Showing posts with label SWS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SWS. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Impunity of the Pro-Noynoy SWS Survey

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HOW is it possible that, no matter that the current occupant in Malacanang is the son of Mama Cory and Papa Ninoy, he was able to get an amazing 88% trust rating amidst the HOCUS PCOS brand of poll fraud hoopla? According to the Social Weather Stations, Noynoy Aquino got "88% of adult Filipinos have much trust and 4% have little trust in Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, for a very good net trust rating of +83." Why, that's even much higher than the peak satisfaction ratings of former President Corazon Aquino at around 72%, and Joseph Estrada who got 67% at his best rating. It is so unbelievable how Noynoy, a zero-zero-bill solon from Congress to Senate and thus, virtually with no public service achievement whatsoever, be able to top the survey ratings of the two former Presidents.

Consider that the late President Aquino came out of the euphoria of the 1986 EDSA "People Power" Revolution while President Erap won with the highest plurality margin in Philippine history. And below 80% and 70% were all they got. Consider as well that Noynoy has a host of issues a thousand times worse than his mother had when she first assumed the presidency. Just about the only criticism the pro-Marcos camp was well able to hurl at Cory was her "plain housewife" naivety, which was not to say that was uneducated because she did graduate with a degree in French. Noynoy, on the other hand, was beset with a host of unpalatable issues: SCTEx corruption, Hacienda Luisita massacre and failure to implement land reform, his 2005 vote against the playing of the "Hello Garci" wiretapped evidence of the 2004 poll fraud, and 'abnormal mind' issues.


Autistic

The abnormal or autistic issue was particularly nasty and dogs him to this day. The camp of presidential candidate Manny Villar played a good part in exposing it but the Nacionalista Party was definitely not alone in making it a huge electoral issue. There have been whispers of the supposed abnormal or "abnoy" state of Noynoy, with The Daily Tribune's Demaree J. B. Raval advising the Liberal Party to stop making "a limp denial of the autism issue" as early as February this year.

When it became a full-blow issue several weeks later, no thanks to Villar, the issue sounded credible to many Filipinos because, after all, autism seems to run in the Aquino family as evidenced by Noynoy's nephew by sister Kris Aquino. So shocking, or nasty, were the abnoy stories that filled not the mainstream yellow media but the alternate media, such as the internet and SMS messaging, aside from the usual word-of-mouth whispers. Essentially, the stories included talks of the late Sen. Ninoy Aquino having brought his son to a psychiatrist in Boston; that Noynoy sought psychiatric help somewhere in Ateneo; and that he smokes marijuana, a supposed cure for autism. Nastier, detailed stories, such as one narrated in a video, tell of his supposed fits and weird behavior in Ateneo that included his hiding behind stacks of books not in the library but in the cafeteria and loudly ordering fellow students to keep quiet.

However, amidst the publicly made pressures for him to show his saneness or psychological capacity to seek the presidency, he had inexplicably and adamantly refused to undergo psychological testing --while virtually all the rest of the presidentiables were willing. The result is that a good number of people tag Noynoy as psychologically challenged. Noynoy's state of mind is such a hot item that the issue is all over the internet even up to this day.

I did a quick Google search with the key words [abnoy "noynoy aquino"] around two weeks ago and came up with 57,600 hits. I did the same with an English variant, [abnormal "noynoy aquino] and got 14,100 page results. Today, I decided to Google the same words and guess what? There's INCREASED interest, with the first key phrase earning an estimated 65,700 hits, representing around 14% increase; and for [abnormal "noynoy aquino], got 16,800, which reflects around 19% greater interest in the issue. Additionally, I also Google searched [autistic "noynoy aquino"] and came up with about 20,200 results.

In short, Noynoy's stubborn refusal to prove his mental health by not undergoing psychological test appears to have rendered him mentally challenged by default in the eyes of many. This means that no matter that a pro-Cory euphoria supposedly hit the Filipinos when she died in August last year, the event could not have sustained a sentiment favorable towards trusting Noynoy, the good-for-nothing-solon son of Cory.

In fact, it remains doubtful that the pro-Cory euphoria even effectively translated into an electoral vote for the psychologically-challenged-by-default son. Take note that Noynoy run against, among others, the still very popular Erap Estrada to whom Cory apologized in December 2009 for her role in the 2001 EDSA. In apparent respect and gratitude, Erap called on his legions of masa supporters to show respect for Cory when the latter died. Who's to exactly tell then that the Cory sympathizers following her death even liked Noynoy? I myself was in Cory's funeral but there was no way I voted Noynoy last presidential elections.


Improbable Statistics

I've warned of cheating prior to the May 10, 2010 elections because based on the Illegitimate President' shistory and litany of corruption scandals, it would be impossible for her to step down without a an evil scheme for self-presevation or self-interest. It would be natural of Arrobo to seek and forge an unholy deal with a ‘friendly’ presidentiable who would look after her when she steps down. Of the three candidates known or rumored to be the Illegitimate President's bet, I suspected it would be the obvious, administration candidate Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro. I was wrong.

Initially described as "refreshing" in terms of the speed of results, and even "orderly and honest" by the yellow media, the unraveling of what has been described as "automated Garci," in reference to the 2004 presidential poll fraud will begin with the gross mismatch between field pulse and AES statistics Comele gave to the "defeated" presidential candidates. Later on, the sheer statistical improbability of votes received by the presidentiables, losing and "winning," will strike the mind.

Without even considering the AES technicalities and legalities, it was actually the highly improbable election statistics given by Comelec triggered the initial suspicions that something was woefully not right with the automated polls. De los Reyes well illustrates this when he retracted his early concession to Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III upon learning that he only got a measly 11,894 votes in his hometown of Nasugbu, Batangas and a statistically impossible national total of some 44,240 votes. He says his hometown votes was "Too small even, considering the excitement my candidacy generated; [when] everyone get out to campaign."

On my part, how it dawned on me that the Filipino electorate had been conned by Gloria Arroyo's government into accepting a fraudulent AES "winner" was when early broadcast results on the night of May 10, 2010 showed Joseph Erap Estrada impossibly behind Aquino in the former's bailiwicks of TONDO and SAN JUAN CITY in Manila. It was beyond any objective comprehension how the deposed President could possibly lose in those areas that have through the years consistently been solid, if not die-hard, Erap turfs.

Sea of Masses in Tondo, Manila. And Erap lost to Noynoy???

When what is on the ground and compromised automation does not match, which do you believe? Pictures and actual sight of warm bodies say a thousand words and the "di malaglagan ng karayom" character of Estrada's rallies in the said spots, as in a good number of Pwersa ng Masa rallies and motorcades elsewhere in the country, defy the HOCUS PCOS results. Snapshots of rallies show the strength of some of the candidates and betray the apparent falsity of the Comelec figures.

