Law; farmers and fisherfolk under the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act – Sen. Ed Angara is making a big gamble on the seven million-strong overseas Filipinos through his advocacy of the Absentee Voting Law (AVL).
In this gamble, the senator who is not exactly coy about his plans for the presidency in 2004, is committing an act of exemplary statesmanship, on the one hand, but a possibly bad political move on the other.
By his sponsorship speech of Senate Bill 2104 (the AVL), Angara affirms what he has repeatedly said: The innate, primordial right to vote of overseas Filipinos overrides all fears and considerations. By this, Angara is putting national interest over his own political agenda. This is exemplary statesmanship.
However, if he ever runs for president in 2004 with the AVL in place, the present occupant of Malacañang or whoever it supports will surely find devious ways to make sure Angara does not get a fair share of those seven million absentee votes. That is what some may call a possibly bad political move.
The odds then are even-steven for Angara. But as my casino friend Johnas would put it, he who hesitates for an overly long time loses the bet. To the astute political observer, Angara is involved in an overly calculated act of political brinkmanship.
So, to insure that the deck is not stacked, Angara has to put in the AVL safeguards against fraud: A separate registry for absentee voters to prevent double registration and proxy voting; security markings in the printed absentee ballot; on-site counting and canvassing, which will allow absentee voters to guard every step and ensure that their votes are correctly counted and canvassed; on-site counting and canvassing synchronized with the counting and canvassing in the Philippines, to prevent trending; accreditation of NGOs and Filipino associations to disseminate campaign information and even allow them to intervene in all stages of the voting exercise; harsh penalties against vote-influencing, mail-tampering and vote buying and selling. These may not be comprehensive given the inventive Filipino mind to prostitute the electoral process under every conceivable condition. But, somehow, we have to start.
Angara is determined to see through the passage and implementation of the AVL, regardless of the possible consequences to him. Angara has so much faith in the Filipino overseas who will go out to protect his vote against fraud by the machinery of the party in power. He recognizes the strong volunteerism and nationalism exhibited by the overseas Filipinos, and feels strongly confident that the safeguards in the AVL, which rely heavily on the vigilance of overseas Filipinos themselves, would protect the sanctity of the absentee voter’s ballot.
Angara’s determined effort to have the AVL enacted into law by the end of the year is characteristic of the man: A strong sense of passion to enact a trailblazing law. Already, he has logged a total of 9 hours and 47 minutes on the Senate floor, defending his version of the AVL. This in addition to the nine committee hearings and seven consultation hearings overseas he conducted, and the various fora conducted by OFW sectoral groups which he attended. These underscore the painstaking effort he has put into the bill, to plug all loopholes and craft an Absentee Voting Law that can withstand the tricks up the sleeves of anyone bent on frustrating the will of overseas voters.
Credit Angara then for his fierce advocacy to enfranchise overseas Filipinos, despite threats to his own political survival. He may be putting his future political plans in jeopardy under the AVL, but no matter. What is important to him is to give flesh to what Section 2, Article V of the Constitution mandated way back in 1987 to be implemented: “Congress shall provide a system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.”
The AVL has been 15 years in the making. Four Congresses have seen fit to put this in the backburner, for lack of political will and interest, divisive partisanship, and for the usual pragmatic reason: It will be used by the party in power; so, why adopt it to be used against you when the time comes? Angara wants to put an end to this era of pessimism and partisanship. He said we cannot wait another four Congresses for a total of 12 years more.
The AVL was already passed by the Senate on third reading last June 5. It has since been returned to the Senate from the House of Representatives to undergo further refinements that some administration senators want to introduce. Angara acceded to this procedure, without the least of worries that the reopening may possibly dilute the safeguards the Senate had already put in place on June 5.
Absentee voting is being observed in 45 other countries, upon whose experience the AVL is based. The security features encompassing registration of voters, to actual voting, then canvassing, are adequately addressed for now in the AVL. Those determined to oppose the passage of the AVL overlook one reality in lawmaking: A bill cannot cover all situations, and there is nothing as a perfect law. Safeguards will be adopted as the system is actually tested.
For sure, Angara will be rewarded. His personal political agenda will take care of itself in the scheme of things once the AVL is put in place. But for now, he must fight the cynics, against those who may yet deny again the overseas Filipinos of their right to vote.
