The Comelec Commissioners with Vicente Lazatin (second from right) of Transparency and Accountability Network Inc. and Pura Sumangil (fourth from right), of Chairperson of the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government, after the signing of memorandum of agreement on their project that will improve the monitoring of campaign laws in the municipality of Penarrubia. MATIKAS SANTOS
MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) Tuesday with concerned groups in the province of Abra to assist in the enforcement of campaign laws and to fight vote buying.
Executive Director Vicente Lazatin of Transparency and Accountability Network Inc. told reporters that they will be launching a focused project specifically in the municipality of Penarrubia along with the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government.
“What we want to do in Penarrubia is set the elections right, to see if we can make elections work for the people, for the benefit of the people, to empower the voters to be able to choose leaders who will be responsive to their needs,” Lazatin said.
Through the MOA “the Comelec will assist us in monitoring the elections to make sure that there is no vote buying [and] that campaign finance laws are adhered to [by candidates],” he said.
Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said that he finds meaning in the project because he grew up there. “I know the area very well, this is where I grew up,” he said.
Brillantes said that Penarrubia has long been “an area of concern over several elections in the past.”
Pura Sumangil, Chairperson of the Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government, said that because their province is small and is also one of the poorest, the residents are more easily enticed into selling their votes.
Lazatin said that this project will also involve the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Interior and Local Government, Commission on Human Rights, and National Anti-Poverty Commission, among others.
The pilot project, if successful, will pave the way for its nationwide implementation come 2016, Lazatin said.
– See more at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/365235/comelec-signs-moa-with-abra-concerned-groups-for-peaceful-orderly-polls#sthash.jRpTAy0J.dpuf
abrenian.com 
Good News! medyo matilled ti didigra nga partuaten ti election iti dayta nga MOA. More blessings para kenni Pura.
Posted by Ulaw | March 1, 2013, 4:28 amlets see if madam x can do something im sure his niece will be affected.
Posted by pop pop | March 1, 2013, 7:35 amPop pop, I really am wondering why they made this pilot project in penarubia or should I say penaruby hehe. They pionted out in one of their press releases that the reason for them choosing penarubia was because penarubia is accessible and that penarubia has the seal of good housekeeping. Why not bangued, it most acessible and also has the seal of good housekeeping? Or why not pidigan or la paz.
I think they are avoiding the bigger names in politics.
Are they avoiding the valeras, bernoses or the lunas.? I think they are. And why not the whole province? Are they afraid of bersamins and the lunas and bernoses.? Or is pura sumangil protecting her very good friend take it?
But anyway I believe their advocacy, but I hope they remain impartial not unlike before.
Posted by mario bang | March 4, 2013, 1:36 amdapat na Bangued ti pilot area ta isu ti worst municipality entire Abra nu maipanggep ti peace and order. Nakabutbuteng payen ti Bangued nga umayan.
Posted by piki | March 10, 2013, 6:33 pmgood news…well said….but will it stop the buying, killing and faking?….a news is just a news…..and a moa is just a bloody piece of paper for the FOOLitics……….life or lives will still be at stake…..and money will still be in the air………………so goodluck to you comelec, ccagg, tani, dilg, dswd, and chr……..start counting deaths and buying……..
Posted by qif | March 1, 2013, 10:02 amlet´s wait and see what happen! I want to be positive about Abra´s situation as a dream for Abrenians, such to the locals and Abrenians abroad! The political situation since many years ago to the actual is unsustainable!
Posted by Palma de Mallorca | March 1, 2013, 11:03 amWhat….??? pardon my ignorance for it’s only now that I’ve heard where our Comelec Chairman grew up which I assumed he belongs to the Tingguian tribe if my interpretation with the above article is correct. It’s therefore fitting and proper for him to prove to the whole world that the most honest and peaceful election should be done in his own province, otherwise other provinces will begin to question his credibility or trustworthiness being our Comelec boss if he failed. Likewise, I wonder if he could also provide ample military protection for all his Comelec subordinates/workers to ensure their safety and braveness in implementing the full force of election laws where they will be freed from possible intimidation, harassment, bribery or shady deals.
My respect and trust with you Sir Chairman and hopefully all abrenians are so proud also to have you as one of the most powerful government officials in our Country.
