Where do the candidates stand? 10 issues to consider for the coming elections

Aquino-Roxas. Estrada-Binay. Gordon-Fernando. Teodoro-Manzano. Villar-Legarda. These ten names should be on any good citizen’s mind these days, not just because it’s already campaign season, but because this is one of the few times when we shouldn’t mind being bombarded by politicians’ voices. It’s better to hear candidates speak, than to imagine that their silences make them the least of all evils.

Yes, this could all be only talk—but only when we’re clear about what we want and what our elected leaders stand for can we also hold them liable for breaking their promises. We know the power we hold as citizens—we’ve been through the 1986 EDSA Revolution and EDSA Dos—and while we can be proud of taking to the streets to protest the shortcomings of those in power, it makes sense to choose our leaders more intelligently to begin with. Here, we give you a rundown of the issues that are important to consider as you make the most crucial of choices for the coming elections.

The urgency that is the environment. With Ondoy and Pepeng fresh in our memories, we’re more likely to listen to what candidates say about the environment. What every country—developing countries like ours in particular—needs is sustainable development as theorized by Maximo V. Kalaw, who said that our government must use the environment as the core of its vision for development. Sustainable development sees the log ban and the anti-smoke belching campaign, garbage collection and climate change, as aspects of a bigger picture that’s informed by the more important issues of capitalism, political will, urban planning, and everyday living. Because the recent typhoons have hit even homes that used to withstand storms, the issue of sustainable development is at the forefront of many citizens’ minds—at this time more than any other.

American soldiers in our midst: The VFA question. Remember Nicole? She was one of the many women who suffered at the hands of American soldiers brought to our shores by the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). Election season is a good time to remember Nicole, and to realize that many women are still being victimized by the industry of prostitution that follows the presence of American soldiers wherever it goes. We must be reminded of this fact as well: the reason behind the VFA was the anti-terrorist project after 9/11. It is now 2010. Will a new leader see fit to adapt policy that suits the current clime?

Foreign debt: Who pays for this? The answer is simple: you do. And at the rate we’re going, even your yet-to-be-born-or-imagined offspring are already in debt. We are made to believe that there’s no way out of our national debt, and that the respectful thing to do is to pay it back. We are in an endless cycle of taking on more debt in order to pay for existing ones, when there is a worldwide call for all third world debts to be repealed and for all countries like the Philippines to be considered debt-free. Instead of supporting this call, past governments have chosen to pay. Though this issue has been neglected in favor of other problems that get more airtime, it’s one that is here to stay, and our potential leaders should have a plan for dealing with it.

You have a right to speak, woman! The number of human rights violations and politically motivated killings has been at its highest with the current government. The recent crisis in Maguindanao has driven home the point that no one—man or woman, journalist or activist, civilian or student—is spared. Any potential leader must not only respond to this injustice, but must also prove to be open to criticism and respectful of the people’s rights to speech and assembly. In a democracy, there is no place for violent dispersals and extrajudicial disappearances; in any democracy, any woman should be able to air her opinions without fear.

ChaCha by any other name… The reasons behind wanting to change the constitution may be correct; we might all even agree that our democracy is dysfunctional. But this doesn’t mean that charter change must be done now, and quickly. The decision to change our political system to a parliamentary one has to be treated with objectivity, and the process needs to be respected. If we can’t trust the people who are pushing for charter change, how can we even imagine this change to be a good thing?

