Let’s hope for peaceful proclamation of winners

This column started this month hoping that Labor Day would be peaceful. This was because some of the followers of ousted-president Joseph Estrada tried to invade Malacañang on May 1, 2001. After Labor Day, we wrote that we hoped that elections would be peaceful and orderly. There were some isolated instances of electoral violence, but on the whole it can be said that elections were generally peaceful and methodical. Now we are praying that the canvassing and proclamation be just as peaceful and systematic.

Undoubtedly, there were some attempts to cheat. The important thing here is that there must be proof of said cheating and that they be presented to the courts. But accusations made in media without any evidences presented are obviously made just to confuse the public. Worst are street demonstrations that do not even have a clear purpose. A day or two after elections, sympathizers of Fernando Poe, Jr had a victory parade in Makati’s commercial center. How could anyone hold a victory rally when the votes were just starting to be counted? Now Fernando Poe, Jr. has even said that he was won the elections and that he will proclaim himself as President of the Republic of the Philippines. As one of the leading presidential candidates, he should be an example of statesmanship.

Today, in a joint session, Congress will start the canvassing of election returns for president and vice-president. They have a deadline to meet – June 30. Before that, nothing is official. Raul Roco set a fine example when he publicly acknowledged that he had lost the presidential elections and prematurely congratulated President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for winning the presidential elections. President Macapagal Arroyo is undoubtedly leading in the count but she still has to wait for the official proclamation. Like a true statesman, she has not made any premature announcements of victory or proclamation. The only statement that Malacañang made was that the duly- elected president and vice-president would both be proclaimed on or before June 30. What will be will be.

Fernando Poe, Jr. claims he won the presidential elections. He should first come out with figures and make very clear where the figures came from. For his own good, we advise him not to go through with his plans to proclaim himself. That would reduce his status to a nuisance candidate. Worst, it would open the doors to his being formally charged in court for sedition. Certainly, we don’t want to see Fernando Poe, Jr. join his fellow actor, Joseph Estrada, in jail. He is undoubtedly the idol of the masses. He has a good image. Let him keep that.

A good project for him is to do another movie. This time, a true-to-life account on how he, a movie actor, ran for the presidency of the Philippines. It would be not only a good movie, but a part of Philippine history.