Posted by akong | March 1, 2013, 11:45 amDiiak impagarup nga patanor gay am ti Abra ni apo Brillantes. Dakkel nga dayaw ti panagtalek ti pres. ti maysa nga Abrenio. Itultuloy tayo koma nga ipakita nga maikari tayo dayta nga talek babaen ti panangabrasa ti linak ken panangrespetar ti linteg itidaytoy nga election. Makapalag an riikna ti positibo nga reaction dagiti politico nga nagisurender ti armasda ken assisins iti ikutda. Proof that WE LOVE PEACE IN ABRA.
But, i believe, money will overflow again. Kuarta nga rebbengna koma nga para projects ken public basic services. Maicompania koma cadagiti kakabagyan, gagayem, ken kaaruba ti saanda nga panangibutos dagiti kaaduan ti kuarta ta dagitoy ti nabayagen nga manggungundaway kanniada. Napinpintas koma pay no saandan nga umawat ti kuarta ngem gaput rigat……. Let us pray together that the results of this election will ushered us to a better Abra.
Posted by Tagamasid | March 2, 2013, 12:43 pmLa, urayen tayo ta asideg metten ti election. Ken no kuarta ti agmandar, ibagadan to pay daguiti botante ti naggapuan na,
awan la ti ammok nga maaramid dayta.
Posted by Ulaw | March 3, 2013, 3:58 amjak la man patiyen apo nga maikkat dayta vote buying… madama pay itan ti tinnawar.. sigurado adda pay laok na nga pinnaturong ti paltog.. propaganda lang dayta tapno kasla met adda araramiden ti abra nga nasayaat.. ngem kinagpayso na polpol met lang. nawidraw da aminen idi a pondo.. dagiti accountant ken tresurero naka readyn dagiti peke a liquidation isu a safe manen dagita a kwarta. uray adda audit ti COAtit ket sumangka da met pay nga bwaya ti lagay. isu nga ado ti kwarta da ita pag Vote Buying.. uray mano. grrrrrrrr!
Posted by kapanaran | March 3, 2013, 4:59 amApay maan-ano koma no agkuarta met dagiti padak nga marigrigat? Once in a blue moon laeng daytoy ken isu laeng ti pakiramanan da ti tinakawan ni politko. Ngem agsiglat da laeng nga saan nga matiliw ti Comelec ta nadagsen nga basol daytoy ti both giver ken taker. Agpabayad da ken saan isu met la nga isu nga saan nga maikkat ti collaborative corruption ta pulos sa met nga alimatek dagitoy naka-assigned nga COA ditoy. Poor Heidi Mendoza and Pres. Aquino, they are not aware that their good names has been tainted or ruined by these snakes. Ken maysa pasig met nga agtatakaw dagitoy kaadduan nga kandidato, so what’s the use nga saan da nga agpabayad? Left and right ketdi a ti panaglako da total awan met ti senyal ti balotadan. Ngem masapul ketdi a nga lalaingen danto ti agulbod no pinken to tay naabak no imbutos na met laeng isuna wenno saan?
Ti la kalikagum ko kadakuada no Election 2016 ta tumapog ton dagiti hus-husto nga kakandidato, saan da koman nga agpabayad ta awan kuarta dagitoy. No mangabak da awan ti takawen da nga kuarta ti gobierno ta ipaay da amin dagitoy ti pagsiyaatan ti publiko. Ngem no agpabayad da kadagiti adda kuarta na, nangruna no TRAPOs (Traditional Politicians) dan, awan manen a kaprobinsiyaan, agkudkod tayo manen iti uray saan nga nagatel nga ulo.
Posted by akang | March 3, 2013, 1:35 pm“puro alimatek” kunak koma, apo…
Posted by akang | March 3, 2013, 2:19 pmHeeyy…..that’s their money that supposedly used for social services and developmental projects but most of it were deposited to lucky pockets due to collaborative corruption.
