I Beg To Disagree

I was checking on the internet today for news on the fate of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez (hoping to finally hear that this guy has been axed) and I stumbled upon an on opinion by Comelec spokesman James Jimenez in his blogsite that Secretary Gonzalez is guilty of bad taste and not of vote-buying. To those who are not following on the mishaps of this unpopular government figure, let me state you the facts: last Saturday, Secretary Gonzalez announced (through his usual meetings with local officials in his home province of Ilo-ilo) that he would give cash incentives worth P10,000 to every village chief who can deliver a 12-0 votes for the administration in the coming election. When this move created an uproar, he meekly said he was trying to be pragmatic, adding that those statements where made by him on his capacity as a private citizen and that he can back it up with earnings from his wife's poultry farm.

I agree with Mr. Jimenez when he said that the center of the controversy lies on the definition of vote buying. In our country's election omnibus code, a vote is bought if a person gives or promises to give a something valuable -- money, employment, house, etc. -- in order to influence a voter to abstain or to vote for or against a certain candidate. Consider Mr. Jimenez's own opinion in his blogsite:

"Technically, I don't think any law has been violated by Secretary Gonzalez. First, the offer seems not to have been made to voters to influence them to vote straight for TU; rather the offer was made to people who could convince enough people to vote straight."

If Mr. Jimenez would use technicality to let Secretary Gonzalez off the hook with his latest misadventure, then I can argue on using this same opinion to prosecute Secretary Gonzalez on gross violation of election laws. Even if the prizes are not given directly to voters to influence their choice, these village chiefs are themselves voters and the fact that they can get $10,000 if they can deliver a 12-0 victory for the administration will result to one sure thing: a 12-0 vote in favor for the administration on the ballots of these village chiefs. Hence it is clearly vote-buying. Clearly, these village chief wont get a penny out of this devious justice secretary but the fact that a promise of reward has been made (he never denied it, and thats the only good thing about this guy: he always stands on his own words; hopefully it will led to his demise) makes him guilty as sinned.

Let me enumerate the statements which shows Mr. Gonzales' blatant disregard on proper decorum that his office should be upholding (courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer):

1. Gonzalez showed his bias on the Subic Base rape case at the very start when he suggested that the victim “Nicole” only imagined the rape. He said that the charges against three of the four accused should have been downgraded but he decided to include them in the case “to appease the mob.” Clealy he is putting the interests of the Americans first before his own country. The irony here is that here in America, even if how drunk the girl is, a "no" means "no".

2. When Susan Roces, widow of opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr., called for Ms Arroyo’s resignation, Gonzalez said that Roces was “a griping widow” whose husband was not fated to become president. This is one big insult to our traditions: always pay respect to the departed and our women.

3. Gonzalez vented his ire on the University of the Philippines, alma mater of scholars, militants and activists, and said it has produced only “dissenters and naked runners,” referring in the latter phrase to the fraternity men who have made a tradition of streaking once a year in protest against one thing or another. UP molded my desire to speak out against the ill of our society; it makes my blood boil for someone to mock the sanctity of a national institution like UP.

4. He tried to discredit the findings of United Nations human rights rapporteur Philip Alston, saying that he was just a muchacho (servant) who had no right to meddle and investigate the extradjudicial killings in the Philippines. This guy's place is in the marketplace and not the Department of Justice.

5. Gonzalez reached the height of insensitivity and tactlessness when he said that Peace Corps volunteer Julia Campbell was “quite careless” and “a little irresponsible” and could have actually courted trouble when she walked alone on a mountain trail. I hope that with this act, the US government could put into good use its ability to pressure governments around the world and pressure our own dumb president (so much for a US economics graduate degree) into firing (and banning for life) from government service this foul-mouthed geriatric.

This government is already widely unpopular and Secretary Gonzales is hurting the government's reputation abroad so HE REALLY HAS TO GO.