No election in 2022?

By Herbert Vego

 

THE coined word “noel” has become familiar because of past futile attempts to postpone national and local elections. It stands for “no election”.

We had forgotten about it until Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesman James Jimenez announced that there is no need to postpone the May 9, 2022 polls despite the prolonged Covid-19 pandemic.

This corner agrees. But what if, for whatever reasons inimical to the chances of  the party in power to regain the presidency, President Duterte decides to do it in order to extend his expiring term?

No matter how commercial pollsters – namely the Social Weather Stations (SWS), Pulse Asia and newbie Octa Research – crow about his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara, leading the pack of presidential wannabes in their surveys, the pubic shrugs them off as incredible mind-conditioners.

And since the Comelec itself has a questionable reputation, let us assume that Jimenez’s stand – “no need to postpone elections” – would prompt Duterte’s allies to bat for indefinite postponement of the 2022 polls.

Let us not forget that in September 2020, Rep. Mikey Arroyo (2^nd Dist., Pampanga) floated the idea of postponing the elections if the pandemic worsens into a health crisis beyond control.

While the 1987 Constitution prohibits cancellation or postponement of the electoral process regularly scheduled on the second Monday of May every three years, it also says, “unless otherwise provided by law.”

The Omnibus Election Code, on the other hand, also prohibits postponement but allows it in case of “any serious cause such as violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure, and other analogous causes of such a nature that the holding of a free, orderly, and honest election should become impossible.”

The Arroyo proposal did not whip popular support in Congress, probably because similar calls in the past had stirred public condemnation.

Given the reality that there is no public clamor for the presidential daughter to run, even the incumbent mayors and governors  have refused to be linked to the “Run, Sara, Run” streamers.

But of course, should the opportunity present itself, they would be very happy to ride along, albeit discreetly, with the “noel” plot. Who would not want to “serve” longer without buying votes? “Kung may gusot,” a Filipino saying goes, “may lusot.”

Even the President’s “graduating” allies in the Senate have so far kept their mouth shut on their possible “extension”. The irony of it all is that Sen. Manny Pacquiao, the president of the ruling PDP-Laban party, is also “aching” to run for President.

Two other senators, Richard Gordon and Ping Lacson, are said to be eyeing the presidency, too.

One recalls Pacquiao’s “nakukulangan ako” remark expressing his dissatisfaction with Duterte’s flip-flopping over the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) rebuking China’s expansive claims to maritime territory in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, even while pledging loyalty to Duterte, appear to be marching to somebody else’s music, what with the former filing everyday diplomatic protests, and the latter authorizing a fleet of ships to shoo away the Chinese “fishing vessels” at WPS.

Why be afraid when bigger fleets from the USA, UK, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan are as determined to keep open the “freedom of international navigation” thereat?

Except Duterte, no heads of state within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — align with China.

And so there is ground to either fear or rejoice – depending on which side you support – as regards the possible emergence of an anti-China foreign power working undercover to frustrate the “noel” agenda.

If they could unseat dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, why not Duterte in 2022?

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has spoken of his intention to run for president, but only if Vice-President Leni Robredo declines her nomination.

Well, that could send a strong signal to VP Leni – being the top choice of the opposition 1SAMBAYAN Coalition – to stop hesitating.

With only one year to go before the May 9, 2022 polls, the political cauldron has begun to heat up.

Tingala pa kamo kon nga-a may TV ads na si Mr. Kaldero?

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CALLING THE ATTENTION OF ERC

MADAM AU, a suki of this column, texted to ask our advice on how she could regain the bill deposit she had paid to the defunct Panay Electric Co. (PECO).

As this corner has repeatedly said, under the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers (Section 41 of Republic Act No. 9136), electricity bill deposits, which merely serve as security for unpaid bills, are refundable at the end of the third year that the customer has not incurred non-payment of overdue bill; or upon the termination of power distribution service.

Now, since PECO has refused to heed her request for a refund, could she collect it from the present distribution utility?

Obviously not, since the money has not been turned over to the new player, MORE Power.

The implementing arm of the law is the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). Therefore, it’s the ERC that should compel PECO to refund the bill deposits.

May we ask ERC chairperson Agnes Devanadera to pay attention to this matter?