Posted by bonifacio III | March 4, 2013, 11:27 amGapwen ti kinarigat ti panagbiag a dagitay la politicians ti bumakbaknang, mapilitan dagityi tattao nga umawat ti kuarta nga igatang da ti kanen da. Piman ti abra. No ikomparam ti political status ti dadduma nga lugar ti ballasiw taaw, no ammo da nga maabak tay maysa a lumaban, supurtaran nan tay kalaban nan. So kayat na a sawen dagiti padak a taga Pinas, ti reason nga lumaban da a pagpipinnatayan da payen ket PERSONAL ENTITY han nga agserbi kadagiti umili. Han da ammo a kitaen dgaiti umili no di ti kitkitaen da ket tay kabukbukodan da a panggep. So jak kayat ti bumotbotos ket uray anian ti kuna ti tao.
Posted by piki | March 10, 2013, 6:39 pmPeace and Order manen!!! Ket ti kailangan tayo FISH ken ma-order (makan). Makan ti kailangan ti Abra! Puro publicity lang met detoy. Haan met mararamid nga agpaysu. Bangayan to metnlang ti radio kada personal
Posted by Arsee | March 3, 2013, 5:02 pmI hope the convenors will succeed in this endeavor.
The only question in my mind is how will they do this? And if ever the group finds out something from this nitiative, what will happen to those who violate?
Vote buyng is realy rampant in abra. Sad to say, vote buying has already started in some parts of abra. Take for example the town of pidigan. The valera camp has started vote buying in the guise of the money comes from 4P’s or the pantawid pamilya program of dswd. Bakit kailan pa naibigay sa politico ang pera ng 4P’s?. I know for a fact that only land bank holds and distributes the monies for the beneficiaries. During the christmas season,the group of jansenn valera distributed750 pesos to people of pidigan and promised to add more after christmas, with a small piece of paper with canditates names for congress and the whole line- up of jansenn valera. The names of joy bernos, jansenn valera and domino valera have ek marks across their names. They do this at the petron gas staton in pidigan.
This already vote buying but has comelec done anything or the arrogant police chief of pdigan, de guzman done anything? None
I hope that after this experiment, people will be prosecuted for their violations.
Posted by mario bang | March 4, 2013, 12:08 amThe local representatives of DSWD should be investigated at once in order to clear their names on this very serious matter. If the allegation will be proven true, it’s another scheme to sabotage President Aquino’s good and honest governance which have been felt worldwide except in the province of Abra. For his eyes and ears in the province, what the fuck are you doing or have you been doing? So many rumored anomalies in the province but were you reporting them to the President or like they say…… you are just pretending to be blind, mute, and deaf by the guise of cowardliness because big amount of money is already pocketed or continuously to be pocketed? If you can not take the heat, RESIGN OR SEEK TRANSFER …as simple as that devil’s children! You were trusted to do your job honestly by no less than the honest President himself who have had earned already the admiration of the global community but what are you doing to him? Mr. President, why don’t you just authorize our NGOs to be your confidantes if you are really serious to want a successful “Matuwid Na Daan” advocacy here in the province of Abra? Give them the authority to investigate and observe all operations of local and national government agencies in the province including the examination of their Financial Reports if the funds allotted were disbursed as approved and if were attached with manufactured justifications or not. Of course, their reports are still subject for proper scrutiny by the appropriate government agency who have the sole discretion or power to file a case against the thieves that our NGO found guilty beyond reasonable doubt yet. Please have a little thought about it Sir because there’s no better Philippines if Abra is not politically, spiritually, and economically advancing too, unless the province of Abra is no longer a part of it.
Posted by bonifacio III | March 4, 2013, 11:03 amEducated individuals all over Abra, please educate your constituents with this scam or anomaly like Mario have been doing for the victims are no less than your less-privileged relatives and loving neighbors. Mario for the sake of equality and fairness, if you knew something unacceptable wrongdoings of your CHICKENS in and outside the area of politics, would you mind to educate us also? Please…….
Posted by bonifacio III | March 4, 2013, 11:20 amI’m sorry Mario, I don’t mean to be too straight-forward or assuming neither that you are protecting your own chickens which I don’t really care whoever they are. I am just interested to hear about other candidates like Luna, Somera, etc. that we could compare them to other candidates. I know nobody were borne perfect and everybody falls short but you won’t be selfish to expose also their political loopholes like the other candidates, wouldn’t you? If you refuse, then I just assumed that they were just perfect and it’s up to the voters now to decide which of which. If you will ask my chicken/s, so far I have only one in the person of Atty. Luna. I want to give him a chance to turn around our province 360 degrees. If he fails or if he wins but failed our high regards to his trustworthiness, then we are going back to the drawing board again in preparation for 2016 Election. We can not just give up our dreams and aspirations for a better Abra, otherwise, the next generation will be blaming us (as voters) again.