In the case of Bro. Eddie's party, supporters early on claimed "under oath that in the precincts where they voted, the election results show a much lesser number of votes obtained by Bangon Pilipinas candidates than the actual number of votes cast in their favor." Moreover, the total votes the evangelist supposedly received was only 1.26 million votes. This, when during the Bangon Pilipinas Youth Rally in Luneta, crowd estimate was already placed at 1.2 million.

Bangon Pilipinas Youth Rally:. Crowd estimate, around 1.2M.
Bro. Eddie only got 1.26M total votes NATIONWIDE?


Simply Impossible

In a number of clustered precincts in Montalban, Rizal, the AES gave amazing results. Therein, Aquino generally got more or less 99.9% of all votes, with all the other presidentiables registering ZERO votes, with the DISQUALIFIED candidate, Acosta, garnering 2 or so votes.



There were also many clustered precincts in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte and Gutalac where disqualified candidate Acosta received more votes than the other more popular candidates, including Estrada whom the Comelec says placed 2nd place to Aquino.

The incredible, statistically improbable pattern of Noynoy Aquino practically garnering all votes, with most of the other candidates even getting zero, is repeated in many clustered precincts in Sultan Kudarat. While there were precincts where Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Villar was able to get double digit votes, it was more a case of single digit, if not zero for him and all the other candidates, including Estrada and supposed administration candidate Teodoro.



Moreover, there were even instances when, similar to the Montalban areas, disqualified candidate Acosta got 1 or 2 votes while others like Erap and Madrigal got ZERO again. Madrigal, the feisty and nationalist-inclined former lawmaker, it should be noted, placed fourth during the 2004 senatorial elections, garnering some 13M votes. So amazingly unbelievable is the presidential tally in the Philippines' first automated polls, with Acosta receiving more votes than the combined figures of Madrigal, Perlas, and de los Reyes in the final AES nationwide tally.

Perlas, Madrial & de los Reyes


HOCUS PCOS Reports

Which brings us to the most serious issue against Noynoy's "presidency"--the credibility and legitimacy of the 2010 automated elections and, therefore, whether he has the mandate at all to occupy Malacanang.

Apart from the considerations of AES technicalities, perhaps the most convincing argument to believe that poll fraud did occur in the recent polls is the fact that the most beprincipled and most result-disinterested of the presidential candidates have cried HOCUS PCOS cheating and, moreover, embarked on a campaign to unmask the truth of the May 2010 elections. I refer to Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Mr. Nikki Perlas and Councilor Jc de los Reyes. These three honorable candidates have expressly admitted several times that they already consider themselves losers in the elections; yet, they are active in the campaign to inform the public of the illegality and failure of the AES that the Commission on Elections implemented.

That is not to say that Bro. Eddie Villanueva, who is also part of the MIGHT e2010 coalition of 'truth seekers,' is not equally highly principled and even moral. However, because he has been described by some to be the real second-placer in the 2004 polls to FERNANDO POE JR, and NOT Gloria Arroyo, the former could have a greater interest in the results of the recent presidential race.

As for the technicalities of the AES, the evidence indicative of poll fraud is overwhelming. As the Global Pinoy Online News Crisis of Sovereignty series says, the fraud is but commonsensical. The separate reports of the Peoples' International Observers Mission*, the independent body of GFN 2010 Election Observers Team of Global Filipino Nation (GFN), a non-partisan international organization of offshore and onshore Filipinos, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel's statement on "his vote on the proclamation of the newly-elected President and Vice President at the Session Hall of the Batasang Pambansa on June 9, 2010."

PIOM Report

The Peoples' International Observers Mission—foreign delegates made up of academicians, lawyers, law students, journalists, social workers, union organizers, church workers--came to the country as poll observers. They documented specific fraud and violence cases in some of the country’s hot spot areas during the polls and are reported to have been 'shocked by fraud, irregularities, and violence.' Radhika Sainath from the United States said that "In 10 years of monitoring elections, I've never seen this level of irregularities and fraud that I witnessed on Monday."


GFN Report

The independent body of GFN foreign observers--foreign delegates made up of academicians, lawyers, law students, journalists, social workers, union organizers, church workers--also documented specific fraud and violence cases in some of the country’s hot spot areas during the polls. This group came up with a more comprehensive and in-depth report.

I. The election results transmitted from the precincts do not have digital signatures of the board of election inspectors.
II. The number of disenfranchised voters is sufficient to affect greatly the results of the elections.
III. The automated election system (AES) was implemented live without the appropriate field testing, and law-specified testing in actual elections.
IV. The source code review was not completed and initial findings were not addressed.
V. No audit was done on the AES prior to the elections. There was only a mandated random manual audit that, up to this writing, has not been completed.
VI. Several voter and security features were disabled prior to the elections.


Pimentel's Explanation

Even Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, who gave his "yes" vote to the June 9, 2010 proclamation of Noynoy Aquino as "President," faulted the automated polls for leaving "a long trail of deficiencies... [which] were mostly directly machine-generated, but, at least, on one occasion, the shortcoming was specifically man-made." He added a list of missteps taken by Comelec and/or Smartmatic. The former senator regrets the following points:

1) Denial of right to know whether ballot cast was counted

The AES system last May 10, 2010 gave voters no way of knowing whether

the PCOS counted their ballots. The paper trail that the Comelec earlier promised the lawmakers did not materialize.

2) Wrong dates recorded on the certificates of canvass

The wrong time and date stamped on some Election Returns (ERs) form a tell-tale sign of possible tampering or "that something was grievously wrong" with the PCOS machines that electronically tallied and transmitted the votes to the Joint Congressional National Canvass Center

(3) On-off sensors, clearly "something was basically wrong" with certain PCOS machines

Investigation of a compact flash (CF) card of Quezon City congresswoman Annie Susano revealed the on-and-off switching of the sensors, the devices that read the ballots during processing by the PCOS machines. In simple terms, the on-off switching indicates that "some votes were counted some of the time, while others were not counted most of the time."

4) Egregious error in the Initialization Message

Meant to alert the Senate that the server in its custody could already be activated, the initialization message "had a most glaring blunder," recording the Philippine voting population at 256,733,195 or about five times more than the true figure of 51 million. Pimentel expressed bewilderment at the use of the "factor of 'five'" by the PCOS, aggravated by the "unintelligible" explanation made by Cesar Flores, the Venezuelan Smartmatic official, during the Congressional hearing.

5) Flawed Certification of the PCOS machines

The certification issued by Comelec's Technical Evaluation Committee, which was basically based on the certification of the U.S.-based Systems Lab, Inc., called for the installation of 'compensating control' devices. Unfortunately, the compensating controls that were supposed to enable a 99.995% accuracy for the PCOS machine's were not installed, said the Philippine Computer Society.

