The Varsitarian P.Y. 2015-2016 Issue National Elections Supplement

Volume LXXXVII, National Elections • May 5, 2016 THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF SANTO TOMAS Manila, Philippines

THE NEXT PRESIDENT The candidates and where they stand Page 4

A heartbeat away

Know more about the vice-presidential bets Page 6

Looking back at ‘Daang Matuwid’ 6 years of Aquino: Hits & misses Page 2

2 National Elections

MAY 5, 2016

Editorial

Heed bishops; vote wisely; junk ‘Bongbong’ FACING May 9, showbiz-crazy and personality-oriented Filipinos are looking more at the popular media and opinion polls to help them make the difficult decision; they seem more concerned with being trendy, popular, and correct, rather than being wise, concerned about the common welfare, and right.

Catholic voters have especially been ignorant of or unconcerned about electoral guidelines issued by their bishops. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) itself has warned against making decisions based on popularity surveys: “I say it again—be careful,” writes CBCP president Archbishop Socrates Villegas in the March 31, 2016 CBCP letter, Lord, Guide Us with Your Grace: Discerning for Whom to Vote in the National and Local Elections. “Do not choose depending on who is topping or trailing in the surveys. You are called to be authentic Catholic voters who decide from prayer and conscience. You are called to take courage and make moral decisions.”

But like voters, like candidates. Last May 2, only administration standard-bearer Mar Roxas and Vice President Jejomar Binay attended the formal signing at the Manila Cathedral of the covenant for truthful, responsible, upright, transparent and honest (Truth) elections.

In contrast, all the presidential candidates have met with the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) to ask for the sect’s bloc vote. Between “Truth” and INC vote, we now know where the heart of Grace Poe, Rodrigo Duterte, and Miriam Defensor-Santiago lies.

CBCP guidelines Invoking the 10 Commandments, the CBCP guidelines reiterate the Church’s injunctions against corruption, immorality, and skullduggery. But the Varsitarian focuses on four key issues to guide voters: Religion is part and parcel of public discourse. “A Catholic cannot support a candidate who vows to wipe out religion from public life. The Catholic voter cannot and should not lend his support to any candidate whose ideology binds him or her to make of the Philippines a secular state that has no tolerance for religion in its public life. Ang tunay na makabayan ay maka-Diyos.”

Therefore, politicians and policy-makers who have sought to marginalize or even shut out the Church in key legislative and policy-planning initiatives, such as the reproductive health (RH) law, and who will most likely repeat it during public debates on legalizing divorce and sanctioning homosexuality, must be rejected.

Moral teachings on sex, marriage and family must be upheld. “The Church’s position on marriage and human sexuality is positive and uplifting. Breaking through both tyrannies (‘the tyranny of puritanical attitudes with misguided taboos and the tyranny of indecency’), the Christian view of sexuality and marriage presents the dignity and authentic freedom of single and married Editorial PAGE 3

FOUNDED JAN. 16, 1928 LORD BIEN G. LELAY Editor in Chief ANGELI MAE S. CANTILLANA Managing Editor ARIANNE F. MEREZ Associate Editor DAYANARA T. CUDAL News Editor DANIELLE ANN F. GABRIEL Assistant News Editor DELFIN RAY M. DIOQUINO Sports Editor MARY GILLAN FRANCES G. ROPERO Special Reports Editor ERIKA MARIZ S. CUNANAN Features Editor ALILIANA MARGARETTE T. UYAO Literary Editor MARIA KOREENA M. ESLAVA Patnugot ng Filipino MARIE DANIELLE L. MACALINO Witness Editor DARYL ANGELO P. BAYBADO Circle Editor RHENN ANTHONY S. TAGUIAM Online Editor ROBERTO A. VERGARA, JR. Assistant Online Editor AVA MARIANGELA C. VICTORIA Art Director News Kathryn Jedi V. Baylon, Clarence I. Hormachuelos, Roy Abrahmn D.R. Narra, Alhex Adrea M. Peralta, Jerome P. Villanueva Sports Carlo A. Casingcasing, John Chester P. Fajardo, Philip Martin L. Matel, Randell Angelo B. Ritumalta, Leif Arild F. Sykioco Special Reports Paul Xavier Jaehwa C. Bernardo, John Paul P. Corpuz, Monica M. Hernandez Features Mary Grace C. Esmaya, Maria Corazon A. Inay, Vianca A. Ocampo Literary Josef Brian M. Ramil, Cedric Allen P. Sta. Cruz Filipino Jasper Emmanuel Y. Arcalas, Bernadette A. Paminutan Witness John Gabriel M. Agcaoili, Lea Mat P. Vicencio Science and Technology Maritz L. Lubo, Mia Rosienna P. Mallari, Kimberly Joy V. Naparan, Julius Roman M. Tolop Circle Amierielle Anne A. Bulan, Ma. Czarina A. Fernandez, Ethan James M. Siat Art Chinny Mae F. Basinang, Kirsten M. Jamilla, Seldon May T. Tagao, Freya D.L.R. Torres, Iain Rafel N. Tyapon Photography Alvin Joseph Kasiban, Amparo Klarin J. Mangoroban, Miah Terrenz Provido FELIPE F. SALVOSA II Assistant Publications Adviser JOSELITO B. ZULUETA Publications Adviser Letters/comments/suggestions/contributions are welcome in the Varsitarian. Only letters with signatures and corresponding contact details will be entertained. Original manuscript contributions must be typewritten, double-spaced, on regular bond paper, and should include a signed certification bearing the author’s name, address, year, and college. The identity of a writer may be withheld upon request. The editors will not be responsible for the loss of materials. Contributions must be sent to THE VARSITARIAN office, Rm. 105, Tan Yan Kee Student Center, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila.