Posted by bonifacio III | March 4, 2013, 2:02 pmmanong Sysop, kayat ko kuma man met nga intay pagpapatangan dayta maysa a balay pagadalan dita ili a banguedn..dayta kunkunada nga valang…..ado met iti damag dita nga haan maiyannotop iti linteg….ken innak met pay naubserbar idi siak iti nagatendar dta a iskuela…..ayat ko lang kuma maidanum iti kakailian tay madi nga aramid dagitay ada dita…..
Posted by qif | March 4, 2013, 11:22 amMadam Pura, naperdi ti MOA an, nangrugi pinnaltoogan nen. Napaltooganen tay ABC president ti langiden “Billy Boy”.
Posted by Ulaw | March 7, 2013, 4:08 pmNot yet, unless the PNP could not apprehend the suspect/s. Pag nahuli sila OK pa rin ang MOA agsipud ta dagitay naglabsing wenno sinno man nga nagplano, nalawag nga na-underestimate da ti power ken seriousness ti PNP or the Comelec National Chairman, Atty. Sixto Brillantes, nga Abrenian pay met ngarud ken of course he needs to prove his worthiness to his boss, the President. Ket masapul nga maitudo daytoy nga nagplano no ania ti klase ti mindset na no kaya na wenno saan nga maawatan ti kayat nga sawen daytoy nga MOA. If he is well educated there’s no excuse not to persecute and prosecute him. But if he is not, then he will also be prosecuted but it’s useless to persecute him.
Posted by akong | March 7, 2013, 4:59 pmboss taga masid saan a taga abra ni apo sixto no diket taga santa ilocos sur. Ni ama na taga santa, ni inana taga cabugao. naiyanak suna jay manila.idi august 14, 1939.
Posted by lagayan clan | March 7, 2013, 8:33 pmIf the PNP/Comelec will succeed in nailing the mastermind/s, they ought to be disqualified if they are candidates in addition to the imposition of appropriate criminal charges. No need to retaliate for it worsens the situation and might backfires to the disadvantage of the victim’s political party. Just convince the proper authorities to expedite their investigation that lead to the prosecution of the mastermind/s and their hired killers.
Posted by justice for all | March 8, 2013, 12:51 pmBonifacio II, sorry for not having responded immediately due to some business I have to attend to outside the province.
I don’t have, as you say, “chickens” in politics but I research on the candidates although I personally know some of them.
As you say you know hans luna so I don’t have to discuss him any longer.
Rolando somera is a seasoned politician and has the hold on the municipality of pilar. He is one of the richest politicians of abra. He served for 3 terms a mayor of pilar but has really nothing concrete to show that made pilar better. As vie governor, he too could not show any law or ordinance passed that would benefit the province of abra. He was mum about abreco.
Joy bernos? You coukd see for yourself why I abhor this one. Everything is remove and replace. Not even her tarps are beautiful hehe.
Takit was an ally of the lunas before he turned his back on them for bernos.
Posted by mario bang | March 10, 2013, 6:52 pmTakit as I’ve said was the ally of the lunas in toppling the reign of vivsyd valera.takit then had no political machinery of his own. He used the machinery of the lunas to attain the givernorship. He was under the shadow of his brother chito. That’s what we call then symphaty votes. He won out of sympathy. We were hoping then that he was better than vicsyd. But to my dismay, he was worse. This big headed brat takit has plunged the province into indebtedness. Loan after loan with no good outcome.
Cesy luna served as congressman for one term only. She could have won another term if not because of the conspiracy between takit, andit bernos, dominic valera and jb bernos. All along during the may 2010 elections, cesy luna thought that takit was on her side to the extent that she was campaigning for takit. She didn’t know that takit had jumped ship. Accomplishments wise, the calaba bridge is the most concrete and valid one. There are projects we know of but are not highly publicized. Not like now that even the covering of canals whch are regular projects of dpwh are being claimed by joy bernios.
In the vice gubernaturial race. There’s mailed molina and charry bersamin. Mailed was mayor of bucloc for several terms. Charry is presently a board member. I know mailed but not charry. I know charry as the sister in law of jun seares, the crook from abreco.
