Strong steps eye clean polls

President Rodrigo Duterte had taken concrete steps to show he is dead serious in having a clean and honest conduct of the 2019 midterm elections, the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) said yesterday.

PACC chairman Dante Jimenez said his group is already coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in following the President’s instruction to make sure the coming elections will be an “honest to goodness” exercise.

Previously, both the PACC and Comelec warned government agencies and employees against participating in partisan political activities, except those in offices of elected officials.

Government employees were also reminded against using public resources to engage in any partisan activity or face jail time of one to six years and disqualification from public office.

According to the PACC and Comelec, the warning was based on the Omnibus Election Code, which prohibits any officer or employee in the civil service, except those holding political offices; any officer, employee, or member or the Armed Forces of the Philippines, or any police force, special forces, home defense forces, barangay self-defense units and all other para-military units from intervening, directly or indirectly, in any election campaign or engaging in any partisan political activity.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said this means government offices are also barred from putting up streamers and banners in favor of candidates as well as use government vehicles for candidates’ motorcades.

The PACC chairman agreed, saying government officials should heed Duterte’s call for clean and honest elections as the 1987 Constitution also provides that “no officer or employee in the civil service shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.”

Jimenez said it would be best if people will not favor the candidates taking advantage of their being allied to the present administration to advance their political bids.

“We are inviting the public to please be forthcoming with their reports. Report them to us. Let us document everything and report these actions and behaviors,” Jimenez said.

Senators, meanwhile, did not put any currency to the opposition coalition claim that the May midterm polls are a referendum on President Duterte.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the coming elections are only about what candidates can offer.

“I do not agree. PRRD (Mr. Duterte’s initials) is not endorsing a full slate,” Sotto said.

“Campaign issue is not whether you are for Duterte or not. It’s about what you can do for the country and the people,” he stressed.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, on the other hand, issued an unsolicited advice to the opposition not to drag the President in the campaign – expressing belief it could mean defeat.

Lacson, a member of the Senate majority bloc, cited Mr. Duterte’s high approval rating as shown by previous surveys.

“If I were their campaign manager, I would not bring the campaign to that level, not even strike the consciousness of the electorate along that line. Why? That is tantamount to pitting their candidates against a popular President with 81 percent approval rating before the end of 2018,” Lacson said.

In Urdaneta City yesterday, reelectionist Sen. Sonny Angara urged the government to direct more energy and resources toward improving the agriculture sector to help the country achieve inclusive growth and food security.

“If we invest more on revitalizing the agriculture sector, we provide not only food stability for the country’s growing population but also jobs and livelihoods for millions of Filipinos dependent on agriculture,” Angara said.

Meanwhile, age seems to be a non-issue for former Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile who turned 95 years old yesterday.

Enrile, despite grieving the death of his half-sister Armida Siguion-Reyna, joined the UNA kick-off rally in Bulacan on Tuesday — opening the grueling 90-day campaign period. He cited his healthy Ilocano diet as his secret — which include saluyot or jute leaves.

Apart from healthy diet and regular exercise, he also said his love for writing and reading keeps him sharp. “I do not get idle. I write my own stories, my own thoughts in the computer. I do Facebook conversations and so forth,” he said.