For comments about this website:Webmaster@tribune.net.ph
In this gamble, the senator who is not exactly coy about his plans for the presidency in 2004, is committing an act of exemplary statesmanship, on the one hand, but a possibly bad political move on the other.
By his sponsorship speech of Senate Bill 2104 (the AVL), Angara affirms what he has repeatedly said: The innate, primordial right to vote of overseas Filipinos overrides all fears and considerations. By this, Angara is putting national interest over his own political agenda. This is exemplary statesmanship.
However, if he ever runs for president in 2004 with the AVL in place, the present occupant of Malacañang or whoever it supports will surely find devious ways to make sure Angara does not get a fair share of those seven million absentee votes. That is what some may call a possibly bad political move.
The odds then are even-steven for Angara. But as my casino friend Johnas would put it, he who hesitates for an overly long time loses the bet. To the astute political observer, Angara is involved in an overly calculated act of political brinkmanship.
So, to insure that the deck is not stacked, Angara has to put in the AVL safeguards against fraud: A separate registry for absentee voters to prevent double registration and proxy voting; security markings in the printed absentee ballot; on-site counting and canvassing, which will allow absentee voters to guard every step and ensure that their votes are correctly counted and canvassed; on-site counting and canvassing synchronized with the counting and canvassing in the Philippines, to prevent trending; accreditation of NGOs and Filipino associations to disseminate campaign information and even allow them to intervene in all stages of the voting exercise; harsh penalties against vote-influencing, mail-tampering and vote buying and selling. These may not be comprehensive given the inventive Filipino mind to prostitute the electoral process under every conceivable condition. But, somehow, we have to start.
Angara is determined to see through the passage and implementation of the AVL, regardless of the possible consequences to him. Angara has so much faith in the Filipino overseas who will go out to protect his vote against fraud by the machinery of the party in power. He recognizes the strong volunteerism and nationalism exhibited by the overseas Filipinos, and feels strongly confident that the safeguards in the AVL, which rely heavily on the vigilance of overseas Filipinos themselves, would protect the sanctity of the absentee voter’s ballot.
Angara’s determined effort to have the AVL enacted into law by the end of the year is characteristic of the man: A strong sense of passion to enact a trailblazing law. Already, he has logged a total of 9 hours and 47 minutes on the Senate floor, defending his version of the AVL. This in addition to the nine committee hearings and seven consultation hearings overseas he conducted, and the various fora conducted by OFW sectoral groups which he attended. These underscore the painstaking effort he has put into the bill, to plug all loopholes and craft an Absentee Voting Law that can withstand the tricks up the sleeves of anyone bent on frustrating the will of overseas voters.
Credit Angara then for his fierce advocacy to enfranchise overseas Filipinos, despite threats to his own political survival. He may be putting his future political plans in jeopardy under the AVL, but no matter. What is important to him is to give flesh to what Section 2, Article V of the Constitution mandated way back in 1987 to be implemented: “Congress shall provide a system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.”
The AVL has been 15 years in the making. Four Congresses have seen fit to put this in the backburner, for lack of political will and interest, divisive partisanship, and for the usual pragmatic reason: It will be used by the party in power; so, why adopt it to be used against you when the time comes? Angara wants to put an end to this era of pessimism and partisanship. He said we cannot wait another four Congresses for a total of 12 years more.
The AVL was already passed by the Senate on third reading last June 5. It has since been returned to the Senate from the House of Representatives to undergo further refinements that some administration senators want to introduce. Angara acceded to this procedure, without the least of worries that the reopening may possibly dilute the safeguards the Senate had already put in place on June 5.
Absentee voting is being observed in 45 other countries, upon whose experience the AVL is based. The security features encompassing registration of voters, to actual voting, then canvassing, are adequately addressed for now in the AVL. Those determined to oppose the passage of the AVL overlook one reality in lawmaking: A bill cannot cover all situations, and there is nothing as a perfect law. Safeguards will be adopted as the system is actually tested.
For sure, Angara will be rewarded. His personal political agenda will take care of itself in the scheme of things once the AVL is put in place. But for now, he must fight the cynics, against those who may yet deny again the overseas Filipinos of their right to vote.
For comments about this website:Webmaster@tribune.net.ph
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