Posted by mario bang | March 10, 2013, 9:00 pmSo Valera, the former governor should have won if the Luna didn’t help Takit? But the Luna won the congressional also because of this partnership, isn’t it? On the following election Takit supported the opponent of his partner for what reason or reasons? What made him changed his mind or loyalty to a partner who helped him to have of what he is having right now? Couldn’t reach an agreement or arrangement because of what?…….greed or selfishness? I am sorry if I’m wrong but I can’t help thinking why it happens naturally even to our own loving family. There’s always a tendency of being greedy and dominant to each other when it comes to possessing material things or any worldly things without regards to the feeling of the aggrieved party or unmindful to whatever people will say. Worse, even brothers are now against their brothers, children against their parents, and parents against their own children just to satisfy their own selfish needs, why?
What kind of life or world are we in now?
Going back to politics, why don’t we just take this opportunity (2013 Election) to convince our electorate not to vote any thief politician and just save their votes to 2016 Election where our real front leaders will emerge and run bravely for public office? The idea here is to conduct themselves as righteous individuals for the first time and practice honest and peaceful election in preparation for the 2016 Election.
Posted by kurarapnit | March 12, 2013, 11:39 ami nid xplainatinm wy my post is awaiting moderatinn
Posted by eric shawn | March 16, 2013, 4:27 amlet me rephrase hope ds time wl pass the standard of syop. we tend to forget our history who realy help takit and other politicians won their respective position
Posted by eric shawn | March 16, 2013, 4:33 ami have no way of knowing if valera could have won against takit if the lunas were not behind takit. all i know is that takit had no political machinery to rely upon during the 2007 elections.yes cesy luna also won as congresswoman but she had the political machinery. i dont know the reason why they parted ways in the 2010 elections because i think cesy luna doesnt even know that takit had jumped ship that she was including takits name in her campaign sorties. actually i already foresaw that takit was thinking of jumping ship because in reality he raised the hands of all the congressional candidates in the 2010 elections as seen in tarpaulins during that time. he raised the hand of mailed molina, he raised the hand of joy bernos and also raised the hand of cesy luna. andit bernos was the architect of this scheme, he was afraid that his family name was vanishing.andit was enying the lunas because they became congressman before anybody in his family, so he conspired with dominic valera to unseat cesy luna, taking with them takit, who was also envious of cesy luna because of the number of projects of the latter.
i entirely agree with you kurarapnit, the basic structure of our family is being eroded by greed and specially politics. as everybody could have noticed, the province of abra was and has been only run by several families., Paredes, Barbero, bersamin,seares, balbin,Valera, zapata, bernardez, bernos, luna are the surnames of our politicians that dominate our political arena. but for a fact, these family names are relatives either by consanguinity or by affinity. they fight with each other for supremacy. but let them do their thing. it is us the voters who determine their fate. the people are supposed to be the judge not the politicians.
if only our voters vote with their conscience and knowledge, and not by the glitter of gold and the fear of gun and intimidation, then we could have had better qualified leaders.i am not saying that all the families names i have mentioned did not perform their jobs but we have had better opportunities to vote in more qualified leaders who are not members of our political clans. there are some from these political families who did well or are doing well.
again we are in the midst of the preparation for the upcoming 2013 elections we see the same family names.we could not do anything now but to choose who among them are to be our leaders for another 3 years. we just have to content ourselves with them. if both are evil, choose the lesser evil and if your conscience could not take it, then dont vote. but for me, i will exercise my right and hope for the best. and if not then i will run on 2016, hehe, joke!
