Yesterday, “Mr. Koala boy”, as fondly called by Mr. James Jimenez “came out”, in mask, claiming some very sophisticated yet ridiculous claims about what they call “HOCUS PICOS” or automated cheating in the elections. Watch and learn, kids:

Here are some of the reasons why I believe this guy’s a fraud and may sound like he knows what he’s saying but is actually missing a lot of facts:

1. The CF card’s data are encrypted. Unless the “operators” know the algorithm, they can’t do this. For them to know, they will have to bribe Smartmatic.

2. The masked “witness” missed something: there’s a counter checking mechanism — the printed ERs per PCOS machine, which is given to the parties and PPCRV. If ever the claimed rigged transmission took place, counter checking its validity is very easy through the printouts. So, how can you expect candidates to pay you P1.4B if you haven’t solve that yet, huh?

3. Exit polls, more accurate than the pre-election surveys, confirm the result of the electronic election.

To pull off what he’s accusing, they will have to have a huge conspiracy among Smartmatic, COMELEC, the teachers, the poll watchers (who supposedly saw the printing and transmission of data), the media and PPCRV. Now, I don’t like very much some of the people in COMELEC, I don’t like Binay myself, but to conspire this huge for the sake of bringing in Aquino — who ironically needs the least of their help since he has lead the entire campaign season — is simply out of this world.

Some famous questions I’m hearing on the internet and some of the controversial answers I’m giving:

1. Why is Bro. Eddie’s votes just 1 million? Last election, he had 2 million and we’re more organized now than before? He must have been cheated!

Answer: maybe not so many people who voted for him the last time did this election — like.. myself? (PS. This is a political statement, not a religious statement. So please, stop the “Don’t criticize your brother” attacks)

2. Gordon is shocked he only had 500k votes.

Answer: Columnist and explainer Manuel Quezon III is shocked he got that many.

* * *

Come on, now. Let’s just say the automation is not perfect, but it was very useful. This is all we need to have a fresh start. Remember that the reason why GMA’s administration is so messed up is because of the questions on her legitimacy — remember Garci? Now that we have an almost accurate election process, we still want to go back to the messed up lives that we have? What’s on your mind, people? Let’s not sow confusion and distrust to our new leadership. This is now the best time for us to work together and start a new government that we can trust.

Pwede po ba?

They said they are positive they can pull this off. I’d say, let them. Let’s just run after them later if it’s proven wrong.

For the past 3 days, pessimism is all over the place — on the internet, on local news, even probably in your nearby “tambayan”. I just think that rather than creating and supporting conspiracy theories, blame people and sow news that can create fear, why don’t we just step back for a while, pray and see how we can make this happen, all together as a nation.

Whatever you blog about, post on twitter or even tell “mamang taxi driver”, it matters. Let’s choose to have hope — in our words and in our actions.

Let’s pray for our nation and give our best for our country. Remember that God is sovereign. He is our ultimate hope.

My small contribution as we take our weekend rest and cast our vote on Monday.

Election season is fun, if you’re a masochist.

Villar accusing Noynoy of being a lunatic. Noynoy accusing Villar of being a fraud. Gordon telling everybody that he alone has the qualification to run the country. Erap blaming Villar for following his footsteps (can I hear Stock Exchange?). And everyone else claiming of being better than Noynoy.

But wait, there’s still more. Villar apparently loosing, turned to his weak, wheel-chaired mom. Don’t they have anything more to use that they have to resort to this pathetic move? Lately, I’m annoyed at Noynoy and his team conditioning the public for another people power. Seriously, winning isn’t everything dude.

Worst is, even our icons are fighting. Just read a long tweet from Kris Aquino today:

‎​I saw endorsement tvc of Pinoy sports icon saying words to the effect na laban ng laban wala naman napatunayan. In politics, Noy has won 3 straight terms sa Congress & won almost 15 million votes sa Senatorial in 2007. How sad na he didn’t think na in politics- knock out nga sya. In politics si Noy ang may napatunayan because Noy has never lost an election! Ika nga, undefeated ang record nya!

Apparently, this pertains to Manny Pacquiao in his endorsement commercial for Villar. I agree with TV princess Kris Aquino, the commercial is done with bad taste. Especially that it’s our pambansang kamao who said those words. But, hey, Manny Pacquiao is Manny Pacquaio. He can say whatever he wants to say.

I’m really, really tired already. Seriously.

I’m thinking of having a TV News fast for the next 7 days. Seeing these people fight, throw mud at each other, makes me want to throw up.

Let’s just get over with this one, quickly. We have other things to do. And yes, we should vote and pray for honest elections. But our hope is not solely dependent on these people — contrary to what they all claim in their advertisements. Trust God, work hard, love your family. That’s the key to a fulfilled, happy life. Villar and Noynoy and the rest of the candidates are not our super heroes. Let’s not depend on them.

