Comelec and People Power: Whence Alfredo Benipayo? / Fund campaign for justice - HERE'S THE SCORE by Teodoro C. Benigno

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is one of the oddities of modern times, a drab and dilapidated cardboard bureaucracy on the margins of history defying People Power. It’s not even the boy on the burning deck, whose heroism cannot be denied, because it has none. It’s a relic, better still a tattered totem, on the Potomac owing fidelity to the ancient rites of the Aztecs seeking to perpetuate virginity among certain blessed Mentuhas and Minehahas. I’ve already said my piece about Luzviminda Tancangco, a commissioner whose prose on electoral lore often goes into an epileptic fit. She shouldn’t be there. But she is there, courtesy of Erap Estrada about whom affiant sayeth no more.

But I have a bigger row to hoe with Comelec chairman Alfredo Benipayo. There he is atop a boxing ring, daring one and all to step three rounds with him and bragging that, constitutionally, he will knock every pretender out. Really? For a newcomer, he struts too much.

What is Benipayo’s brief? This: The country will face a constitutional crisis if all of us who were at the EDSA Shrine and People Power II push through with the holding of a special registration for 4.5 million Filipino youths who – wittingly or unwittingly – were disenfranchised by the Comelec. Ho, ho. Then Mr. Benipayo threatens us with his imagined deluge: If the law is amended by Congress to enable 4.5 million youths to vote, a crippling two-day registration will be held sometime next month. And – horrors! – the local and congressional elections could be reset for August instead of May 14.

Where did this Mr. Benipayo come from? The planet Saturn? Sir, all you need to register the 4.5 million all over the country is one, at most two days. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who’s pushing hard for the registration, is willing to appropriate the P100 million to fund it. And if we must smash it again into Mr. Benipayo’s face like a custard pie, it was the Comelec’s fault. It failed to give advance and adequate notice for the youth to register – a notorious failing of the Comelec which often functions like a dormitory for women of the night. So even Congress is willing to make up for the Comelec’s blunder by holding a special session to pass a new registration law.

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Mr. Benipayo misses the roll and rhythm of the times. He must have witnessed the impeachment trial on television. He saw and beheld People Power. He must have felt it slam his flesh, rewire his reflexes and his mind, crawl through every vein in his body, get him soaring into space. If People Power did anything outside of toppling Joseph Estrada, it was to make us all realize that we had to destroy many old bridges, build new ones, renew and revamp such archaic and antediluvian structures like the Comelec. Mr. Benipayo belongs to the past, not to the future. He belongs to the species estradalus anthropoidae.

He should have said: "I do realize the enormous role played by the youth in People Power II. To them, I owe my present position. I agree with Jose Rizal that the future of our country belongs to the youth. And this is as good a time as any for history to recognize and reward that role. We are a country laggard in so many spheres, a beggar with a tincup in the age of Information Technology. And only our youth can save us. If this should be my last act on earth, I shall do everything to restore our youth into the nation’s mainstream. Yes, I will make sure they register forthwith. Yes, they shall vote. Yes, People Power II must be upheld."

But Mr. Benipayo did not say anything like that.

A man without a vision, without a foot in the raging waters of history, blind to the rainbow, blinder still to the many-hued clamor of a demanding post-EDSA dawn, all he did was resort to technicalities. To nit-picking. To splitting hairs. The clinging to worn-out trees instead of seeing the forest. We do miss the old chairpersons of the Comelec, Christian Monsod and Haydee Yorac, and much earlier Jimmy Ferrer. They were bold and looked at tomorrow. They saw the larger canvas of what the Philippines was. They were not held down by technicalities and the languid language of lines drawn in the Comelec charter. They saw history on the march. They did not quibble on 120-day deadlines. That’s bunk.

Mr. Benipayo, sir, change your eyeglasses.

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Like Ol’ Man River, contributions to this column’s Fund Campaign for Justice keep rolling in. And we are highly gratified. This is proof civil society isn’t letting Joseph Estrada off the hook. That they want him arrested and booked and jailed for the many crimes he is charged with during the two and a half years he was in power.