Comelec’s worsening credibility problem IN SPITE of its preparations, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) cannot promise the Filipinos perfect elections on May 9.

As the constitutional body tasked to administer honest, clean, and orderly polls, the Comelec can only do so much to fulfill its duties.

Since the beginning of the voter registration for the May 2016 elections, the Comelec has been bombarded with numerous complaints, especially the new biometric requirement.

The Comelec was accused of not allotting a reasonable amount of period for voters to fulfill the new requirement.

Maybe the culprit was the Filipino’s cramming practice, which was why many failed to register and meet the deadline despite the long period allotted for registration, and the numerous reminders and announcements.

But the Comelec now does not have the moral ascendancy all along.

One of the biggest problems to hit the elections this year would probably be the hacking of the Comelec website, which exposed the voter information of more than

“Orderly and honest elections should have begun a long time ago through effective and competent preparation that has anticipated all contingencies.”

50 million Filipinos.

It raised the further possibility that the election results could be hacked or manipulated, raising other vulnerabilities of the election system along the way.

The Comelec downplayed the hacking, saying that no confidential information had been compromised and that the incident would not affect the national polls.

But how could the commission expect 54 million Filipinos to entrust their votes to an election system that could not even secure their identities?

Worse came to worst when a renegade website posted the leaked data from the Comelec.

Shockingly, the Comelec

dealt with the aggravation by virtually passing on the blame to the voters themselves, who were warned not to use the website so that hackers would not be able to “steal your information.”

The information has already been stolen. And the Comelec continues to merely prod on voters to focus on choosing the right candidate without ensuring the sanctity of the ballot.

Even though the elections are on May 9, orderly and honest elections should have begun a long time ago through effective and competent preparation that has anticipated all contingencies.

But alas, the Comelec system seems to be falling apart.

Instead of inspiring the confidence of voters, the Comelec appears to be the primary promoter of doubt, raising issues on possible postponement or a no-election scenario given the Supreme Court ruling on voter receipts.

Even the reliability of the poll results are now doubtful after Comelec Chair Juan Andres Bautista raised issues on the security and comfort of election inspectors given the possibility of power outage on election day.

While it is good that the Comelec is checking all possible scenarios and problems that may impede the electoral process, it must do so with the hope of securing a successful elections instead of instilling fear and doubt among voters.

More than promoting wise choice of candidates, the Comelec should live up to its identity as the “premier guardian of the Philippine ballot.” It must protect the identities of the voters who trust in the electoral process, monitor candidates and reprimand those who violate the law, ensure orderly and peaceful elections on May 9, and tally and proclaim the rightful winners of the elections.

How far has PH gone under ‘Daang Matuwid’?

DID PRESIDENT Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III fulfill the promise of “Daang Matuwid”?

Aquino, who was inaugurated as the 15th President of the Philippines in June 2010, promised progress anchored on fighting corruption, as embodied in his campaign slogan “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap” (“If there’s no corruption, there’s no poverty”).

With barely two months left in his term, it is time to look back at what his administration has done in of the last six years.

In his 2010 presidential campaign, Aquino ran on a 16-point agenda dubbed as his “social contract with the Filipinos.” His contract sought to address the following: corruption, employment and inclusive growth, education, advancement of public health and responsible parenthood, the justice system, execution of policies without regard for private interests, improvement of the rural economy and food security, well-considered poverty programs, growth of big and small businesses, protection of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), competent presidential appointees, motivated and well-supported civil servants, a stronger military and police, promotion of gender equality, long-term peace in Mindanao,

alternative and inclusive urban development and safe communities, and sustainable use of natural resources.

