Concert for kidney patient / Election blues / Law for human rights defenders

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

BAGUIO CITY – First, a plug. A concert for a cause will be held at Gold Bar Music Lounge here (beside Rizal Park) on June 9 from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight. Performers will be home-grown talents.

Proceeds will be for medication of Hilda Pinos-an Sagudin of Mainit, Bontoc, Mountain Province and Kias, Baguio City.

Hilda who is suffering from chronic kidney disease.

We urge kind-hearted souls to buy tickets for the concert for this cause. Please contact Bakakeng barangay captain Evelyn Pit-og Balisong for tickets. Her number is 09984837708.   

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It is almost a month now since the May 13 elections and some candidates who lost are saying they have this gut feeling they could have been victims of lousy Smartmatic technology, particularly those who lost due to small margins.

In the case of Kalinga, outgoing Vice Gov. James S. Edduba Edduba ran for governor but lost to Tabuk City outgoing mayor Ferdinand B. Tubban who ran for the same post by 10 votes.

Edduba is not saying he is questioning results, but Kalinga folks said they respect him for being a gentleman for not doing so.

There were a lot of close fights in Northern Luzon and parts of the country. But then, it is not easy to question how the machines performed considering Commission on Elections officials are saying Smartmatic did a good job despite glitches like machines bogging down.   

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Call it politics, but the camp of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday lashed at Vice President Leni Robredo for opposing the call of President Rodrigo Duterte for the Comelec to dump technology provider Smartmatic and instead look for a new one not tainted with involvement in electoral fraud.

Marcos’ lawyer and spokesperson Vic Rodriguez also criticized Robredo and Comelec spokesman James Jimenez for defending Smartmatic, despite numerous complaints against the Venezuelan technology provider, particularly the efficiency of its vote counting machines where several hundreds of its VCMs malfunctioned during the canvassing of votes for the May 13 midterm elections.

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The vice president urged the Comelec last week to exercise caution on the proposal of President Duterte to terminate its partnership with Smartmatic.

According to her, the Comelec should be allowed to explain before politicians make sweeping allegation of election fraud in the May 13 national elections.

“We should not say just because our candidates lost, they were cheated. Let them explain the matter to us first. If the explanation is acceptable, that would be it. If it is not acceptable to us, that’s the time we complain. But we should be calm,” Robredo said.

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The Marcos camp said Robredo’s opposition to the dismantling of the Comelec-Smartmatic partnership was disrespect to the sentiments of Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo and San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza who both supported President Duterte’s call for the Comelec to dump Smartmatic in favor of what they described as “hybrid election” where manual count will be conducted at precinct level to address the issue of “lack of transparency” arising from the use of Smartmatic’s VCMs.

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Last week, the President urged the Comelec to end its partnership with Smartmatic following widespread complaints about its efficiency and capability to maintain the integrity of the elections in the country.

The President said numerous complaints and allegations of electoral fraud in midterm elections created a ‘hostile attitude’ towards Smartmatic.

“I would like to advise the Comelec, now, I wouldn’t wait anymore, dispose of Smartmatic and look for a new one that is free of fraud,” Duterte said.

Marcos has a pending electoral protest against Robredo before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal seeking to nullify her proclamation as the duly elected vice president in the 2016 elections due to allegation of widespread election irregularities. 

The Marcos-Robredo electoral controversy is just one among the many that arose due to controversial election results processed by Smartmatic machines.

This could be a repeat scenario come election time after three years if the Smartmatic question is not addressed. Indeed, why is there no full-blown investigation on the capability of Sanrtmatic to deliver accurate election results and what is holding back the Comelec from letting go of the Venezuelan firm?

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While this is the case, the call for “hybrid” elections wherein counting is done at the precinct level may be sensible after all. This, considering Smartmatic took out the thrill of counting votes in precincts with its supposedly state of the art technology gone haywire.  

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The House of Representatives on Monday approved on third and final reading the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill which prevents human rights violations and abuses perpetrated against human rights defenders (HRDs).  

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman welcomed the bill’s passage, noting that Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of Human Rights has recorded the killing of 697 human rights defenders in the country for the period 2001 to 2018, while Task Force Detainees of the Philippines documented 76 human rights violations affecting 333 HRDs from September 2013 to September 2016 alone.

House Bill 9199 consolidated HB 8128 authored by Lagman; and HB 1617 introduced by Representatives Carlos Isagani Zarate, Antonio Tinio, Emmi de Jesus, France Castro, Arlene Brosas, and of Makabayan Bloc.

The bill guarantees HRD rights and freedoms; mandates the State and public authorities to respect, protect, and fulfill these rights and freedoms; and imposes appropriate sanctions to counter impunity. 

Once enacted, the bill will also create a Human Rights Defenders Protection Committee chaired by a Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and six members who will be jointly nominated by concerned civil society organizations. 

HB 9199 is based on the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders and the Model National Law on the Recognition and Protection of Human Rights Defenders drafted by the International Service for Human Rights.

Lagman, who sponsored the bill on second reading last week, lauded the House of Representatives for approving the measure on third and final reading.

 “It is high time that we accord stronger legal protection to those who defend not only their own human rights and fundamental freedoms but those of others as well,” Lagman said.