6) Arbitrary removal of security safeguards

That the canvass reports transmitted from cities and provinces were no longer accompanied by digital signatures made the determination of the COCs' due execution and authenticity by the National Canvassing Board difficult.

7) Non-use or disabling of Ultra Violet lamps

The UV lamps in the PCOS machines were meant to spot spurious ballots even before they can be inserted into the machines but the Comelec disabled this feature. Apparently, this led to the procurement of portable UV lamps to the tune of P30 million; despite the huge cost, however, Comelec did not make its use obligatory, largely leading to its non-use.

8) Relaxation of original intent for mandatory UV ink use

RA 9369, or the law authorizing AES elections, requires the use of necessary safeguards to prevent spurious ballots. In an automated electoral system, the equivalent safeguard would be like the use of UV ink complemented by the UV reader in the PCOS machine. Thus, the disengagement of the UV lamps in the PCOS effected the high probability "that fake ballots were manufactured and used fraudulently and scrupulously is high."

9) Non-Audit of CF Cards

The Comelec was supposed to conduct manual audit for the positions of president, vice-president, congress member, governor, and mayor but failed to do so. This casts doubts on Comelec's sincerity and the automated polls' accuracy.

10) Non-compliance with "ladderized system" of transmission leading to legally infirm 'unofficial' results

The transmission of results is supposed to emanate from the a) PCOS in the precincts to the municipality/city consolidation and canvassing servers or MCCS;, then b)from the MCCS to the provincial/district consolidation and canvassing servers or PCCS; and c) from the PCCS to the servers of Comelec and Congressional National boards of Canvasser. This ladderized system was not followed, leading to improper consolidation of transmitted results at the election return (ER) level, from which the Comelec and PPCRV where surprisingly able to make their quick counts.



Final Forensic Report of Joint Canvassing Committee


Even the final forensic report of the Joint Congressional Canvassing Board on the PCOS machines inappropriately housed in the residence of a Smartmatic technician officially found defects and serious anomalies. The report's main points are: (1) the mismatch between the Comelec-published and the extracted hash codes; (2) absence of digital certificates in the PCOS contrary to Smartmatic's claim; the (3) the alarming presence of a secret "backdoor" to easily control PCOS operations; and (4) the CF cards in possession of Rep. Susano are authentic and duly issued by the polls body.

The authentication of Susano’s CF cards in a way validates Sen. Pimentel's report pointing to the defective ballot-reading sensors in at least a number of CF cards. As well, it also indicates the poll body's inability--deliberate or otherwise--to secure all its duly-issued CF cards. Together with the discovery of a backdoor control, absence of digital signature equivalent in the PCOS machines, and mismatched hash codes, the joint forensic report by itself already points to a very insecure AES system, even indicating a possible collusion between Comelec and Smartmatic.

The Bald Eagle link to the HOCUS PCOS (?) "President" P-noy




Mind Boggling, but More

How mind-boggling that despite all these reports, Comelec seems to have gotten away with putting up an AES that is fundamentally defective and apparently designed to be fraudulent. It does not stop with the above four reports, however. News stories by local, non-mainstream media provide more evidence to the desecration of the people's will last May 10.

The Daily Tribune reports on the day after elections that: "In Angono, Rizal, amid reports of massive vote buying, voters will (sic) surprised to find out that in the ballots given to them, the name of the LP standard-bearer, Aquino had been already shaded." The massive disenfranchisement report by GFN is given real-life by color by the news report of how drivers eager to vote for their bets were disheartened by the demand of bus operators for drivers and transport workers not to miss even one minute of last May 10, despite the fact that Election Day was a declared a holiday. The disenfranchisement is most notable because it seems to have targeted the masa group given other reports of the names of registered squatters having been stricken off Comelec list.

An important revelation is reported by Pinoy Global Online News on the PCOS software in escrow with the Central Bank. In its interview of Nelson Celis, President of the Philippine Computer Society that assisted the IT Teams of the House, Senate and Comelec in the forensic investigation on the PCOS machines in Antipolo, the PCOS machines run programs that do not correspond to the official program in the Central Bank.


The real "secret candidate" (?) shakes hands with the Ilegitimate


“Unelected and Illegal Government”

Perlas' scathing June 30, 2010 report entitled "Unelected and Illegal Government" sums up the evidence in the elite conspiracy for the May 10, 2010 massive fraud. He says that the subversion of Philippine democracy in the country's first automated poll fraud "dwarfs the manual cheating done by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner “Garci” in the 2004 presidential elections. He cites the many legal violations committed by the poll body, such as the dismantling of the PCOS UV security system; removal of the Voter Verification feature that should have presented a list verifying one's vote; absence of the public examination of the PCOS source code; Re-configuration of Compact Flash (CF) cards without proper oversight; and lack of clear accountability and inventory of millions of unused ballots.

He also cites highly suspicious activities conducted by Comelec, including the quiet sending of a total of 1600 CF cards and 160 "burners" that can give fraud operators the needed tools to tamper with poll results. Perlas also sketches the apparent modus operandi of fraud, based in part on Committee hearings, which are: the pre-programming of primary CF cards; pre-shading of ballots; interception of transmission; and collusion between Comelec officials and Smartmatic Technicians.

Interestingly, Perlas also explains the role of yellow media and fabricated surveys in conditioning the people into expecting "certain candidates to win." The mainstream media, including ABS CBN, Philippine Star, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and even, GMA7 reinforce this fabricated ideas through their lopsided and brainwashing reports. Even the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) acted not as watchdog for the public but, rather, for the Comelec.

The defeated but beprincipled candidate also points to the legal transgressions committed by Congress owing to its inability to question the massive automated poll fraud. Worse, Congress took part in the crime by (1) failing to convene only a Joint Committee, instead of a Joint Session, to canvass the presidential and vice-presidential votes, and (2) canvassing electoral returns that contained no digital signatures. He asserts that the May 10 polls were actually invalid and void from the start, given the process's wanton violations of the law.



Sison's Pinky, Gloria and CIA Expose

There is more. A most explosive revelation from an unexpected source was yet to come. On June 7, 2010, Pinoy Weekly Online came out with an interview of Jose Maria Sison, consultant and former head of the National Democratic Front. Therein, Sison charged that the recent automated electoral exercise was rigged, with the poll "victory" of Noynoy Aquino already a done deal. He pointed to the collusion of the imperialist United States of America, Arroyo, and Pinky Aquino-Abellada, an elder sister of Noynoy, which was forged in a meeting held six weeks before the elections.

Pinky colluded w/ Gloria & CIA, says Sison
As expected, Pinky and the Aquino family denied the charge. What is worth noting is that the revelation came from someone the Yellows —the Aquino and the Arroyo families, among others-- were in tactical alliance with during the 2001 ouster of Estrada. The Arroyos and Aquinos cannot possibly just dismiss Sison as opportunist or what because they were unholy allies there in the undemocratic EDSA 2 coup against a genuinely elected and sitting President.