Corruption and poverty First on Aquino’s agenda was an anti-corruption drive to remove corrupt officials.

Aquino sought the imprisonment of supposedly corrupt officials, including former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the late former chief justice Renato Corona. Senate investigations on military corruption led to the suicide of former defense chief Angelo Reyes.

UST Political Science department Chairman Dennis Coronacion said Aquino did a “good job” in minimizing corruption in the government.

“He did not completely eradicate corruption, but he was successful in minimizing it.

‘Yung mga departments under the government, binantayan talaga,” Coronacion said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Several politicians were linked to the misuse of pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) in 2013, including former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada.

In addition, the alleged

“pork barrel queen” Janet Lim Napoles was jailed for the misuse of PDAF through her non-existent non-governmental organizations. But Aquino was accused of selectively prosecuting politicians in the PDAF scam, as a number of allies dragged into the controversy continue to be scotfree.

In 2014, Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya was accused of getting kickbacks in biddings involving the Metro Rail Transit.

Jobless economic growth The Pantawid Pampamilyang Filipino Program or 4Ps, a conditional cash transfer program that operates in all 17 regions of the Philippines, is the administration’s biggest program to alleviate poverty, said Coronacion.

Under the Aquino administration, the Philippines’ gross domestic product growth rate hit 6 percent, which Coronacion said was relatively good.

But UST Department of Economics Chairman Emmanuel Lopez said the economy under the Aquino administration promoted “exclusive growth” instead of a sustainable and inclusive one.

“Gumanda rin naman ‘yung

economy natin kaso what we were aiming for was sustainable growth, which should affect all sectors of the society from the grassroots to the top. What we have now is exclusive growth and not inclusive,” Lopez said.

In the first half of 2012, the percentage of people living in poverty was at 27.9 percent according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. The figure stood at 26.3 in 2015.

“Kung nabawasan man, very insignificant. It is the biggest failure of the administration—to eradicate poverty,” Lopez said.

Employment Second on Aquino’s list was the promotion of “inclusive growth” and reducing unemployment.

Inclusive growth is a catchphrase for economic policies benefiting the poor.

Lopez said the Aquino administration failed to address joblessness, creating only contractual jobs.

“Naka-create naman ng jobs [ang Aquino administration] pero puro contractual lang. Dati 12 million ang unemployed, ngayon 9 million pa rin,” Lopez said.

Coronacion also said the administration was able Matuwid PAGE 7

National Elections 3

MAY 5, 2016

Presidential bets bicker on ‘#PiliPinas’ debates THREE presidential debates served as forums for candidates to discuss their positions on pressing national issues. Given the personality-driven nature of Philippine politics, however, candidates also used the debates to either address or deflect allegations raised by their opponents and critics.

The first round of the official “PiliPinas Debates” was held on Feb. 21 at Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City, and saw candidates answering questions about poverty, the lack of peace and order in Mindanao, and their track records.

The PiliPinas Debates were sanctioned by the Commission on Elections, and were mounted with the support of various media companies. It was in 1992 when debates of this scale were last conducted.

Vice President Jejomar Binay maintained that two of his 11 real estate properties were inherited, and that the remaining assets came from his earnings when he was still a lawyer.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was firm that he would order the killings of criminals and drug lords should he become president.

Sen. Miriam DefensorSantiago cited Stage 4 lung cancer as the main reason for her absences in the plenary sessions of the Senate, while Sen. Grace Poe defended her supposed lack of government experience by saying that a long track record in the government did not guarantee a good performance. Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II addressed the government’s failed response in the Visayas after super-typhoon “Yolanda,” saying he did not abandon the disaster zone.

However, the first leg of the presidential debates failed to engage the candidates into a real debate, UST Political Science department Chairman Dennis Coronacion said.

“If we’re expecting a real debate that was bad. Why? Instead of informing the voters, they exchanged pleasantries.

Hindi siya informative,” Coronacion said in an interview with the Varsitarian.

Issues were not discussed thoroughly as candidates chose to merely agree on each other’s statements on various issues. Duterte did not question

Santiago’s capabilities to run the country despite her cancer diagnosis. Binay and Poe both insisted that farmers deserved subsidies and free irrigation, while Santiago and Poe were on the same page on the issue of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or the military agreement between the Philippines and the United States.

The first presidential debate, organized by GMA Network and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was divided into three rounds under the dual moderator format, with candidates given 90 seconds each to answer questions.

Heated discussion During the second presidential debate last March 20 at the University of the Philippines in Cebu, disaster preparedness, climate change issues, health care and education were among the topics discussed.

Santiago was unable to attend the debate due to medical issues.