Posted by mario bang | March 16, 2013, 11:52 pmYou are right Kurarapnit. The Comelec can only do so much. If we want change, it must begin with us. There is this handwriting on the wall of King Belshazzar, “Mene, mene, tekel upharsin” (You have been weighed and found wanting). It was a warning his tyranny was at its end.This warning goes as well to all government officials in our beloved Abra. All of you have been weighed and all have been found wanting. As voters in the province of Abra, we want to be certain and feel comfortable that our leaders, whatever the context is, is truthful; that their ethos is unimpeachable. According to an extensive study conducted by Columbia University with respondents covering 4 continents – America, Asia, Europe and Australia, truthfulness and honesty ranked number one, consistently emerging as the single most important ingredient in a leader/constituent relationship. According to the study, 97.3% of respondents want their leaders to be truthful and honest beyond all else. Leaders in order to earn credibility must be able to impress upon their constituency that truth is a fundamental part of their credo. Unfortunately, unlike bread, truth and honesty are in very short supply when we speak of our leaders. There is therefore no chance we can change our leaders come May, 2013. What we see are the same family names, the very same so-called leaders who have done nothing to improve the lot of the least, the last and the lost in our beloved province. Are we to choose from an old collection of rotten apples? Let us send a clear and unequivocal message to these co-called leaders that we deserve better leaders. I will not vote for any candidate in the Congressional, Gubernatorial, Vice-gubernatorial and Mayoral race in Bangued. I will dedicate my time in convincing relatives and friends not to sell their votes because it is equivalent to selling their future, the future of their children and the future of their children’s children. I will tell people to report cases of vote-buying, intimidation and murder. If the vote turnout is low, that will send a strong signal to honest and decent men and women to file their certificates of candidacy in 2016. Maybe, just maybe, we may be able to finally get rid of crooked politicians. May God bless all freedom-loving Abrenos.
Posted by pedro abreno | March 14, 2013, 6:28 pmyou can start now pedro. have you not heard about the vote buying that is going on in pidigan and bangued. this is in the guise of what they call 4Ps. i’m reporting it to you.
4Ps is a legitimate project of the government being implemented mainly by dswd. but the 4Ps that i am referring to in pidigan and bangued is not the legitimate one. why? because the group of the congresswoman is the one distributing the “cash assistance”. the real 4Ps cash transfer is either withdrawn from land bank thru atm or distributed by land bank staff over the counter and not any politician. now thats vote buying. to make it worse they even let them sign that they have received the amount of 750 pesos and were promised that another release if forthcoming.
Posted by mario bang | March 17, 2013, 12:12 amIt is incumbent upon those who have personal knowledge of this deplorable act to bring the same to the attention of the authorities. I don’t have the personality to file the complaint because I have no personal knowledge. Be that as it may, I would like to tell all those who received the money not to vote for the said candidates. These shameless candidates gave you a paltry some and robbed you of your dignity. To the people who were given the money, may I ask you this question, is this the kind of government you want, a government that will make you line up for hours on end only to give you money that cannot even sustain you for 3 days? In exchange for that, they want your votes so they can continue lining their pockets with taxpayers’ money, money that actually belongs to you. These candidates will do everything to keep you poor so they can forever treat you like beggars. “Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat its mistakes”. Don’t vote for any candidate who gives you money. Take the money if you must, but don’t vote for him or her. Otherwise, we will just be running around in circles. It is time for change and let the change begin with us.
Posted by pedro abreno | March 17, 2013, 6:49 pmI’m sorry, it should be paltry sum. My mistake.
Posted by pedro abreno | March 17, 2013, 6:52 pmThat woukd be ideal pedro.
I am impressed by your thoughts in your postings.
There are several organizations in the province who have started your crusade against ekection violence and vote buying but up to now have not shown any achievement in their mission and vision. There’s the namfrel, the ppcrv among others but have they done anything to curve the trend of vote buying and violence? I say none.
As you say my friend, you have no personality to complain. Why not join any of these groups and head it to achieve their mission and visin? By your rhethorics I k feel that you are a dedicated man
Vote buying is already deeply rooted. It starts from the govership to the lowest elective position of the country, the barabgay kagawad. And to inforrm you oedro, even the board of directors of abreco candidates are buying votes. I remember a few years back when the election of board of directors of abreco was being conducted, the only thing the candidate does is to bring the voters to the voting place and whoever brings more people wins the contest. But that’s different now, they buy votes now and bring them to the pollong place. See how politics infest iour society?
Correct me if I’m wrong pedro. Vote buying starts in our schools! I say this because, if you are familiar with the style of schools in choosing the prince and princesses of the school, the winner of these contests are the ones who have the most money earned. To my point of view this act is also a form of vote buying. This act is also implanted in the minds of our children, that those who have money iwins. This is a sorry scenario.