Desecrating Survey Research... in the name of the Yellows

So, therefore, to reiterate the highly unamusing bewilderment: how could a zero-accomplishment former congressman and senator plagued with HOCUS PCOS and abnoy/austistic labels, with no mass base of his own and who ranked only sixth out of 12 seats in the 2007 senatorial polls, possibly earn the trust of a whooping 88% of the electorate? Where did the SWS draw the simply astonishing survey results? From a HOCUS PCOS survey counterpart system?

Prof. Felipe Miranda
I remember how I was sort of academically introduced into revering survey studies. Back in my college days at the University of the Philippines, I briefly attended a political science class of Prof. Felipe Miranda, now with Pulse Asia but said to be still a director of SWS. He discussed with near academic reverence the survey research process, ending it with the calling that 'next time [we] come across a survey study, we should hold it close to our heart' or something. Those words led me to revere poll studies for a long time as a science, as a tool to scientifically and honestly gauge public opinion. For a decade or so. Until the 2004 presidential polls.

In March of this year, ex-Sen. Francisco Kit Tatad reposted a 2004 article where he reveals how SWS and ABS-CBN screwed public perception of the presidential poll count by selecting Quick Count areas where Arroyo is strong and bypassing more those where the later Fernando Poe Jr. held sway. The devious intent was to set a trend that matched the SWS exit survey which showed Arroyo as the electoral choice of Filipinos. In other words, the geographic distribution of the Quick Count was increased for Visayas, where Arroyo was leading, and decreased for the rest (National Capital Region, Luzon, and Mindanao).

Dr. Mahar Mangahas, SWS
The 2004 SWS pre-electoral survey at the national level and the exit poll for NCR both indicated Arroyo won. As official results later showed, Fernando Poe Jr. won in NCR but lost in the nationwide count. Apparently, SWS at least got its national figures right, with Arroyo having been proclaimed "President-elect" and later officially by Congress. However, the 2005 "Hello Garci" expose showing wiretapped evidence of Arroyo's collusion with Comelec and military and, indirectly, even congressional officials to manipulate the 2004 poll results effectively belie the accuracy of the SWS survey. Everyone now knows that FPJ was the rightful victor of the 2004 elections; Arroyo just cheated him. And so SWS was dead wrong on the presidential race. Wonder if SWS actually manipulated the results to make the Illegitimate appear winnable, not expecting the future Hello Garci expose on the Maguindanao portion of the ballot....

Former Sen. Madrigal has dubbed the May 10, 2010 elections as "automated Garci." Given the uncanny association, if not collusion, between the Arroyo government's holding of fraud-laden electoral exercises and survey firms, and amidst the anomalous, HOCUS-PCOS-indicative May 2010 AES, are we silly to simply accept the incredibly high 88% trust rating of Noynoy?

According to Perlas, the reason why he is not conceding despite his admission that he has lost his presidential bid is because he believes that the "accuracy and honesty of the country’s electoral process [lie at] the heart of the democratic exercise" and that "If there is to be a President in this country, he or she has to have the true mandate of the Filipino people." Noynoy Aquino, the possibly psychologically challenged, SCTEx- and Nantes-explosion-sullied, and definitively unaccomplished solon son of Ninoy and Cory does not even seem to have the genuine mandate of the Filipinos. How could he possibly have an 88% trust rating then?

This fellow got 88% trust rating? Hindi nga, SWS?

If Cory, the mother, referred to by some as the "democracy icon" can only get 60% trust rating a few weeks before she died, how impossible and illogical is it for her incompetent solon of a son, who also happens to be dogged by serious mental health, corruption and even narco-politics issues, possibly score a much, much higher trust rating? Even if, for the sake of argument, the abnoy and HOCUS PCOS issues are stricken off him, it doesn't make sense that the presumed transfer of Cory's 60% trust ratings even gained 12% upon reaching Noynoy. Remember that the current yellow occupant of Malacanang scored zero accomplishment as congressman and senator; moreover he was definitely not considered of presidential timbre prior to his mother's death. What did SWS give the Filipino public this time? Another case of yellow impunity? A case of automated HOCUS PCOS SWS survey?

__________


References

Crisis of Sovereignty Series 08 - Hocus PCOS is commonsensical. http://www.filamimage.com/articles/2010_062910paglinawan.html

Bangon Pilipinas Press Release on Election Irregularities. (Facebook). http://www.facebook.com/broeddiecvillanueva#!/broeddiecvillanueva?v=app_234747185

Crisis of Sovereignty Series 03 - Smoking Gun There Was No 2010 Election Whatsoever
http://www.filamimage.com/articles/2010_061710paglinawan.html

Crisis of Sovereignty Series 03 - Smoking Gun There Was No 2010 Election Whatsoever
http://www.filamimage.com/articles/2010_061710paglinawan.html

Ellao, Janess Ann. "2010 Elections: Foreign Observers Shocked by Fraud, Irregularities, and Violence in May 10 Elections." Bulatlat.com. 13 May 2010. http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/05/13/foreign-observers-shocked-by-fraud-irregularities-and-violence-in-may-10-elections/

Erap finds ally in NGO on poll fraud claim. 18 May 2010. http://ph.politicalarena.com/presidential-elections/news/erap-finds-ally-in-ngo-on-poll-fraud-claim

Final Tally of National Canvass of the Philippines. http://balatucan.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/final-tally-of-national-canvass-of-the-philippines/

Manalo, Charlie. "Noynoy pre-shaded ballots in Angono; Gibo wants poll desynchronization." The Daily Tribune. 11 May 2010. http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100511hed3.html

New Elected President and Vice Pres. of the Philippines. http://pamelasalvador7.blogspot.com/2010/06/new-elected-president-and-vice-pres-of.html

Olivares, Ninez-Cacho. Neat trick, that. The Daily Tribune. 28 April 2010 http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100428com2.html

Press conference by the Peoples International Observers Mission on the conduct of the 2010 elections in the Philippines (Video). http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6873834

Perlas, Nicanor. Unelected and Illegal Government. 1 July 2010. Nicanor Perlas Site. http://www.nicanor-perlas.com/News/unelected-and-illegal-government.html

Perlas, Nicanor. I am NOT conceding. 12 May 2010. http://www.facebook.com/?sk=messages#!/nickyperlas?v=wall
Pinoy Weekly Staff. "Panayam kay Jose Maria Sison hinggil sa papasok na rehimeng Aquino." 7 June 2010. Pinoy Weekly Online. http://pinoyweekly.org/new/2010/06/panayam-kay-prop-jose-maria-sison-hinggil-sa-papasok-na-rehimeng-aquino/

Social Weather Stations. Net Satisfaction Ratings* of Presidents: Philippines, May 1986 to Dec 2009). http://www.sws.org.ph/ind-pres.htm