• Got this via email last night. Mikee Cojuangco Leads Black Propaganda Campaign for Cousin Noynoy The buzz in the blogosphere is that Noynoy Aquino, through cousin Mikee Cojuangco, engaged a web development firm called Voncore to design and develop a black propaganda website to help take down Aquino's chief rival Manny Villar in the May 2010 elections. According to its company website, Voncore is owned by Rogelio Santos, Jr, a US-based entrepreneur who also happens to be a fan of Noynoy Aquino on Facebook. The whistle-blower hinted that a briefing for the project was held at the residence of Mikee for the development team. The plan was to copy the look and feel of Manny Villar's website and use a close-sounding web address -- reportedly mannyvillar.org -- to draw voters to the site, and then bombard them with black propaganda content once there. This is a tactic known as "phishing", and commonly used by Internet hackers to steal credit card numbers and other sensitive information from unsuspecting users. So now we wait for the so-called website to go live to prove it.
  by Princess Dchanted on 2010-02-12 09:16:11
• madaming siraan ngayon, i dont believe that sis, sorry, madaming chismis talaga, si manny villar daw kesyo bet ni gma, mga ganun
  by sonncza on 2010-02-18 08:30:02
• i remember nicole, pero sa tingin ko lang, gusto ng mga taga mindanao na nadun ang americans, oo, tayo dito against tayo, pero panu yung mga nasa magugulong lugar diba?!di lang kasi naten nararamdaman ang gulo dun eh
  by sonncza on 2010-02-18 08:37:56
• I have to say that this is a horrible article obviously made to get undecided voters to vote for Abnoy (Noynoy). Anyway, this website link I'm going to put here is a better reason not to vote for NoyNoy... http://www.catanduanesforum.com/blog/reasons-why-i-am-not-voting-noynoy
  by Michael on 2010-02-18 18:04:33
• I am still undecided who's to vote. Sometimes nakakaumay na rin to hope and hope that someone can turn the boat around.
  by mimiku on 2010-02-19 15:23:22
• hay pano kaya tayo uunlad kung lagi na lang siraan ng siraan. lahat naman sila may baho. im defenitely not going to vote for noynoy abnoy!
  by reeya on 2010-02-21 13:20:27
• I definitely agree that women should say what's on their mind.
  by prettylass8831 on 2010-02-21 15:51:10
• 3 months p before the election, makakapag isip pa tayong mabuti kung sino ang karapat dpat na piliin natin para mamuno sa ating bansa.. think twice, think wise..
  by Aizen on 2010-02-22 23:39:08
• Para sa mga hindi makapag decide.. Mag research po tayo sa background ng bawat kandidato. Mga aplikante sila at tayong mga Pilipino ang employer. Titingnan natin hindi lang kung saan sila nag-aral. Hindi tayo maniniwala sa mga pangako nila. Hindi tayo magpapadala sa mga ads nila at mga surveys. Tingnn natin track record nila. EXPERIENCE ang importante. Ano ba ang nagawa na ng kandidatong ito kahit nung sya'y nasa sarili nyang probinsya. Join din po kayo sa mga fan page ng bawat kandidato sa Facebook. Ask the members bakit yun ang iboboto nila. WHAT IS THEIR REASON? IS IT VALID? Ako matapos magresearch, si GORDON ang nakita kong qualified for the position. Malayo pa halalan. Marami pa panahon para magbasa basa ng resume's ng mga kandidato. Goodluck ladies!! XOXO
  by princess daf on 2010-02-24 11:04:58
• I really don't understand why people keep saying things to empower women. Of course a woman should always speak their mind and as I see it in the Philippines, women are more vocal than women in many other countries. There is no attack on women in the elections. If that was true, there wouldn't have been two women presidents. In here it's trying to sell birth control. To me, it's fine but, it's not a reason to vote for somebody. And NoyNoy and his scandalous sister are the ones vocally supporting it. What you need is a person that can turn around the economy. It would be nice to eliminate corruption but, as it seems it will always be there. But, if somebody can get money flowing back into the Philippines with tourism for example, only then will the Philippines start to develop again. Tourism is a big industry and it needs to be tapped into. This country is beautiful and we need people outside this country to see that. They don't want to leave their country and see garbage and people begging in the streets. What this country needs is a strong leader.
  by Michael on 2010-02-24 16:48:47
• And I would like to throw in that I can't even come close to seeing that NoyNoy would be a strong leader. He may be compassionate and pure but, how can you fight corruption or put money into the country with that kind of qualities. He lacks strength and the power to confront anything. If he had that kind of strength, he would have shown it as a senator. Though there is controversy with Villar and that road, he has still done more for the country than NoyNoy.
  by Michael on 2010-02-24 16:52:51
• like me hindi ko pa din talaga alam kung sino vote ko, choose wise!
  by angeLmina on 2010-02-24 23:17:38
• Vote wisely! Look at the candidate's platform! And also look at his/her past achievements/accomplishments/projects!
  by Mary on 2010-03-02 12:19:49
• what's important is to know what the stand of these candidates are on these issues as well as their plans to address them. maybe, stop throwing dirt at each other and focus on the people one of them will be serving soon.
  by moccacrazy on 2010-03-06 22:17:53
• Produce more JOB/employment opportunities! And improvement on DOLE's services!
  by Mary on 2010-03-08 00:38:21
• Choosing is hard. Di mo na malaman sino ba talagang karapat-dapat na maging president.
  by deejay on 2010-03-13 10:33:51
• we should vote for someone na npatunayan ng kaya nyang mamuno. My votes goes to GOrdon. Bakit? 1. subic 2.wow philippines :) ..who cares kung galing ka sa mahirap o kung galing ka sa kilalang pamilya...
  by marge on 2010-03-15 20:23:51
• 
  