The debate was delayed by an hour after Binay insisted on bringing documents on the stage, claiming to have obtained the permission of the host, Luchi Cruz-Valdes of TV5.

Recognizing the importance of providing access to public information and documents, all candidates were in favor of passing the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.

Poe, a proponent of the FOI, said the Senate was able to pass the bill but the House of Representatives did not because of lack of support from the Aquino administration.

“At nangyari ‘yon sapagkat maski na sinasabi nila na ito’y prayoridad ng administrasyon, hindi po natin nararamdaman na tunay nila itong itinutulak,” Poe said.

Roxas, former secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government under the Aquino administration, promised to pass the bill.

Editorial

FROM PAGE 2

life that is truly fulfilling, desirable, and fruitful.”

Therefore, the Catholic voter should reject candidates who have passed or supported the RH law and signalled their intention to support the legalization of divorce and same-sex marriage. Such legislative initiatives are but a fostering of the tyranny of indecency.

Sex is neither safe nor unsafe; it is either moral or immoral.

Politicians should not contracept moral considerations in the sexual act; they should not trivialize it and subject it to social engineering.

“Would it not be the height of folly to strive for greater material prosperity at the cost of violence done to personal conscience, freedom in decision making, and the exercise of moral integrity?” the bishops ask. “The key to the problem is not in external means of control through mechanical and chemical contraceptives, but rather in the development and maturation of inner mastery of one’s sexual behavior—in the chastity and self-control demanded by the stable commitment of marriage.”

Sanctity of life must be strictly observed. “A Catholic voter commits

Duterte and his running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, signed a waiver over their rights under the bank secrecy law, to allow voters to examine their financial assets.

“We signed a waiver.

We waived our rights so that anybody can, as I said, look into bank accounts,” Duterte said.

The waiver was later proven to be defective, and Duterte refused to open his bank accounts after Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, an independent vice-presidential candidate, bared that the mayor had up to P2.4 billion in transactions and in accounts with the Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Binay said he would issue an executive order ensuring freedom of information in the executive branch as soon as he got elected.

But Poe hit Binay’s absences in Senate hearings on allegations of graft and corruption during the vice president’s tenure as mayor of Makati. Binay in turn slammed Poe for turning her back on the Philippines when she decided to renounce her Filipino citizenship in 2001.

“Ang isyu, ikaw ba ay totoong Filipino?

Ikinahiya mo nga, ikinahiya mo. Ladies and gentlemen, ‘yung oath of allegiance, nandun ang ‘I abjure,’” Binay said.

Duterte steered the discussion to another topic while they were discussing the problem of drugs and criminality in the country, casting doubts on Roxas’ degree from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Duterte had claimed Roxas made it appear that he got a degree from Wharton. Roxas has repeatedly denied this but clarified that his Wharton diploma was for an undergraduate economics degree.

Roxas questioned Duterte’s lack of

concrete plans to back up his pledge to eradicate drugs within six months.

“Hindi ko kinukuwestiyon ang kanyang pagnanais na tanggalin ang drugs—ang droga sa Davao o sa buong Filipinas.

Ang kinukuwestiyon ko ‘yung kakayahan na magawa ito in six months at hindi basta-bastang mangyayari ito,” Roxas said.

All four candidates rejected the legalization of divorce, while Duterte and Poe were the only ones who raised their hands on the issue of bringing back death penalty. Asked if they were in favor of burying the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the burial place for heroes, military men and martyrs, only Duterte and Binay agreed.

Coronacion said the second presidential debate was more informative and “more interesting” because the public was able to be familiarized with the issues and personalities of the candidates.

“It was more exciting in the sense na the candidates were really hitting each other.

[Mas naging informative ‘yung second presidential debate] kasi may mga nag-standout in terms of how well they did in informing the viewers about their platforms,” Coronacion said. “Mas nag-sentro sa issue, lumutang ‘yung mga issues at the same time lumutang rin ‘yung personalidad ng mga kandidato.”

In response to public complaints regarding long commercial breaks during the first debate, the time limit in the second debate was adjusted to 120 seconds for every answer and 30 seconds for a rebuttal.

The event was hosted by TV5, with partners The Philippine Star, Filipino Star Ngayon, BusinessWorld and The Freeman.

Final leg The final leg of the presidential debates took place at the Phinma University of Pangasinan last April 24.

The debate covered traffic congestion and the lack of public transportation, electoral and political reforms, foreign policy, tax reforms and national defense.

Debates PAGE 7

a grave sin in voting for candidates who oppose the Lord’s teachings on the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death.”