SWS: 60% of Filipinos trust Cory. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/07/10/09/sws-60-filipinos-trust-cory
Transport firms hit for barring drivers from voting. The Daily Tribune. 11 May 2010. http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100511nat6.html

Something the Philippine Yellow Media not telling us about the 2010 Elections? (Part I). 16 May 2010. http://JesusaBernardo.newsvine.com/_news/2010/05/16/4290214-something-the-philippine-yellow-media-not-telling-us-about-the-2010-elections-part-i

Second Quarter 2010 Social Weather Survey: 88% have much trust in Noynoy Aquino, 77% for Jojo Binay; 53% say PNoy can fulfill a few of his campaign promises. 12 July 2010. http://www.sws.org.ph/pr20100712.htm

Tatad, Kit. How ABS-CBN and SWS misled the public on the poll count. 5 March 2010. http://kittatad.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/how-abs-cbn-and-sws-misled-the-public-on-the-poll-count-2/

Votes Can Be Changed Using Only A Memory Card. http://www.facebook.com/l.php? u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com% 2Fwatch%3Fv%3DifJw0r0rz_I%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded&h=50763




Photo credits



The Daily Tribune.

Newsvine.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1867892&id=97237194544&ref=mf

http://chubsphilippines.blogspot.com/2007/11/dr-mahar-mangahas.html

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Destitute mother's parricide & suicide: Poverty & despondency under bogus President Arroyo

Manila - A jobless Filipino mother killed her three children Tuesday by forcing them to drink liquid toilet cleaner before taking her own life, police said. Police said poverty apparently drove Janeth Ponce, 32, to kill her children, ages 4, 3 and 2, in their house in Laguna province south of Manila.

-The Earth Times, Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:45:06 GMT

I've lived through all four decades, including during the time of Ferdinand Marcos' dictatorship, but suicides due to poverty were little known of until the controversial presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Only in November 2007, 11-year-old Mariannet Amper hanged herself in their shanty in desperation over her family's abject poverty. These two cases hugged the headlines because juveniles are involved, but suicides that included only adult Filipinos have been reported--sporadically but occurring more often nonetheless.

To the best of my memory, the more than rare frequency of poverty-driven suicides began being reported only after the EDSA 2 coup d etat that deposed the constitutionally elected President Joseph Estrada to install the elite-backed Arroyo in 2001. Survey studies after survey researches--both local and international--have shown Arroyo's presidency as most inimical to the Filipinos. Her administration has also registered the highest levels of overall hunger, or "Total Hunger," in nearly a decade since the SWS surveys on hunger began. She is also viewed as the most unpopular and "Most Corrupt" president in the history of the Southeast Asian country since the time of Marcos based on the poll researches of both the SWS and Pulse Asia survey institutions.

Then Vice-President Arroyo was able to seize the presidency through the so-called "EDSA 2 Revolution," backed by the Catholic Church, business elites, military elements and political oppositionists to Estrada, led by herself and her husband. Based on the admission of Arroyo's husband to respected Filipino writer Nick Joaquin, the Arroyos bought and distributed "millions" of print material and used mass texting to assemble "people power" in the streets of EDSA as part of what is now viewed as a planned conspiracy to grab power,

These suicides ghastly showcase the sufferings of the Filipino masses gone to desperation level. The "bogus" administration of Arroyo (dubbed so due to her 2001 power grab and the 2004 electoral fraud scandal) is morally accountable for the unprecedented hunger and poverty in the country. The funds of the Philippine treasury and the energies of her contested administration have practically all been directed towards keeping her illegitimate rule instead of improving the conditions and opportunities of the people, particularly the marginalized lot. She has proved to be an innately self-serving "President" who has skillfully exercised "patronage politics" oiled by dispensing pork barrel and junket favors to equally crocodilian politicians like her.

Perhaps as much to be blamed for the obtaining despondency among the half a million households, whose members at times are forced to do without a single meal in a day, is the gullible mob that either unsuspectingly or stupidly came to support EDSA 2. Thinking that it was a "spontaneous" act founded on moral calling, they helped depose President Estrada, who had been fierily branded as corrupt by the propaganda machinery of a power hungry Arroyo and party. As it turned out--to the detriment of the nation--Arroyo, who ironically laid claim to the presidency via a "revolution" for good governance, would be the only Philippine leader to ever receive negative satisfaction ratings, and even bested Marcos for the ignominious title of "Most Corrupt President in Philippine History." As the "EDSA 2 gullibles" have realized too late, Arroyo was a disguised malevolent politician who conned them all.

To say "mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa," is the least the more patriotic of the EDSA 2 conspirators and gullibles can do. But what good would a thousand sorry's do to the grieving, destitute families of Janeth and Mariannet and other poverty-related dead-by-suicide victims of Arroyo's administration?

__________

References:

Bowring, Philip. "Filipino Democracy Needs Stronger Institutions." International Herald Tribune. 22 Jan. 2001. http://www.iht.com/articles/2001/01/22/edbow.t_3.php

"Poverty-stricken mother kills three children, self in Philippines." The Earth Times. 09 September 2008. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/230527,poverty-stricken-mother-kills-three-children-self-in-philippines.html

Pulse Asia. Additional Findings on Corruption-Related Issues: Most Corrupt President in Philippine History. October 2007. http://pulseasia.com.ph/resources/photos/table2_corruption_0710.gif

Pulse Asia. Pulse Asia's July 2008 Nationwide Survey on Coping with Double Digit Inflation Rates. July 2008. http://www.pulseasia.com.ph/pulseasia/story.asp?ID=656

Social Weather Stations. Second Quarter 2008 Social Weather Survey: PGMA's net rating falls to record-low -38. 18 July 2008. http://www.sws.org.ph/pr080718.htm

Tordesillas, Ellen. "Credit should go to Mike Arroyo". Malaya. 16 Jan. 2002. http://malaya.com.ph/jan16/edtorde.htm

Photo Credit:
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080325-126376/Rally-rock-the-latest-wave

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Monday, January 21, 2008

The Sorry State of the Philippines under the EDSA 2 President


If you wish to get an objective and accurate picture of the state of the Philippines under Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo, get yourself independent data that are untwisted or unmanipulated by the propaganda machinations of the administration and, to a very limited extent, of the opposition. Survey data and other statistics from independent and established local and international polling firms and watchdog institutions will prove reliable. Facts and figures from the local Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia survey groups and Transparency International (TI), Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, and Amnesty International (AI) should together provide the most accurate and unprejudiced picture of how better off or how worse off the Philippines currently is from the time Arroyo grabbed the presidency from Joseph Estrada in January 2001 through the EDSA 2 "People Power" backed by the military's top brass.

