MikeLigalig.com

By Bohol Chronicle

Poll fraud could still be possible even with the hi-tech elections using the PCOS machines, but the 2004 experience had raised vigilance among the voters leading to the formation of different election watch groups. This led to the tight watch on the election process in 2010.

This was according to Grace Poe, daughter of the late Fernando Poe Jr. who was allegedly cheated in the 2004 elections in favor of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
 
The statement of Poe gave rise to reports that there is a group claiming to be members of the military which is soliciting "clients" who wish to avail of the election scam for the 2013 elections through manipulation of the PCOS machines.

It maybe recalled that several election results were filed with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for alleged fraud resulting from tampered or manipulated machines.

Certain candidates in the province during the 2010 elections were already able to predict not just their victories but the figures of the election results.

Poe, who is running for senator in 2013, admitted she sees no 100-percent assurance of a fraud-free elections come May.

However, the advocacy of President Benigno Aquino III against corruption has inspired the people to come out and get involved in social issues and take part in guarding the electoral process.
Poe visited Bohol for the first time on Wednesday last week to get the support from Boholanos and present her advocacy and platform to the local media.

She first dropped by Kiss-FM before proceeding to the press conference at JJ's Seafood Village.
Poe said some glitches are expected, considering that even ordinary computer units can be manipulated.

“So para sa akin ang kaibahan ng 2004 and 2010 elections ay ang active vigilance ng media. Noong time ng 2004 merongmedia vigilance. Pero dahil sa sobrang talamak na dayaan noong 2004, parang nagkaroon ng 'Boto Mo Ipatrol Mo' [campaign]at kung anu-anong klaseng private citizens group na hindi lang NAMFREL na talagang nagbantay. So kung magiging ganun, kahit na sabihin nating hindi perpekto ang PCOS machine, 'pag ang media nagbantay at yong private citizens, malaking bagay yon,” according to Poe.

She also explained that FPJ might have the support of the “common tao” or the masses, but those in the upper class and the intellectual group had doubts on FPJ and so they never cared watching the electoral process.

“Those in the upper class and the intellectual group hindi sila natin masisisi. Hindi naman talaga si FPJ nagpakita ng kanyang kakahayan bilang isang public official at hindi naman sila talagang nanonood ng mga pelikula ni FPJ, so no'ng tumakbo si FPJ nang biglaan, syempre sila hindi sila masyadong kumpyansa doon. So hindi din sila masyadong indented sa pagbabantay ng boto.

Naniniwala ako ha noong 2004,” according to Poe.
With the President's advocacy on the “straight path” to change, Poe hopes it would prompt the electors to exercise more vigilance.

“So hopefully, in 2013, dahil matino ang ating pangulo, kahit papa'no nagkakaroon ng mas malaking ripple effect yan,” she added.

Poe cited the move of Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes in cleansing the partylists as a manifestation of strong determination to ensure clean and orderly elections in the country.
“Pero ulit, tao rin lang ang nagpapatakbo ng PCOS. Pikit-mata pa rin nating sinusunod yan dahil hindi naman tayo mgatechnical na tao. So maari pa ring mangyari yan. Dasal ko nalang na kung saka-sakali, maging napakalaking agwat ng aming mga boto para hindi madaya,” she added.

Poe also told the local media that President Aquino invited her for several meetings regarding her plan to run for the Senate.

“So nauna na yong Presidente. Yong UNA hindi sila nauna. Kasi iniisip nila na MTRCB ako ano, do'n muna ako sa pwesto na yon. So syempre pag ikaw ay kinumbida ng pangulo na lalong lao na kahit wala kaming personal relationship, hindi kami magkaibigan or anything. Nakikita ko naman kasi na tapat siya sa trabaho n'ya at naibalik nya yong tiwala sa mga institusyon kahit papa'no,” according to Poe.

She considers it an honor to be approached by the President.

However, she also shared this to Vice-President Jejomar Binay out of respect, considering that the vice president had served as FPJ's campaign manager and was the runningmate of former Vice-President Joseph Estrada who is her godfather.
She said Binay advised her to talk to Estrada, but the latter had a different plan for her which she did not elaborate.

Eventually, Estrada advised her to go independent and assured that it doesn't matter if the administration party would carry her candidacy, and as daughter of FPJ the UNA we will adopt her.
“Ngayon, ito naman pong masasabi ko, kung kinuha ako ng UNA at sinama ako sa slate, ang magiging issue do'n ay 'kaya lang naman kinuha yon kasi anak ni FPJ eh--malapit sa dalawa'. Ngayon, yo'ng Pangulo kinuha ako sa dalawang dahilan. Una, dahil magandang reputasyon ni FPJ. Kahit papa'no malaki pa rin ang following ni FPJ. Pero pangalawa nakita nya na matino ang trabaho ko, so meron din naman akong contribution do'n sa pagkakapili sa akin na sumama ako sa coalition ng pangulo,” Poe explained.

In the set up, being with both, the President asked her not to be visible in the sorties of UNA or join in the stage during campaign rallies. And UNA also had some conditions which she prefers to keep.

Poe said it would be better for the coalition leaders to be the ones to elaborate on the set up.
On the UNA scenario, she has no hand on how the party wants to project things because it is the party that offers to adopt her and she might just have to abide with it.

However, as an independent candidate, Poe said she has her own platform which doesn't clash with any party's.

Poe, as daughter of FPJ, shares the passion of the late king of Filipino action movies to serve and
desire to help the poor.

Like her father, Poe said she “understands that poverty can break the Filipino family and bring great harm to our children”.

Poe pointed out that poverty alleviation effort should be focused on “the family as the basic social institution.

With this, she wants the government to “take a more active role in helping children of poor families,” because she believes that the future of the nation depends on the “kind of citizens these children will become”.

Poe has anchors her platform on FPJ's “social covenant and focuses on three areas: Poverty alleviation, Opportunities for all—especially the children, and Electoral reforms.
She might be considered a new-comer to politics, but not to public service.

Poe had proven her leadership competence as chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) under the Aquino administration.

As MTRCB chair, she reformed the classification system for movies and television, provided institutional support to independent film-makers, and brought together government agencies and media organizations in order to protect the interests of children.

It is also noted that Poe achieved these accomplishments “without calling attention to herself”.

Prior to his stint in government, she worked at FPJ Productions and Film Archives, Inc., then in the United States as a teacher, a product liaison officer, and a product manager.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from  Boston College, in the US and finished two years of Development Studies in UP-Manila.

Poe also pushes for a step-up in the archiving system or good records keeping to preserve history.

She cited as example how the government is handling the jewelry of former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

She pointed out that the people might not like the Marcoses for the era of dictatorship, but it cannot be denied that her extravagance is already part of history and that the Filipinos should also keep reminders that represent that era for the future generation to learn and connect to the past.

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