This is the key guideline. All Catholic voters should ensure and promote respect for, nay, the sanctity of, life—from womb to tomb. Any candidate who brags to have wiped out criminals through extra-legal means must be rejected. Any iron-fisted candidate who vows to restore capital punishment must be rebuffed. Any candidate who has allowed certain conditions to obtain abetting attacks against the dignity of the person and sanctity of life must be discarded.

The life ethic has social dimensions.

Respect for life, the protection of the sanctity of life has socio-economic and -political dimensions. The CBCP urges voters to ask of a candidate: “What has the candidate done about sins against human dignity such as subhuman living conditions, arbitrary imprisonment, deportation, prostitution?

Even degrading working conditions can seriously threaten the quality of human life when men and women are treated as mere tools for profit rather than as free and responsible persons. Has the candidate done something beyond promises to protect the dignity of the poor?”

No such thing as ‘lesser evil’ Cynical or just plain indifferent, Filipino voters may scoff at the bishops’ guidelines and say that politics is the art of the next best, so one must settle for the lesser evil.

But the bishops, in their January 31, 2016 pastoral exhortation, Being Eucharistic in Life and Deeds, have urged voters to settle for nothing less: “Voting for the ‘lesser evil’ is still voting for evil.” “Not voting for a particular position when there is no one fitted for it,” they add, “is also a valid political choice.”

The Varsitarian therefore is not endorsing any candidate for president or vice president.

Now the front-runner in popular surveys, Davao Mayor Duterte has been gung-ho in his public address about having executed suspected criminals and underworld bosses and his commission of womanizing and philandering. His supporters defend him for his candor and sincerity, and it underscores how twisted the times are when that defense is extended to his candor of remarking over the body of an Australian woman missionary raped and brutalized by Mindanao terrorists: “They’ve gotten to her ahead of the mayor. Kill them all!”

Both due to her problematic citizenship and her inexperience, Poe

Youth must exercise right to vote— responsibly ALTHOUGH young people have evidently taken to the elections and actively participated in the campaign, there remains a growing cross-section of young population that views the whole thing as an exercise in futility.

This would be a variation of either of the increasing apathy or cynicism toward elections as a vehicle for social change among the young.

The National Youth Commission of the Philippines defines youth as the “sector of the population from the age of 15 to 30 years.” By this definition, the youth composes 34 percent or 18 million of the 54 million total registered voters, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

While it is good that most of the Filipino youth are very active in expressing their political beliefs and ideas on social media, the barometer of whether they have the strength of their conviction is May 9 itself— whether they would go out and vote.

Otherwise, all the political exchanges and bickering and among young people online would just be noise.

Voting is not just a right, it is a responsibility.

The youth today demand freedom of speech, yet they miss the chance to let their voice be heard by not

“The youth today demand freedom of speech, yet they miss the chance to let their voice be heard by not voting.” voting.

If the youth do not vote, they waive their right to complain about the outcome.

Young people better make their vote count because the government will only be as good as the people they voted for.

Instead of blindly following politicians, the youth should make an effort to get to know the candidates and understand their platforms.

The 75 percent voter turnout in the 2010 national elections is the highest in 30 years, with 38 million Filipinos who voted out of 51 million registered voters. The midterm election in 2013 recorded 77 percent voter turnout with 39 million Filipinos who voted out of 51 million registered voters.

With the countless debates, voter education programs, election surveys, and election coverage of different media platforms, young people are definitely left with no excuse for claiming they are unaware of the candidates and their political positions.

It is their responsibility in any case to know the platforms of the candidates. It is only by doing so that they can make responsible and intelligent choices on who to vote for.

It is crucial that the youth exercise their right to vote, in order to shape a nation that aligns with their beliefs and interests, which presumably should dovetail with the best interest of the nation at large.

is not qualified. Rather than accept her impressive finish as Senate topnotcher in 2013 as an opportunity to learn more about lawmaking and governance, she has interpreted it in self-serving terms as presidential anointment. She brings to the campaign her naked ambition and nothing more.

Even artists who have reacquired Philippine citizenship must observe the 10-year residency rule prior to nomination (look at the case of new National Artist for Dance Alice Garcia Reyes). But Poe has been able to run for the Senate in 2013 and now for president without fulfilling the rule. Her misstatement of the date of her residency has been accepted uncritically by the Sereno court as an honest mistake.

Questions whether she’s a naturalborn Filipino have been swept under the rug by Chief Justice Sereno who came up with the bleeding-heart argument that alleged foundlings and bastards should not be discriminated against, as if all bastards are as nakedly ambitious as Poe as to have the gall to run for president.

Now as then, the highest offices have been populated by bastards, but it takes a pompous person like Sereno, herself occupying a very high office, to have the temerity to make a legal argument from the old adage about the kingdom of the blind: In the kingdom

of figurative bastards, the real bastard is queen.