Hunger and Poverty in the Philippines

The level of hunger and poverty experienced by the Filipino masses under the Arroyo administration is reflected in the yearly survey of SWS on "self-rated poverty and hunger". As of November 2006, record high levels of "overall hunger" and "severe hunger" were recorded by the SWS survey for the quarter. The 19.0% Total Hunger and 15.1% Moderate Hunger represent unprecedented levels that far exceeded the highest levels recorded during Joseph Estrada's administration--14.5% and 9.2% levels, respectively. The highest level of Severe Hunger, at 6%, was also recorded during Arroyo's administration, in March 2001.



In 2007, hunger in the Philippines turned out for the worse as Arroyo beat her own record of economic and political mismanagement. The previous record high of 19.0%, reflected consecutively in the last quarter of 2006 and 1st quarter of 2007, was surpassed in the 2007 3rd quarter SWS survey that showed a hunger deterioration of 2.5 points from the end of the previous year. The new record, a national proportion of 21.5%, represents some 3.8 million of Filipino families who suffer from involuntary total hunger. The latest survey results also present another record high since 1998: Filipinos now experiencing hunger ‘A Few Times’ or ‘Only Once’, or Moderate Hunger, is now at the highest ever at 17.5%.

Worsening Personal and National Quality of Life

A similar survey conducted by Pulse Asia in 2005 confirmed the present dire difficulties faced by Filipinos. The July 2005 survey shows a majority—a total of 67%of Filipinos—believe " the circumstances of their families as of the survey period [to be] worse than their circumstances a year earlier." The 2005 survey, timed with Arroyo's Ulat ng Bayan, also reveals how a resounding majority of 80% of Filipinos believe that "the national quality of life now is worse than in the previous year and expect it to be even worse in the year ahead."

These findings lend a sort of medium-term trend to Pulse Asia’s pre-election 2007 survey showing how majority of Filipinos consider themselves worse off now than three years ago. This majority figure of 54% sharply contrasts with the 11%, or only 1 in every 10 Filipinos, who see their personal circumstances as having improved in the past three years. The April 2007 figure represents an increase from the 49% recorded in April 2004, or a worsening QOL of the Filipinos.

The same survey also showed how two out of every three Filipinos (65%) perceive the overall situation of their countrymen to be worse off now than in 2004. This sentiment is expressed by a considerable-to-big majorities of from 60% to 76% across the Philippine’s geographic areas and notably, also across the socio-economic classes. Those who say otherwise—that the state of their countrymen has improved at this point—account for a negligible 7 percent. Thus, these individual and national QOL survey results seem to belie the loud pronouncements of Arroyo on the supposed improvement in the country’s economy under her presidency.

Dissatisfaction with, & Distrust, of Arroyo: the Only RP President to Ever Score Negatively

Judging from the SWS and Pulse Asia periodic surveys on the satisfaction and trust ratings of Presidents, it is clearly shown that only during Arroyo's presidency is the level of public satisfaction and confidence ever at a negative and consistent low.


While the performance satisfaction ratings for the past presidents, including Joseph Estrada, easily exceeded the 65 percent levels during their peaks, Arroyo's net satisfaction only reached the 30 percent level as its highest: this less-than-satisfactory ‘achievement’ would subsequently be negated by her lowest net satisfaction rating of –33 percent, recorded in the 2nd quarter of 2005. In the latest 4th quarter 2007 survey, Arroyo earned a net dissatisfaction rating of 16 percent—which registered despite the majority approval (54%) of her grant of pardon to former President Estrada.

From 2004 until the last survey in November 2006, the net satisfaction ratings of President Arroyo were at a consistent negative. Her first brush with negative public satisfaction, however, came a year earlier: in the 1st quarter of 2003, the Filipinos’ satisfaction with Arroyo dipped to a historically unprecedented negative 14 points. For over half of her controversial regime, Arroyo would go through an arduous, yet loudly unsuccessful, struggle to satisfy the Filipino public. In fact, what the twenty-one-year-long SWS survey data on the net performance satisfaction of four Presidents show is that never before since the end of Martial law has the Philippines been served by a President unaccepted by the general population.

Given the worst-than-failing net ratings given by the Filipinos, it is hardly surprising that Arroyo has largely garnered distrust from the people she has vowed to serve. Based on the ABS-CBN/SWS January 6-9, 2001 Arroyo actually came from a distrust rating of (negative) 11 points some two weeks before she helped succeed in deposing Estrada and took over from him as President in January 2001. Soon after taking over Malacanang, with the mainstream media largely hailing her constitutionally suspect ascent to power, however, Arroyo’s trust ratings recovered and even shot upward.

This trend would not hold for so long, though, because later surveys would portray plurality distrust towards her, particularly after 2004. Beginning 2005, Pulse Asia’s periodic surveys would show how the negative trust towards Arroyo hovered between 59% and 42%. The latest distrust ratings of Gloria Arroyo came through the Pulse Asia's October 2007 Nationwide Survey on Presidential Performance and Trust Ratings reveal that the percentage of those who distrust her is a majority plurality of 46%, as opposed to only 23% who trust her. The figure of distrust represents an upward movement in Arroyo’s overall distrust rating from the pre-election research conducted from November 2006 to April 2007. For the said five-month period, the poll research showed an average distrust of a plurality of 42% of Filipinos, in contrast to a mere 24% who trust Arroyo (undecided respondents averaged 33.5%). Results of this Pulse Asia national survey are consistent with findings reflected in the various geographic areas and all socio-economic classes. It is also notable that between the months of July and October 2007, Arroyo registered double-digit margins of increase (11 -19 percentage points) even in her traditional bailiwicks--the Visayas and Classes ABC.

Filipinos’ Desire to do away with Arroyo’s Presidency

A more direct expression of the Filipino public’s rejection of Arroyo is seen in the separate surveys of the SWS and Pulse Asia conducted in two consecutive years. These survey studies reveal that beyond distrust and dissatisfaction, majority of the people actually want the President installed in 2001 by the military-backed EDSA 2 to be out of Malacanang.

In mid 2005, Pulse Asia undertook a nationwide survey on "Alternative Political Scenarios and Best and Worst Persons to Lead the Country Now.” The survey study results showed that as of July 2005, only a mere total of 26% of Filipinos favor Arroyo's continued stay in power until the end of her term, while a decisive majority of some 73% think it would be "most beneficial" for the country if she either "resigns or is impeached", "resigns and she is replaced by a [junta], or "removed from office using any means." It is most interesting to note that this survey research came only within a year after Arroyo supposedly won in the highly controversial 2004 Presidential polls.

This Pulse Asia survey would be corroborated to a certain degree by a later SWS survey that asked the people’s opinion regarding the resignation or removal of Arroyo. In March 2006, some 44% believed that it would be beneficial for the country if Arroyo resigns from Malacanang—almost double the 23% those who think otherwise. As to the option of removing her through People Power, a plurality of Filipinos (48% agree; 27% disagree; 21% undecided) also think any such development would be good for the Philippines. It is notable that this SWS survey reveals a direct relationship between the public’s dissatisfaction with Arroyo’s performance and the Filipinos significant “desire for her to be toppled, regardless of the way for this to come about.”