  I think it’s high time we examine NoyNoy Aquino as a man purely on what he has made out of his life, and not based on the greatness of his parents. If people look at him from this point of view, I think they’d be better informed on whether he really is fit for the presidency. ??There is no doubt that Ninoy and Cory Aquino belong to the pantheon of great Filipinos. Greatness however is not inherited. It is something you make for yourself. Ninoy’s parents weren’t great. And Cory’s parents were simple folks. But Ninoy and Cory grew up to be great persons. It would be ignorant and foolish to assume that just because they are great, Noynoy would be great too. Mahatma Gandhi became an Indian hero and a world icon for humanity. He had four sons. But the world doesn’t really know what those sons did with their lives â€" because they did not inherit their father’s greatness. John Lennon is a humanitarian and a musical genius. But his son, Julian, did not inherit his humanity and compassion nor his gift for songwriting. Dodot Jaworski did not inherit his father, Bobby Jaworski’s shooting and passing skills in basketball. Kris Aquino is Cory’s very own flesh and blood. But while Cory exudes dignity and class, Kris at times is crass and pedestrian. You either have greatness or you don’t. Ballsy, Cory and Ninoy’s eldest, at least inherited her parents dignified demeanor. ??Now back to Noynoy Aquino. He has a degree of Economics from Ateneo De Manila University. It’s a great school known for its graduates who went on to become great people. But Noynoy was not one of its great students. He wasn’t even a student leader in his time. Noynoy went on to sales and marketing for two great companies: Nike Philippines and Mondragon Int’l. Sales and marketing, and for that you went to Ateneo? Those were the only jobs he held that he got based on his resume and not based on his parent’s name. Because after those jobs, he went on to work for his uncle’s company and eventually their family’s sugar company at Hacienda Luisita. Even in private life, he used his family connections to earn a living. ??He served three terms in Congress representing Tarlac, his family’s district and for which he had great chances of winning because it is Aquino/Cojuangco country after all. People would be surprised to know that at one point he was Deputy Speaker, because he was barely visible, he barely talked and he barely sponsored bills. In effect, he was a forgettable congressman. He is now a Senator of the Republic to which he owes greatly to his own sister, Kris, and his mother Cory, who both used their popularity during the elections to campaign for a forgettable brother and son. ??The presidency is the highest position in the country. It is not meant for people who are still on the OJT stage (on-the-job training). It is a position meant for great people. This country can only achieve greatness if we put great people on the steering wheel. To pass the mantle of greatness from Ninoy and Cory to a son who has so far haven’t done anything great in his life would demean and cheapen the legacies that Ninoy and Cory left behind. Cory did not survive 9 coup attempts, and Ninoy did not breathe his last breath on a dirty airport tarmac for it to be used as their forgettable son’s publicity tool for his presidential ambition. ??This country is not that HOPELESS to settle for MEDIOCRITY.
  
  This was written by caloy73 on atmidfield.com
  
  And I find this a very intelligent explanation of the reasons NoyNoy Aquino shouldn’t be president.
  by Michael on 2010-03-16 11:43:38
• This is a good post. All candidates should be asked their stands on these issues. Instead of spending money on commercials and ads, they should just face the people and tell what they stand for. Daming siraan, you just can't count on that as basis for our votes.
  by deejay on 2010-03-17 21:53:29
• Sometimes it's very confusing who you should believe. Everyone's engaged in black propaganda during election time.
  by marchineness09 on 2010-04-02 18:02:00
• Just look who is getting the most black propaganda thrown at them. Look at the party who tries to create controversy. And how about the party who starts conspiracy theories. If that party is so unsure about themselves that they have to result to this then that is the party you shouldn't go for. Go for the party who doesn't go down to their level (though they should). Go for the one who doesn't sit around digging and manipulating peoples past and molding it into something dirty to use against an opponent. Because all that does is distract people from the issues of everything going on in the Philippines. People will just start paying attention to this circus and forget the reason why they are voting. Vote for the person who can make this country succeed and has the proof they are capable of doing that. Do your own research and stay away from an opponents website talking about one of their opponent because you know it's not going to be positive. Look to the persons website who talks about problems and has either tried fixing it or is in the process of doing so. Because if it takes negative comments on an opponent to get peoples votes, then they shouldn't get your vote.
  by Michael on 2010-04-06 17:20:48
• Know the track record of the candidates http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/gordon_bio.asp
  by jarmela on 2010-04-19 12:53:34