Nuisance Motor-mouth Santiago seems to have lost her loquaciousness when asked about her health, her failure to take over her seat in the International Court of Justice (for which she lobbied hard), her paltry grade in the bar exams despite her claim of academic excellence, and why she’s running at all and adding to the confusion of voters. She’s a nuisance candidate; she’s the new Racuyal.

Self-proclaimed democrats and feminists like Santiago and Poe betrayed their strongman fantasia when they supported the RH law. Both in fact have ties to the Marcos era.

It was the dictatorship that enshrined population control under the euphemism “family planning” in the 1973 Constitution, perhaps the only charter to do so in world history. His enemies say Duterte would pave the way for the return of the dictatorship. They’re wrong. The restoration of strong-arm rule has been paved by social-engineering legislations like the RH law, among whose supporters count nearly all of the presidential and vice-presidential bets.

Santiago has even taken under her Editorial PAGE 7

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WHO WILL BE OU

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6 National Elections

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Matuwid FROM PAGE 2 to produce jobs, but failed to provide quality ones.

“They have managed to create thousands of jobs, [however] these are not the quality jobs we are looking for,” he said.

In terms of inclusive growth, Coronacion said Aquino failed to include the poor in the growing economy.

“There are still a lot of poor [families] and there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor,” he added.

Education In his first State of the Nation Address in 2010, Aquino announced his intention to reform the education system in the Philippines by shifting to the K to 12 curriculum, which requires 12 year of basic education. But when Aquino signed the K to 12 Law in 2013, critics said the government was unprepared for the transition.

The Department of Education ordered the construction of 30,000 classrooms in 6,000 city and municipal schools. In addition, more than 3,000 private schools, state universities and colleges, local universities and colleges and technical-vocational institutions were given permits to open senior high schools, with support from enrollment vouchers to be issued by the national government.

The Philippines was the last Asian country and one of only three countries worldwide with a 10-year pre-university cycle. The others were African countries Angola and Djibouti.

For Coronacion, the

Debates FROM PAGE 3 Candidates were asked on how they would respond to the problems of Filipino fishermen in contested waters of the West Philippine Sea. Binay vowed to provide livelihood to the affected fishermen, while in the process of coordinating with the Chinese government to permit them to go

THE NATIONAL elections are nearing and it is up to more than 50 million Filipinos to choose who will lead the country for the next six years. What changes are Thomasians looking for? Here are some thoughts: “I want poverty to be addressed. We have a lot of informal settlers. Everyone has been having a hard time getting what they need to buy. The government has been focusing on improving the economy but they don’t see the small changes that we can do. They keep thinking of the bigger picture when the minor details are not even polished.

Why don’t we start small for a change?” — Denise Paglinaw (second year, College of Tourism and Hospitality Management) “Politicians should turn their heads towards the little things that they can improve. For example, the streets that construction workers have been supposedly

implementation of the K to 12 was a good move by the Aquino administration, but it brought problems. Thousands of tertiarylevel teachers are set to lose their jobs because college enrollment is expected to drop, with students spending two more years in high school. Many colleges and universities are expected to shut down.

“A lot of people lost their jobs, but give it five years and the problems that K to 12 brought will be solved,” Coronacion said.

According to Rene Tadle of the Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines, the rushed implementation of K to 12 was meant to allow Aquino to claim it has his “legacy.”

“The objectives of the K to 12 are laudable but they are merely a wish list,” said Tadle in an interview.

The Aquino administration claims that students who graduate under K to 12 will get jobs easily and perform well in college.

For Tadle, the implementation is a “disaster” for students who cannot afford to continue education and for teachers who will lose their jobs, as well as their families. “[However], many schools, in the long run, would earn more profit because of the additional income [from students],” he added. “But for teachers and non-academic staff, [it would mean] more contractualization.”

He also added that the country was not ready for the K to 12 curriculum because of its sudden implementation.

“It is rather sad that the entire educational system of the country is dependent on the wish of a person who happens to be

the president, because he just wants to have a legacy,” Tadle said.

Tadle said Aquino failed to address the concerns of teachers over the expected big number of dropouts in high school.

“They provided a voucher system to students who can go to private schools. But the problem is that the voucher system is not enough to pay for a student’s tuition,” he added.

fishing.

For Santiago, there were two ways on how the government could help: legal and diplomatic. In terms of legal measures, Santiago said she would call on the Coast Guard to “bomb” the Chinese vessels, while the diplomatic solution would involve formal talks with the Chinese government and maintain that “we have world public opinion behind us.”

Duterte said he would not

go to war in case China refused to honor the decision in the arbitration case initiated by the Philippines before the United Nations.