Corruption in the Philippines

Surveys have a way of revealing or highlighting what the media may choose to ignore or have inadvertently overlooked. In October 2007, the corruption-related survey of Pulse Asia disclosed the majority view that Gloria Arroyo is regarded as Philippine history’s “Most Corrupt” President ever. This most unpalatable distinction of having topped the most corrupt list of Philippine leaders—even surpassing the image of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos—obviously is a reflection of the immoral brand of governance Arroyo has wielded since EDSA 2.

Certain apologists or supporters of the Arroyo administration could argue that the local SWS and Pulse Asia are biased survey research firms. However, even independent international watchdog and survey firms portray a bleak picture of the obtaining situation in the country. To start with, the 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) tool of Transparency International gives the Philippines a score of 2.5 (out of the best possible 10), based on the "perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." This very low CPI score of 2.5 would be posted anew in 2007, based on 9 surveys. The 2006 and 2007 CPI scores represents a significant worsening of corruption in the country when compared with the 2.8 score in 2000 during President Joseph Estrada's last year in office. When viewed in the context of the use of the corruption issue to rationalize the constitutionally suspect unseating of President Estrada's back in January 2001, the CPI score comparison becomes all the more telling.

Even in terms of the holistic National Integrity System (NIS) Study of Transparency International, the Philippines is shown today to be a "country with institutionalized corruption" that is plagued by "the lack of will power to stamp out corruption, the nagging problem of morality in leadership and the absence of respect for the rule of law." The 2006 Philippines report show a big gap persists "between catching ‘small fry’ and ‘big fish’; between rhetoric and reality, and promise and performance."


Perception of the Government's Efforts on Corruption

How Filipinos really view the much-touted anti-corruption campaign of the Arroyo administration is revealed by the Global Corruption Barometer 2006 tools of the global corruption watchdog Transparency International. Survey data on how ordinary citizens "assess their government's fight against corruption" show that an overwhelming majority of Filipinos negatively view the administration's efforts. A mere 21% positively rate Arroyo's anti-corruption campaign, as opposed to a total of 78% of respondents who believe otherwise: 23% think the Philippine government "does not fight at all," 31% think the campaign is "not effective," while 24% hold that the administration "does not fight but actually encourages" corruption.

In the 2007 Global Corruption Barometer Report, this pessimism regarding corruption is maintained. Approximately 79% of the respondents expect corruption in the Philippines to actually worsen in the next three years. The survey results pinpoint the Police, the Parliament and Political Parties to be most affected by this corruption. The same report also showed a significant depreciation in the trust of the people towards the Philippine government’s anti-corruption effort. A very significant percentage, 64% of respondents, now say that the campaign to rid of corruption is “not effective”–a figure that is more than double the 2006 figure of 31percent.

Even the latest corruption survey of the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy lends support to the perception of severe corruption in the country. The 2007 survey of expatriate businessmen in Asia lists the Philippines as currently the "most corrupt" among 13 countries and territories surveyed in the continent. The story appearing in the International Herald Tribune quotes from the survey report how "People are just growing tired of the inaction and insincerity of leading officials when they promise to fight corruption." Part of the survey shows that the respondents even gave the judicial system a nearly appallingly perfect 9.06 out of 10score, with 10 as being "ineffective."

State of Human Rights in the Philippines

The extent and severity of obtaining human rights violation in the country under the Arroyo administration is most objectively seen through the holistic study of the renowned international human rights group Amnesty International (AI). While the military and police may dismiss human rights reports by Karapatan and other local groups for being produced by entities infiltrated by or sympathetic with the CPP-NPA or perhaps, Muslim terrorist groups, the AI 2006 report represent a study independent of political ideology or affiliation. The following are excerpts from the Amnesty International Report 2006 for the Philippines:

"Scores of leftist activists were killed by unidentified assailants, often reportedly linked to the armed forces. Peace talks between the government and armed groups – Muslim separatists in Mindanao and communist rebels – made limited or no progress. Arbitrary arrests, unlawful killings, torture and “disappearances” were reported in the context of military counter-insurgency operations. Armed groups were responsible for abuses including hostage-taking. Complaints procedures, investigations and criminal prosecutions of suspected perpetrators of human rights violations were often ineffective. Criminal suspects in custody, including women and children, were at risk of torture or ill-treatment by police. Death sentences were imposed but no executions were carried out."

Amnesty International Report 2007, Philippines paints a similar state of human rights violations. The political killings of leftist activists are supposed to have continued as the government went on a declaration of "all-out war" against the communist rebels. While the government did establish a police task force and a Commission of Inquiry in order to investigate the killings, unfortunately these “resulted in only a limited number of arrests and prosecutions.”


References:


Most Corrupt President in Philippine History
Pulse Asia's October 2007 Special Report on Corruption-Related Issues & Most Corrupt Philippine President
SWS Degree of Hunger in Households: July 1998 to February 2007
4th Qtr. 2007 SWS Survey
Pulse Asia's April 3 - 5, 2007 Pre-election Survey on Quality of Life
Pulse Asia's July 2005 Ulat ng Bayan Media Release on Concerns, Coping Strategies & Perceptions of the Poor
SOCIAL CLIMATE
By Dr. Mahar Mangahas
16 February 2001

Pulse Asia's October 2007 Ulat ng Bayan Survey
Media Release on Presidential Performance ratings and Trust ratings

Pulse Asia's April 3 - 5, 2007 Pre-election Survey Media Release on Trust Ratings of Selected Public Figures and Groups
Pulse Asia's July 2006 Ulat ng Bayan Survey Media Release on Presidential Performance and Trust Ratings and the National Administration's Performance
SWS Net Satisfaction Ratings of Presidents, May 1986 to 2007
4th Qtr. 2007 SWS Survey
2005 Pulse Asia Most Beneficial/Constructive Political Scenarios Table 1
Pulse Asia's October 2005 Ulat ng Bayan Survey
First Quarter 2006 Social Weather Survey: Options For Toppling GMA:
Coup Gets Split Opinions, People Power Gets 48%, Pro-Resign Gets 44%

Transparency International CPI Report 2007
Transparency International CPI Table, Report 2006
Transparency International CPI Report 2000
Transparency International NIS Philippines 2006 Study Report
Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer 2006 - Report
Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer 2007 - Report
International Herald Tribune story "Philippines most corrupt, survey says"
AI Report 2006, Asia-Pacific: Philippines
AI Report 2007, Asia-Pacific: Philippines

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Friday, May 04, 2007

State of the Philippines under Arroyo Six Years Later

The Sorry State of the Philippines under the EDSA 2 President

If you wish to get an objective and accurate picture of the state of the Philippines under Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo, get yourself independent data that are untwisted or unmanipulated by the propaganda machinations of the administration and, to a very limited extent, of the opposition. Survey data and other statistics from independent and established local and international polling firms and watchdog institutions will prove reliable. Facts and figures from the Social Weather Station (SWS) and Pulse Asia survey groups and Transparency International (TI), Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, and Amnesty International (AI) should together provide the most accurate and unprejudiced picture of how better off or how worse off the Philippines currently is from the time Arroyo grabbed power in 2001.