I don’t believe in the common and perhaps the most attractive promise of a number of candidates: that if they will be elected, they will solve the problem of poverty. I simply think that 6 years are not enough to solve this issue. A lot of ground work have to be made. A lot of changes have to be implemented so we can start solving poverty.

I also don’t believe that a single candidate can solve our problems. A lot of our candidates promises insane things as if they are super human. We also think that if one is a successful businessman, or has passed bills in congress, or has executive experience, he can solve the problems we’re facing. They may solve some of the problems, but NOT the main problem…

* * *

I think that our main problem right now is TRUST or the lack of. For the past 12 years, the government lost it. The people are simply uninspired. They would rather live somewhere else than here. They lost hope. They don’t trust the government anymore.

Corruption right and left. Unresolved issues here and there. We just don’t believe anything the government says anymore. We even doubt the smallest and simplest thing they say.

The programs cannot be properly discharge without trust. Investors cannot come in without trust. The workforce will not stay without trust.

How do we bring back trust in the government?

We need a leader who:

• Is credible, without any sort of baggage or links on corruption
• Can inspire people to be at their best
• Can unite a broken nation

This, in my opinion, is what we need for 2010. If this can be fixed, the foundation will have been set for us to become a great nation again.

WHY NOYNOY AQUINO?

Noynoy isn’t a superman. In fact, he is not his father who can deliver a powerful speech. He is not his mother who has the charisma to persuade.

But I believe that Noynoy is the most credible candidate. Someone that we can trust. He doesn’t have the baggage of corruption issues that others have. He doesn’t have the baggage of being linked to the most distrusted administration. Its as if — if he is elected, we can rest in the evening knowing that he’s doing his job and not stealing our money.

Noynoy is also blessed with being the son of our national heros Ninoy and Cory Aquino. You simply cannot disregard that fact. And by that, he has the ability and the popularity to unite this broken nation again. And while I do believe that he cannot solve all the problems that we have right now, if he is going to bring trust to our government and unite our people, he has paved the way to our nation’s future greatness.

What I like best of Noynoy is simply the fact that he is not a know-it-all guy. He doesn’t claim to know all the solutions. And he’s pretty honest about it. Rather, he always aims to empower. As a leader of a small organization myself, I know how important empowerment to people is. His mother, President Cory, was known to doing this. That’s where he must have gotten that value. I believe that the government doesn’t hold all the solutions to our problems. We are a democratic nation. The power lies in the hands of the people. What the government leadership has to do is to empower our people to do what they can do best to fight poverty and serve our nation.

As of March 28, I’m voting for Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. It’s very unlikely that this is going to change until May 10, 2010.

Noynoy Aquino - empowering the people

While this video cannot prove anything, this clearly shows the kind of attitudes politicians have here in this country.

Let me lay out the ground work.

1. I’m an evangelical Christian.

2. Bro. Eddie is a leader of one of the biggest evangelical groups here in the Philippines.

3. While I’m not part of the Jesus is Lord Church which he founded, I look up to him as a brother and a great leader of the Church.

4. Apolo Quiboloy’s “Kingdom…”, on the other hand, is NOT an evangelical church. In fact, his church is largely considered a cult of Christianity among evangelical apologists. Reason for this includes his claim of being the Son of God (in Gentile body, blasphemous in my opinion), their works-oriented salvation doctrine, Oneness (as against Trinitarianism), and exclusivity (even claiming that Davao — where their headquarters is located — is the new Jerusalem). He has all the characteristics to be tagged by evangelicals as a dangerous cult.

5. I can respect Quiboloy as a citizen of the Philippines and truly a leader with many followers. But I will never call him a “preacher of righteousness”.

Bro. Eddie, as most of you know, is campaigning for the presidency.

Seeing this man of God compromise his belief, the gospel of Jesus Christ, to which this man from Davao has adulterated, breaks my heart. He is not only loosing his witness, he is also loosing the witness of the entire evangelical Christianity in the Philippines.

What else can Bro. Eddie do just to win the votes of the people?

I’m calling on Bro. Eddie to repent of this lie, hunger for power and for bringing shame to the name of Jesus Christ, the true Son of God.

I’m a big fan of the PBB franchise. Pero kailan kaya matitigil ang pag gamit ng HMs ng “i am poor card”? Just play the game well please.

That short, 140 or less character line has defined exactly what I have in mind — not just with the state of Philippine television, because I hardly watch these days, but with the Filipino mindset in general.

Politics. Take a look at Manny Villar, Erap and Jojo Binay. “I am/was poor, therefore you should vote for me”

Workplace. I have erroneously given “on top of the others” favor to some employees not because they were deserving, but because they said, and claimed at least, that they are poor. I’m sure this happens all the time in the workplace.

Game shows and Philippine TV. You see this everyday. People go on TV and proclaim that they are poor, therefore should deserve some sort of alms or privilege.

Jove called this “I am poor card”. I call this emotional ambush.

My heart goes to the poor. I was raised in a relatively poor family.