If we want change, start with changing the way our children think. We have a saying in ilokano that goes this way, ” narigat nga isuro ti tao nga nagsanga ti ormot nan” .
The bishop of the diocese of bangued initiated since he assumed office in the province a project that hopes to curve killings and vote buying during the elections. He launched the unity walk, but even this is being cheated by some politicians. Why do I say so? There are several starting points from which a delegation will start and finish at a common area. Some politicians will start at their designated areas hile some politicians join the walk near the common meeting place. Is this not cheating? Some don’t even attend. Takit bersamin walked from zone 5 to the plaza of bangued instead of having started at the sinalang bridge. Is that nit cheating? Cesy luna started fom calaba bridge and finished the whole stretch of the walk. Jb bernos, joy bernos, dominic valera, jansenn valera were all absent in that event. Why?
I’m pointing these out because cheating starts with small things.
Posted by mario bang | March 18, 2013, 3:08 amIt is written, and now it shall be done!
This message of Pedro is for you “Agtutubo” and coward freedom-loving Abrenians. It’s your only chance to demonstrate your courage in reshaping your destiny by 2016 Election. If you are still unwilling to take the risks, then we all end up scratching our heads again even if they are not itchy like at present.
Posted by sanggir | March 14, 2013, 7:49 pmGood leaders plus honest and brave COA? Pray….the only way…..!!!
Posted by foreign observer | March 16, 2013, 2:03 pmYou are absolutely right, Mario. To raise funds, schools launch their own search for Mr. and Miss Grade School, Mr. and Miss High School and the like. These activities really mirror vote-buying because most often if not always, the wealthy candidates win. It has ceased to be a popularity or a talent-based search. It has impressed upon the minds of children that money is the be-all and end-all of life. This basically wrong mentality is unfortunately carried over in the elections of class officers and even officers of the PTA. Whatever happened to character and talent? We ought to remind children as well as their parents that character is the backbone of leadership and that in life, substance is more important than form.
Thanks for your suggestion, Mario, but I am no longer in a position to join and much less lead any organization. I am a senior citizen who is not in the best of health. I have to undergo certain procedures every day and physical exertion is limited by my ailment. I have joined organizations and have assumed leadership roles in a few organizations in the past both here and in Metro Manila. Always, my peers find me too idealistic for comfort. I resigned from the last organization I joined and in which I served as a leader because I didn’t like what I saw and I could not stomach the dishonesty that pervaded the organization. I tried my very best to change it but most of my peers would rather wallow in the comfort of the status quo, in other words, business as usual. I found it unacceptable so I resigned. I could not stay a minute longer in an orgnization that does not conform to my values.
The best way, I believe I can help is to educate people about the necessity of change. I want to impress upon them that money lost to corruption is the medicine that could very well spell the difference between life and death for an Abreno who is ill; it is the job that could have been given to an Abreno by way of a livelihood project; and it could be the book in the hands of every Abreno who is in school knowing fully well that education is their only ticket out of poverty. I would like to uphold the dignity of the Abrenos. They must not be treated as beggars. We only need to help them help themselves. They have been denied the opportunity to a better life. These people, by the sweat of their brows make sure we have rice, vegetables, fruits, etc on our tables? Let us lift them up from poverty and impress upon them that they have not been forgotten.
Posted by pedro abreno | March 18, 2013, 5:56 pmSorry to hear that you are ailing manong pedro. I hope ypu well.
I myself am disgusted with how these organiizations who are supposed to be the election watchdogs are doing. It appears to me that they are partial.
The people heading these organizations seem to have integrity but they are lame ducks.
Posted by mario bang | March 18, 2013, 9:46 pmDon’t worry Pedro Abrenio for our Creator didn’t make a mistake in creating you. You still have missions to fulfill that majority Abrenians can’t afford yet to lose you. Whether you are just operating behind the curtain or not, your ideas/ideals are just what we need to continue our fight against these corrupt government officials (elected, to be elected, or not elected). The only problem is the ignorance of our youth with regards to corruption as the main cause of poverty and other injustices for their parents are afraid to enlighten their children with the dark and bright sides of politics. If you could start or continue more often what you had been doing Sir like what Mario has been doing, there’s no reason why we couldn’t produced brave and honest political leaders in the near future.
Posted by bright future | March 19, 2013, 5:35 pm