First in today’s batch is Casmer Realty Corporation with a P20,000 cheque, signed if I can fathom the handwriting, by Lilia de Castro and Ralph de Castro (sorry, if I made a mistake). No accompanying note. Thanks a lot. An "anonymous old friend" from way, way back sends a P10,000 cheque and remembers the days I was still a sportswriter. "May we see the thief behind bars where he belongs" is his fervent wish. Merci. John Deveras (9 Rhu Cross #16-06, Costa Rhu, Livonia, Singapore 437436) sends over a $500 dollar Singapore cheque, approximately P10,000. No note. Thank you.

From Casilda Luzares, (Professor, Department of English, Doshisba University, Karasuma-Imadegawa, Kamigyo-Ku, Kyoto), we get a cheque of US$150, approximately P6,750. Says she: "We could not go to EDSA to ventilate our outrage and we cannot vote – so participating in your campaign is the least we can do . . . My prayer is that Estrada will be made to pay justly for his shameless abuse of power and plunder of the nation. God bless you!" Antonio A. Picazo (Picazo Buyco Tan Fider and Santos Law Offices, Salcedo Village, Makati City) has a P5,000 cheque for our campaign. His note: "I wholeheartedly agree with your quest for justice and everything that you have written in your column about the need for retribution."

Yup, it’s another sibling, this time younger brother, Nick Benigno, with a P5,000 cheque from his AQUA Safe firm in Batac, Ilocos Sur. Message: "Would like to see the day he gets arrested." Former undersecretary of foreign affairs and ambassador Tomas Padilla (122 Cambridge Circle, N. Forbes Park, Makati) sends a P3,000 cheque with the note: "I hope and pray justice will be served soonest for the sake of our country." Jesus Amario sends over a P3,000 cheque "for the private prosecutors who are working mightily to bring justice to our country." Peter Wallace, long-time spokesman of the multinationals, sends a modest P2,000 cheque "because Erap hurt my business like so many others." Peter tells this author: "Never stop fighting!" Mrs. Rosario S. de la Cruz has a P2,000 cheque, no address and the note: "Good luck and God bless!"

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"An anonymous donor" with the initials SVP sends a P2,000 cheque with the note: "Keep up the good work and more POWER in everything you do." Also anonymous is this sender with the initials RPM who says, "how I wish you can write your column daily." Anonymous from New York sends a US$25 cheque equivalent to P1,100. Rony (ret. Lt. Gen.) and Lilian Sotelo (6 Doña Mary St., Alabang Hills Village) send a P1,000 cheque. No message. "Jobless and businessless" because of Erap, Cris Villahermosa, columnist DIARYO, nonetheless sends a P1,000 cheque. Ms. Ida Vinluan Galdiano (1616 Dr. Vasquez St., 1004 Malate, Manila) likewise contributes a P1,000 cheque, hoping "in time, Erap will confess all his sins and tell only the truth."

Leopoldo Francisco (retiree) says his P1,000 cheque contribution "will give an added kick to shove Erap to jail." Anunciacion R. Henez (33 Ibay St., Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City) sends a P1,000 cheque. So does E. R. Sievert (P1,000 cheque), saying "We may have won the first round but a lot needs to be done for JUSTICE to triumph." Sr. Ma. Corazon (Betania Retreat House, 2134 M. Domingo, QC) sends a P500 cheque while the RVM Community of the same Betania Retreat House sends a P1,400 cheque. Sisters, thank you.

Cy of Cagayan de Oro City sends P500 in cash, asks if donations can be done through any local banks. Very soon, precisely we are making such arrangements and will announce it in this column. Vica Services and Management Co. Inc. sends P500 cheque. So does (P500 cheque) Ma. Socorro Miguel. Amparo V. Valero (P500 cheque) also suggests the opening of a special account in a bank with a wide network. Will do. Leon Banag contributes P200 in cash. Gregorio G. Aquino (Municipal Treasury Office, Mangaldan, Pangasinan) P200 in money postal order. Pedro Agarcon (Malvar St., San Jose, Occidental Mindoro) sends P100 cheque with note: "Sanay huwag matulad sa EDSA I ang EDSA II." Last for our batch today is Saturnino R. Mendinueto Jr. (4032 Cul de Sac, Bgy. Sun Valley, Parañaque City) with a P100 cheque.

We thank you all so very much. Really, it is heartening to see such response. We are still waiting for the big hitters with the big names and the big corporate establishments. I am sure they will give soon and generously.