What I’m so pissed is the “I am poor, therefore…” mentality of us Filipinos. We thought that being poor is the end of it all. People dwell on it. Politicians exploit it.

If you think you are poor and has nothing on earth to help you get out of it — aside from joining TV shows, receiving financial “help” from politicians or betting on lotto, then you’ll be poor for the rest of your life.

I’m not writing this for the poor — heck, they are poor, how can they have internet access! I’m writing this for us in the middle class. Please stop exploiting this Filipino poor mentality. Let us help them get out of the curse of poverty and not wallow on it. Politicians — let not the people vote for you because you are/were poor but because you have an actual plan to help them get out of the mess and not just to temporarily relieve the pain.

But that would be a long shot, wouldn’t it?

• Convicted plunder former president Joseph Estrada, at age 70+ wants to be president again. For fun and ego, he wants to prove others wrong about his wrong doings.
• Current president and very UNpopular at that, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, will run as representative. So her plate number will now be 8 and not 1, eh! If she wins, how will her colleagues in Congress call her — Madame. President, er… Madame Speaker?
• Ah, Joey de Venecia. Aside from promising “free cellphones” when he win the senate, what else do he want to do? Is the senate now the ultimate target of “whistle blowers”?

These and a lot more.

So, what do you think makes Philippine politics fun?  

If he’s going to unite the Philippines as a president, he must have given us the first crack by uniting the Kapuso and Kapamilya network stars. The music video is sang by Regine Velasquez. Other Kapuso stars include Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera and Ogie Alcasid. Kapamilya stars include Boy Abunda, Bea Alonzo, Sharon Cuneta, Anne Curtis, Mariel Rodriguez, Bianca Gonzales, Ai Ai delas Alas, Eric Santos and of course, Noynoy’s sister Kris Aquino. And I think I saw James Yap with Team Philippines.

This TV ad made the others looked like the real trapos.

Here’s the acceptance speech he delivered.

Maraming maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat. Magandang tanghali po. Happy Holidays to our Muslim brothers.

Salamat, Noynoy, sa tiwalang ipinagkaloob mo sa akin. Salamat sa karangalang maging kasama mo sa paglilingkod sa bayan. Thank you for this opportunity to work with you as we raise the banner of reform. Thank you for the privilege of joining you and all our kababayans in the fight for decency and integrity in public service, and for a government that puts the people’s interest first.

Taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang hamon na isulong ang tunay na reporma sa ating bansa.

Taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang responsibilidad na maging kabalikat ni Noynoy sa kanyang laban para sa pagbabago.

Taos-puso ko pong tinatanggap ang maging katambal ni Noynoy Aquino.

But this fight is not just about Noynoy and me. It’s bigger than the two of us, it is bigger than the Liberal Party. It is about our collective thirst for change.

It is about our thirst for change finally overcoming those who want to continue the tayu-tayo system, the horse-trading, the greed, the self-interest, the transactional politics that has been the biggest roadblock to progress and prosperity for all.

Tungkol ito sa matuwid laban sa baluktot. Tungkol ito sa tapat laban sa tiwali. Tungkol ito sa tama laban sa mali.

Noy, you have raised the banner. Ito ang bandila ng reporma at pag-asa. Ito ang maglalagay ng pagkain sa mesa, dahil hindi na nanakawin ang pondo ng mga magsasaka. Ito ang magbibigay ng trabaho sa taumbayan, dahil hindi na kokotangan ang mga namumuhunan. Ito ang magpapaabot-kaya sa presyo ng gamot, dahil hindi na makikipagsabwatan sa mga abusadong pharmaceutical companies.

My friends, this is going to be a tough battle. We should not be lulled into complacency. We are up against forces who will fight tooth and nail, fair and unfair, legal and illegal, against us. Sa kanila yata, tuloy ang ligaya; sa atin naman, tuloy ang laban.

Kailangan nating isulong ang bandila ni Noy at ng reporma. Mahirap ang laban na ito, pero nasa kamay natin ang ating kapalaran.

Kung bawat araw, ang bawat isa sa atin ay makahimok ng isa pang kasangga natin, tiyak ang ating tagumpay.

Our opponents will exhaust all avenues in order to win. They have been robbing us for so long, and they want to continue robbing us. Pero hindi tayo papayag na manakaw din nila ang ating pag-asa.

Taglay ni Noynoy ang susi ng pagbabago: matapat na puso, malasakit sa kapwa, at pinakamahalaga, pagmamahal sa bayan. Buong-loob kong isinusulong si Noynoy Aquino. I am honored to join him in this field of battle.

To all of us here in this hall and all across this great nation, who are fighting alongside him, make no mistake about it: We will not back down from this fight, not now, not ever.

The fog of cynicism has already lifted from our hearts. Ngayon, puwede na muling mangarap.

Sama-sama tayo. Hindi namin kayo pababayaan. Lalaban tayo!