Voting Via SMS in the 2010 Presidential Elections
November 27, 2008 by lisa
Filed under government & politics
Last Saturday night was spent in Antipolo with two of my closest girlfriends from UP Law, Connie Veneracion and Ida La’O. It was a belated birthday get together because we missed meeting up on their birthday month, October.
After feasting on Connie’s Beef Stroganoff and Pumpkin Walnut Pie from Wheatberry, three non-alocoholic women went on to talk about life, love, then politics over coffee, tea and nicotine.
We talked about Philippine electoral reforms, how candidates should not be allowed to sing and dance, how election spending could be minimized by doing away with campaign ads. Of course we were hopeful that the less the candidates spend, the less “Return on Investment” they will require (as if power does not corrupt, and absolute power does not corrupt absolutely).
Connie was about to write her regular column at Manila Standard and when Ida proposed that Philippine elections be done through text messaging, she thought this was a good line to explore and we started brainstorming.
Some of the proposals were to hold Philippine elections over a long period of time, and with the opportunity for the electoral to really get to know the candidates up close, with candidates being eliminated every week, American Idol Style, but instead of singing, the candidates would be asked questions so that voters could choose the best answers. There were talks about having them work in teams, if the candidates are many, a la The Apprentice, or Oprah’s Big Give and seeing how they would react to certain scenarios.
Then Ida said, “Pinoy Big Brother! Sequester the candidates so we see how they really are 24/7″ She went on to expound, “What medications they take, their true selves stripped down for an extended period of time so it will be hard for them to keep up pretenses.”
We agreed that the government channel would be utilized for this purpose and so with the mobile telephone companies. It would be the latter’s chance to give back to the country for all the billions they are making every month.
To avoid election violence and ballot snatching, on voting days, NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED ON THE STREETS, the voters being sequestered indoors as well.
Connie played the devil’s advocate while Ida and I went on and on, expounding on the idea. Issues like computer rigging, vote buying.
I will not go into anymore details here as you can read all about the discussion at “Electoral Reforms.” For those who may not yet be familiar with her, Connie is Sassy Lawyer, Pinoy Cook and House on a Hill. She’s just about the biggest thing that has hit the Filipino blogosphere and one of my favorite persons in the world.
Of course your comments are welcome here as they are in her blog.
Should you have any suggestions to add to ours, please do so without fear of ridicule. We are brainstorming here. All ideas are valid and none will be shot down.
Lisa, what I’d really like to see are debates between the presidential candidates like they did in the US. Throw them hard questions and not baby them. But on second thought, will the electorate bother with this? They’re more into personalities, into entertainment, usually the case.
That’s why we wanted to sequester even the candidates and force them to discuss issues on national tv, force them not to have jingles and shallow name recall campaigns like “Itanim sa Senado” or “Mr Palengke.”
The main reason we do not have statemen and we get instead mere politicians is precisely what you mentioned — the electorate is more into personalities and entertainment.
I always hear folks saying “walang libangan” — who said we have to always be amused?
In other words Lisa, all our presidential candidates need to do is to make pa-cute and then they’ll win.
One other thing which I think has an influence on our electorate. Our penchant for watching tv shows such as Wowowee, Eat Bulaga, watching Professors Boy, Kris, Annabelle, day in day out, and lord it over weekends. I bet that if Willie or Kris and Boy were to run for the senate, they’d have no trouble making it to the top five. It’s subliminal brainwashing to vote for celebrities.
This should be great! But let’s face it, it wont’ be that easy. Elections are central institution of a representative democracy. The authority of the government must come from the consent of the governed. The principal mechanism for translating that consent into governmental authority is the holding of free and fair elections. To participate, the voters MUST be well-informed. Only by educating the voters we will have a credible result. Yes, I agree, by confining them for scrutiny like PBB, will enable the voters to evaluate them, this will not ensure how they will act later once they have the authority.
Hi Edgar,
Actually this system allows for virtually unknown good people to have a chance at the presidency. Our current officials have amassed tremendous fortunes that it’ll be hard to match their machinery.
A PBB pr American Idol scenario actually gives Mr. Juan de la Cruz a chance to present his plan, to run and win. If we adopt the elimination style, it’s better than having a multi-party system without a run-off election, and in the end, the winning candidate has the support of a majority of Filipinos, unlike Ramos who won with just 20% of the votes.
One way to ensure that the elected behave while in office is for the citizenry to be engaged and involved in political affairs, even if there is nothing in it for them personally but as a matter of love for country.
Elections should merely be seen as a screening process, much like job applications. The officials must make sure they perform according to their job description and perform their tasks well. If not we FIRE them. That’s what recall is for, or even impeachment.
We are the stockholders of the corporation that is the Philippines. We have powers, too, and must be taught to exercise them. We can look at the books, participate actively in the management of the country and do performance appraisals.
Added 02 December: And the elimination rounds will be serious, no pa-cute allowed therein.
No matter how long they will be confined 24/7 like that of PBB, for sure they know they are under public surveillance/scrutiny, they will as much as they can, hide their true selves.
Most of us do, in public, but they will have to pick their noses, too, at a certain point. Hahaha.
But isn’t it preferable to watch them up close and personal (see who’s sickly, or alcoholic) than just see them for a few minutes on a TV talk show, or be made up with soft lighting for their campaign ads, or have them sing and dance on stage during sorties? It’s easy to be charming for a few seconds, but to live among your enemies… that should be good!
Plus, do not forget, we propose to eliminate one candidate a week for ten weeks at least. Better to sequester them, and record their conversations, if any, with their campaign staff. Hahaha.
You’ve got a point there, Lisa. Seems exciting anyway. See who’s got the shortest temper and who can stand their enemies that long. Hahaha. Maybe that way, we can tell how they will run the country if elected.