“Ngayon ‘pag ayaw nila, then I will ask the navy to bring me to the nearest boundary dyan sa Spratly-Scarborough. Bababa ako, sasakay akong jet ski, daladala ko ‘yung flag ng Filipino at pupunta ako doon sa airport nila tapos itanim ko, then I would say, ‘This is ours and do what you

Peace and order As regards peace and order, the Aquino administration failed to reduce crime, Coronacion said.

In 2011, a total of 248,378 crimes were committed. It was lower by 23.36 percent compared with 2010 and about half of the total recorded crimes in 2009. However, from 2012 to 2014, the crime rate rose by 26 percent to 36 percent. By 2015,

What Thomasians expect from next administration improving have been there for months. Next, the crime rate never seemed to go down. Also, education should not be a luxury, but something everyone can have access to, despite your social class.” — Alyssa Joy Payumo (third year, Faculty of Arts and Letters) “We should also focus on those in the provinces because there are a lot of issues and problems there that have yet to be solved. Instead of ‘remaking’ the streets of Manila, why not [improve the roads] in the provinces? They have a lot of issues that are being ignored, and I think we should focus on that.”

— Sophia Burgos (first year, College of Nursing) “As a Thomasian nurse, I would like to see the changes in our health care system in the next president’s six-year term. For the past years, our administration focused on uplifting our economic status and minimal changes were implemented in our health care system. One of the laws I would like [the next government to] implement is a more accessible and comprehensive health care for all Filipinos.” — Randell Senson (College of Nursing)

“I want the next President to focus on infrastructure and urban planning.” — Taj Majal Pasihul (second year, Faculty of Arts and Letters) “As a Thomasian who commutes almost every day, I want better transportation. In the past few years, commuting has been a hassle due to heavy traffic and faulty trains. I hope the next president will address this problem.” — Matthew Claudio (College of Science) “I want to see improvement in public transportation, the health system and public education in the Philippines.” — Alaine Ferrer (second year, AMV-College of Accountancy) “Internet. Siguro mas pabilisin pa nila ‘yung service providers. ‘Yung Internet kasi, hindi na lang siya ‘want’.

Kasama na siya sa ‘needs’ ng tao kasi kailangang makipagcommunicate sa mga tao.

‘Pag wala kang Internet, parang sobrang layo mo na sa civilization.” — Arianne Tan (first year, Institute of Information and Computing Sciences) Compiled by ROY ABRAHMN D.R. NARRA and VIANCA A. OCAMPO

the crime rate jumped by 50 percent.

According to Coronacion, Aquino was serious in promoting peace and order, but was not successful in implementation.

Aquino’s legacy could have been the attainment of peace in rebel-infested Mindanao.

“He was almost there, but he failed because of the Mamasapano incident. Before this incident, there were ongoing peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,” Coronacion said.

Other issues The Aquino administration did a good job of giving the OFWs protection. However, there were certain instances wherein Aquino failed, such as in the case of Mary Jane Veloso who is on death row for smuggling heroin to Indonesia,

National Elections 7 and Joselito Zapanta who was executed for murder and robbery in Saudi Arabia.

As regards the appointment of competent presidential appointees, Aquino did an “okay” job except for his appointment of Abaya as transportation secretary and Alan Purisima as Philippine National Police chief. Purisima is liable for the Mamasapano carnage and was allegedly involved in anomalous millionpeso transactions with a private courier company, Coronacion said.

Aquino prioritized loyalty over competence among his cabinet members, he pointed out.

Lopez deemed Aquino as “ineffective” when it came to promoting rural development.

“Meron pa rin tayong crucial traffic problems, like the transport systems of the LRT and MRT. Joblessness ay talamak pa rin, crime rate ay mataas pa rin,” Lopez said.

On gender equality, food security, impartial execution of policies, growth of big and small businesses and sustainable use of natural resources for future generations, Coronacion said the Aquino administration put on a low profile, not being able to implement major policies and laws to address these issues.

The reproductive health law was passed amid heavy opposition from the Catholic Church and lay groups, who were able to get redress from a Supreme Court ruling that invalidated many contested provisions.

Aquino signed the new Salary Standardization Law earlier this year to give 1.6 million civil servants a 27-percent increase in their

want with me.’ Bahala na kayo,” he said.

Poe proposed to increase the vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard. She said she would offer scholarships to the fishermen’s children and provide new fishing equipment.

Roxas promised to help the families of the affected fishermen by ensuring the education of their children, and insisted that the government should never give up on fighting for the territorial

rights of the Philippines.

As for the issues concerning health, both Binay and Roxas vowed to establish a health center in every barangay with complete facilities. Santiago said she would further enhance the coverage of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and ensure universal health care insurance for all Filipinos.

