Blame the voters, not the senators

By Alex P. Vidal

“I don’t think that, you know, adherence to ignorance is really something that encourages voters to support you.” — Elizabeth May

IT’S about time we stopped blaming the bungling Filipino senators for the monumental mess they’ve created these past weeks.

In the first place, they did not place themselves in that august hall all by themselves; it’s the voters who gave them the mandate to occupy their offices during the national elections.

Thus, the voters deserve the kind of senators they elected.

Sometimes, it’s not right for the voters to ridicule “misfit” Robin Padilla and “palaging galit sa mundo” Rodante Marcoleta for being “annoying” and “eyesores” in the session hall.

It’s ironic that the voters who are quick to disown and disparage them were the ones who put these political villains there.

They were given the chance to choose the “right” candidates, but they opted to cast their votes for these ruffians over the other “more qualified” candidates.

The more the voters rebuke the lousy officials they’ve elected, the more they sound banal and hypocritical.

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The beauty of the Philippine Constitution is that all Filipinos are given equal chances to serve in the Lower and Upper Houses of Congress and even run for president and vice president if they possess the baseline qualifications under the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

The Philippine charter says all candidates must be natural-born citizens of the Philippines, registered voters, able to read and write, and residents of the Philippines for a specific minimum period.

Specific qualifications and term limits vary depending on the exact position sought.

Even ordinary people who can read and write and are of the right age stipulated in the Constitution can file a certificate of candidacy during elections.

It’s another story, though, whether the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will declare them nuisance candidates.

Those who oppose charter change cite this “democratic” and “fair” provision where the opportunity to be elected to higher offices can’t be limited only to the educated and rich.

They also point out that systemic problems — like poverty, corruption, and inequality — are due to the underfunding and nonimplementation of existing laws.

They suggest that charter change is merely a diversion from enforcing already guaranteed social justice programs.

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TIGHT SECURITY. New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden (MSG) has announced that it is ramping up security, enforcing what it called “TSA-style screening procedures,” plus a strict no-bag policy, ahead of President Donald Trump’s attendance for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on June 8.

In a joint post on social media under the Knicks logo, MSG and the U.S. Secret Service advised there will be “no storage available for prohibited items” and said fans should make every effort to “limit personal items to an absolute minimum.”

To allow extra time for screening and entry, the post strongly encourages fans to arrive at the Garden at least two hours before the game’s 8:30 p.m. tipoff.

The president, who is a Knicks fan, has said he was invited to attend a Knicks playoff game by team owner James Dolan, who has donated to Mr. Trump’s political campaigns.

Mayor Zoran Mamdani will also be taking in Monday’s game at MSG but wouldn’t say if he’ll be meeting Mr. Trump during his visit to New York City.

“I will be in a very different section of the stadium,” Mamdani said on June 5, “and I think we look forward to welcoming any New Yorker who is excited for the Knicks to have that chance to win that championship.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines. — Ed.)