Hunger in the Philippines

The level of hunger and poverty experienced by the Filipino masses under the Arroyo administration is reflected in the yearly survey of SWS on "self-rated poverty and hunger". As of November 2006, record high levels of "overall hunger" and "severe hunger" were recorded by the SWS survey for the quarter. The 19.0% Total Hunger and 15.1% Moderate Hunger represent unprecedented levels that far exceed the highest levels recorded during Joseph Estrada's administration--14.5% and 9.2% levels, respectively. The highest level of Severe Hunger was also recorded during Arroyo's administration, in March 2001.

SWS Degree of Hunger in Households: July 1998 to November 2006


Worsening Personal and National Quality of Life

A similar survey conducted by Pulse Asia a year earlier confirms the present difficulties faced by Filipinos. The July 2005 survey shows a majority--a total of 67% of Filipinos--believe " the circumstances of their families as of the survey period [to be] worse than their circumstances a year earlier." The 2005 survey, timed with Arroyo's Ulat ng Bayan, also reveals how a resounding majority of 80% of Filipinos believe that "the national quality of life now is worse than in the previous year and expect it to be even worse in the year ahead."

Pulse Asia’s July 2005 Ulat ng Bayan
Media Release on Concerns, Coping Strategies & Perceptions of the Poor



Dissatisfaction with Gloria Arroyo

Judging from the Social Weather Station's periodic survey on the satisfaction ratings of Presidents, it is clearly shown that only during Arroyo's presidency is the level of public confidence ever at a negative and consistent low. While the satisfaction ratings for the past presidents including Joseph Estrada easily exceeded the 60 percent levels during their peaks, Arroyo's confidence level barely reached the 30 percent level at its highest. From 2004 until the last survey in November 2006, the net satisfaction ratings of President Arroyo were at a consistent negative. The eight-year-long SWS survey data shows that never before since the end of Martial law has the Philippines been served by a President unaccepted by the general population.

SWS Net Satisfaction Ratings of Presidents, May 1986 to November 2006


The SWS survey on the negative perception of Arroyo is corroborated by the earlier Pulse Asia nationwide survey on " Alternative Political Scenarios and Best and Worst Persons to Lead the Country Now." Conducted in mid 2005, the survey study results show that as of July 2005, only a mere total of 26% of Filipinos favor Arroyo's continued stay in power until the end of her term, while a decisive total of some 73% think it would be "most beneficial" for the country if she either "resigns or is impeached" ; "resigns and she is replaced by a [junta], or "removed from office using any means."

2005 Pulse Asia Most Beneficial/Constructive Political Scenarios Table 1


Corruption in the Philippines

Certain apologists or supporters of the Arroyo administration could argue that the local SWS and Pulse Asia are biased survey research firms. However, even independent international watchdog and survey firms portray a bleak picture of the obtaining situation in the country. To start with, the 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) tool of Transparency International gives the Philippines a very low score of 2.5 (out of the best possible 10), based on the "perceived levels of corruption, as determined by expert assessments and opinion surveys." The 2006 CPI score represents a significant worsening of corruption in the country compared with the 2.8 score in 2000 during Joseph Estrada's term. When viewed in the context of the use of the corruption issue to rationalize the constitutionally suspect unseating of President Estrada back in January 2001, the CPI score comparison becomes all the more telling.

Transparency International CPI Report 2006
Transparency International CPI Report 2000


Even in terms of the holistic National Integrity System (NIS) Study of Transparency International, the Philippines is shown today to be a "country with institutionalized corruption" that is plagued by "the lack of will power to stamp out corruption, the nagging problem of morality in leadership and the absence of respect for the rule of law." The 2006 Philippines report show a big gap persists "between catching ‘small fry’ and ‘big fish’; between rhetoric and reality, and promise and performance."

Transparency International NIS Philippines 2006 Study Report


Perception of the Government's Efforts on Corruption

How Filipinos really view the much-touted anti-corruption campaign of the Arroyo administration is revealed by the Global Corruption Barometer 2006 tools of Transparency International. Survey data on how ordinary citizens "assess their government's fight against corruption" show that an overwhelming majority of Filipinos negatively view the administration's efforts. A mere 21% positively rate Arroyo's anti-corruption campaign, as opposed to a total of 78% of respondents who believe otherwise: 23% think the Philippine government "does not fight at all," 31% think the campaign is "not effective," while 24% hold that the administration "does not fight but actually encourages" corruption.

Transparency International Global Corruption Barometer 2006 - Report


Even the latest corruption survey of the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy lends support to the perception of severe corruption in the country. The 2007 survey of expatriate businessmen in Asia lists the Philippines as currently the "most corrupt" among 13 countries and territories surveyed in the continent. The story that appeared in the International Herald Tribune quotes from the survey report that "People are just growing tired of the inaction and insincerity of leading officials when they promise to fight corruption." Part of the survey shows that the respondents even gave the judicial system a nearly appallingly perfect 9.06 out of 10 score, with 10 as being "ineffective."

International Herald Tribune story "Philippines most corrupt, survey says"


State of Human Rights in the Philippines 2006

The extent and severity of obtaining human rights violation in the country under the Arroyo administration is most objectively seen through the holistic study of the renowned international human rights group Amnesty International (AI). While the military and police may dismiss human rights reports as Karapatan and other local groups as having been produced by entities infiltrated by or sympathetic with the CPP-NPA or perhaps, Muslim terrorist groups, the AI 2006 report represent a study independent of political ideology or affiliation. The following are excerpts from the Amnesty International Report 2006 for the Philippines:


"Scores of leftist activists were killed by unidentified assailants, often reportedly linked to the armed forces. Peace talks between the government and armed groups – Muslim separatists in Mindanao and communist rebels – made limited or no progress. Arbitrary arrests, unlawful killings, torture and “disappearances” were reported in the context of military counter-insurgency operations. Armed groups were responsible for abuses including hostage-taking. Complaints procedures, investigations and criminal prosecutions of suspected perpetrators of human rights violations were often ineffective. Criminal suspects in custody, including women and children, were at risk of torture or ill-treatment by police. Death sentences were imposed but no executions were carried out."

AI Report 2006, Asia-Pacific: Philippines

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