Duterte said he would ensure that the number of doctors and nurses assigned per barangay would increase. He

Editorial

dictatorship institutionalized official violence and abuse that resulted in the killings of dissidents and innocent people, the cronyism and nepotism that continue to bedevil our political economy, along with military corruption and adventurism, police graft and roguery, and wanton warlordism.

Martial law left the Philippines a nation brutalized—physically, psychologically, economically, socially, morally.

Marcos Jr. has declared he should be taken on his own record of accomplishment. But there’s the rub. His legislative record is pedestrian. Children coming from political dynasties hardly measure up to the brilliance of the patriarchs: one more reason why dynasties should be abolished.

FROM PAGE 3

wing the dictator’s son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, as her vice president. She’s provided her own campaign as a neat vehicle for a Marcos restoration.

In this connection, the Varsitarian urges outright rejection of the candidacy of Marcos.

Never again It is a sign of our worsening moral debasement as a people that many of us look with longing to the Marcos years when supposedly many majestic buildings and infrastructure were built while paying lip-service to or forgetting entirely about the depredations of the conjugal dictatorship and its cronies.

Many of us seem to have overlooked that those buildings were built through public funds (by the taxpayers themselves) and bilateral and multilateral loans, and no thanks to the Marcoses and their close associates, many of those buildings were constructed defectively or weren’t erected at all, and much of the public funds and the loans ended up in the pockets of Marcos and his cronies and in their Swiss and other offshore accounts. Public money and loans sucked by Marcos leeches, the Philippines was sunk in bankruptcy. Up to now, the nation is still paying for the lost billions!

Above all, the Marcos

Roxas-Robredo; BinayHonasan Among the vice-presidential candidates from the Senate, only Gregorio Honasan voted against the RH law. Representative Leni Robredo has built a credible record as a former local official and now a legislator. She claims to be a devout Catholic but she hasn’t really explained how this dovetails with her rather unnuanced support for the RH law and for the anti-discrimination bill, some of whose provisions seem to intrude into the religious domain and even freedom of conscience.

Warts and all, however, Honasan and Robredo appear the only acceptable options for vice

salaries.

As for inclusive urban growth, Aquino’s public-private partnership (PPP) scheme was significantly delayed because of inefficiencies and bidding technicalities. Only 12 of more than 50 PPP contracts were awarded, mostly to large conglomerates who were also Aquino supporters, like Ayala Corp. and San Miguel. Only three projects will be finished by the end of Aquino’s term, instead of the five promised.

Lapses Coronacion said Aquino should have done something to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, which would mandate the disclosure of official documents to the public.

“When he was still a senator, he was one of the champions of the FOI bill, but when he became president, he did not promote it,” Coronacion said. “He could have easily made an effort to pass it because the Senate is his ally and majority of the senators and congressmen are his party mates. I do not think he even lifted a finger.”

The biggest crisis the Aquino administration had to face was the failure of relief operations following the devastation caused by supertyphoon “Yolanda,” Coronacion said.

In November 2013, foreign donations for Yolanda relief operations amounted to P18 billion.

“He does not know how to respond to natural disasters.

On top of that, where did the billions of pesos donated by international relief organizations go?” he added. MARY GRACE

C. ESMAYA and ALHEX ADREA M. PERALTA

promised to commit funds from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to shoulder the hospitalization of the Filipinos.

Poe said Filipinos who cannot afford to pay their hospital bills will receive 100 percent subsidy from the government.

One of the segments was “fast talk,” where candidates were asked to briefly explain their position on a certain issue.

KATHRYN JEDI V. BAYLON and MARIA CORAZON A. INAY

president based on the CBCP’s electoral guidelines.

Similarly, their presidential mates, Binay and Roxas, have explained their stand on the RH law (the former is against, the latter has qualified his support), and other issues close to the Catholic Church, and by their gesture of signing the Truth covenant, they have emerged as sound options for an intelligent, moral vote for the presidency.

It may be argued of course that the signing of the Truth covenant should be pitted against the respective track record of the signatories, a record which may not at all be that savory.

But the Varsitarian invokes the spirit of Pope Francis’ Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy and appeals that the signatories be given the benefit of the doubt.

Their signing must be taken as candidates’ pledge to mend their ways.

We invoke here the rule of graduality. In Thomist language, we view the signing as the signatory’s signal to progressively exercise acts of free will oriented toward virtue and truth.

Therefore, while refusing to endorse any one candidate, the Varsitarian is urging voters to narrow down their choices to these four: Roxas and Robredo; Binay and Honasan.

We pray that the Filipino voter will make the right decision on May 9. We pray not that the best man or woman win, but that truth prevail.

its

will provide.

ballot.