From across the other side of the globe, I came home to Bayang Magiliw only to find it Bayang Magulo. It was campaign season for the May 13 elections, and I got overwhelmed by the inanities of politics. Wheeling and dealing—deal or no deal in shaky terms, money flowing like oil becoming the proverbial root of all evils, the glut of campaign propaganda suffocating the atmosphere. Nakakasukaaaaa… scowled my friend UPV Prof. Zeni French at the peak of irritation and frustration.
One instance of the nakakasuka (induces throwing up) was a flyer strewn on our barangay street. My brother-in-law, retired US Navy Augusto Alonsozana of the well-known ALCARIBA clan, picked up a piece and showed it to the family. It has a picture of senatorial candidate Teddy Casino, his gentle, smiling face crossed out by a bar. Beside it is a communist hammer and sickle logo with a big print: NOT FOR SENATOR. This was followed by lines that reek of underhanded criticism, disastrous if not taken into account: MABABANG PRESYO KUNO, MALAKING PORK BARREL NAMAN SA NPA! DAGDAG KABUHAYAN, DAGDAG PERA SA CPP-NPA; MABUTING GOBYERNO, BALATKAYO NG MGA KOMUNISTA. I wonder if these ruthless admonitions were circulated in all other streets nationwide. Damning lines that call for clarifications from the candidate himself.
In the interest of fair play and with time running out—ten days till the May 13 elections—here is Teddy Casino brought forward by WordPress, a personal publishing platform. I’ve excerpted the WordPress account due to space limitations:
Q. Are you a communist?
Teddy: I am not a communist. I am not part of the armed struggle nor do I espouse it. I am an activist, a nationalist and a democrat committed to the struggle for social reform. Since my student days, I have been actively involved in efforts to solve the roots of the armed conflicts – poverty, exploitation, oppression, systemic corruption, the failure of justice and the general lack of opportunity and development in our country.
Q. Why don’t you denounce the CPP-NPA-NDF?
Teddy: While I do not espouse the armed struggle, I acknowledge that the conflict stems from age-old grievances that have not been properly addressed by previous and present governments. To simply denounce the CPP-NPA-NDF as a bunch of criminals and terrorists is to ignore the political and revolutionary nature of that movement and to downplay the legitimacy of their grievances. I would rather take the more constructive road of dialogue and engagement, especially peace negotiations that, for all its weaknesses, is the only viable way to peacefully resolve the conflict.
Q: Why are you so focused on human rights violations done by government forces?
Teddy: Human rights groups point to the fact that it is the military and police forces that commit human rights violations on a massive scale. Human Rights Watch points to “strong evidence of military involvement” in the killings, not to mention an overwhelming failure of the government to prosecute suspects. Under the Aquino administration, there have been 99 recorded cases of extrajudicial killings, 216 cases of illegal arrest and detention, and 67 cases of torture according to local human rights group Karapatan.
When rebels or criminal elements go against the law, the entire state machinery is already tasked to go after them. But when government officials, military or police elements are involved, authorities often turn a blind eye and victims have nowhere to turn to. Thus we focus on those violators who are less likely to be investigated, prosecuted or penalized for their atrocities. Such is the important role of human rights advocates like myself.
Q: Is it true that you are using your pork barrel to fund the NPA?
Teddy: No. We assure the public that Bayan Muna’s Priority Development Assisstance Funds (PDAF) allocation is being fully utilized for the benefit of Filipinos in the form of health services, scholarships, small community infrastructures like potable water and irrigation systems, and facilities for social services like classrooms and day care centers… You may check the DBM (http://reports.dbm.gov.ph/
Q: It seems all you do is talk and hold rallies. What have you and Bayan Muna done to actually help your fellow Filipinos?
Teddy: I have authored four laws that have benefited the poor and marginalized sectors, namely: the Public Attorneys Act of 2007 (R.A. 9406) which strengthened the Public Attorneys Office and expanded its free legal services to poor litigants; the Tax Relief Act of 2009 (R.A. 9504) which exempts minimum wage earners from witholding taxes thereby increasing take home pay; the Rent Control Act of 2009 (R.A. 9653) which put a cap on rent for low-income earners; and the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 (R.A. 9745) which penalizes torture. I have authored a total of 178 measures and co-authored 376 more, landing me in the top 5 most prolific congressmen in the 15th Congress.
Q: Don’t you come from a rich, landed family?
Teddy: My father is a lawyer and my mother a full time homemaker. I grew up in a typical middle class family. Because a big chunk of my monthly salary goes to my party for its public service programs, I have to stretch every peso to provide for myself and my family, including two school-aged kids and my wife who is also in school taking up law.
Q: Why should we vote you for senator?
Teddy: Because the Senate has become hostage to the same political families and economic interests that have dominated Philippine politics for decades. We need new leaders… Social reformers who will not be bought or pressured into compromising the people’s demands…This is what I have been doing for the last 23 years of my life – 15 years in the parliament of the streets and 8 years in Congress – to be that change that we need and aspire for.
* * *
After all is said and done, Teddy Casino may just spring a surprise over what my sister Bebita calls the senatorial “rejects” of both the UNA and Team Pnoy. Like Teddy Casino, I take pride in being an activist, vintage UP (he in Los Banos, me in Diliman). Oh well, every journalist is an activist for truth and justice except, of course, the paid hacks eager to pocket the envelope.
No comments:
Post a Comment