BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon
No polls anymore to elect MP rep?

BONTOC, Mountain Province – There may not be any special election at all to elect a congressman for Mountain Province with the recent demise of the late Rep. Victor S. Dominguez even if the provincial government has funds for the purpose and cong4ressional aspirants may have to wait until 2010.

No funds directly from the Commission on Elections, no special election if we are to take our cue from Pampanga. A special recall election for governor in Pampanga will not be approved by the Comelec unless the poll body is first provided some P24 million for it but which it does not have.

This, according to Ferdinand Rafanan of the legal department chief of the Comelec central office, who said the law provides that funds for such an election cannot directly come from other sources, except the Comelec. “Any funds needed for recall elections must be provided only by the Comelec, and no other source.”

This, as Comelec Chairman Jose Melo earlier admitted that the poll body does not have enough budget for recall polls. The Kapanalig at Kambilan neng Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan), which initiated the recall move against Gov. Eddie Panlilio, expects to gather the 100,000 required signatures by this month so that its petition, citing loss of confidence in Panlilio’s leadership, could be submitted for Comelec approval next month.

Kambilan president Rosve Henson said he expects the special gubernatorial poll to be held this December or January next year. But last week, Melo said his office lacks funds for recall polls, as the budget department has allocated only P5 million for recall polls and plebiscites.

Melo said the Comelec can carry out recall elections only if it is provided the needed funds. Kambilan insisted that the Comelec has the duty to seek funds for approved recall petitions once all the legal requirements for these are fulfilled. But Rafanan said the Comelec will not approve any recall election in the first place unless it is sure it has funds for it.
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So, in the case of Mountain Province, I guess Rep. Agyao of Kalinga will still hold the reins of Mountain Province as caretaker congressman unless some bright fellow will perform a canao and make a miracle for the Comelec to rule that special polls could still be held. As to contractors who are itching to have some projects in time for Christmas, I guess, they will have to kowtow in the meantime and be in the good graces of the Kalinga solon.

To those who are also anticipating a run for Congress, I guess they will have to bear with the no election scenario until 2010. From the grapevine, congressional aspirants include former Gov. Leonard Mayaen, former chairman of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples David “Annab” Daoas, former board member Anthony Wooden, Arnold Pilando, brother of the late Rep. Pilando, former Gov. Sario Malinias, former Sabangan town mayor Jupiter Dominguez and Josephine De Castro Dominguez, wife of the late solon or any of her children.

Incumbent Gov. Maximo Dalog, according to Bontoc pundits, will make a run for Congress, main reason why he prefers that no special election would be held so he could not be accused of running while in the middle of his term. Of course the good governor denied this but then, in politics, nothing surprises anymore.

For sure, there could be surprise candidates for congressman (okay in 2010) in the province. But to win in Mountain Province one must have lots of money and chutzpah. One must also have lots of relatives and basing from past elections, a son here or a daughter there sown from wild oats have been crucial in winning elections.

Over the years, the people have become used to lots of money thrown around during elections. Sometimes, I wonder why politicians have to waste a lot of money during elections even if the pay is not that good. But then again, if one is in power, the position (which is also exploited by kamag-anaks) is a lucrative way to do business in shady or outright illegal business deals. Just ask anybody in government.

Anyhow, those lifestyle checks conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman on government officials suspected of amassing ill-gotten wealth are just exercises in futility. A government which is morally bankrupt doesn’t have the moral capability to prosecute erring officials particularly a big fat fish.