I just can't stay away from the News, can I? No, not talking about my own notoriety here...I meant, what with my crazy schedule, when I get home late at night, I'd still find myself asking my Mom about the latest news, or I'd be tuning in to the late-night news despite knowing that what I'd see and hear will be hazardous to my health. My masochistic tendencies have a mind of their own.
One thing I'm peeved about. (Brief backstep here, something I might've posted about before.)
Antonio Trillanes leading a group of young military officers in holding 'hostage' an entire structure in the country's financial center some years back, now infamously dubbed as the 'Oakwood Mutiny'. They consequently got arrested, imprisoned and faced with charges. Some of the movement's other leaders pitched over to the other side and were absolved of the charges, and now, apparently some are still in the service. Trillanes, meanwhile, is still behind bars, still facing coup charges, not subject to bail.
Then came the Senatorial Elections last May. He filed for candidacy under the Opposition party. He ran for Senator, but unlike another prominent candidate who is also imprisoned and facing charges for another coup attempt, Trillanes was not allowed to step out of jail to campaign. His few press conferences on TV were even blocked by some (and how is that different to the other senatorial candidates shown in their adverts rubbing more than elbows with celebrities who parrot how saintly they are?)
Lo and behold, election time came and out of the more than 30 (or more) who ran for Senator, Trillanes ranked 11. He is now one of the 12 newly-elected Senators of the Republic of the Philippines.
The thing is, he is in jail. And at his request at being let out of his prison a few times each week to attend the Senate's regular sessions, there's a scramble to stop it. Then the Supreme Court denied the petition.
To the almost 12 million voters, there goes your vote. It seems the Supreme Court itself blatantly disregarded that vital fact that almost 12 million Filipinos wanted Trillanes to be part of the regular sessions. The high court may recite ad nauseam constitutional snippets supporting their decision, but it still somehow negates the "for the people, by the people" clause, doesn't it?
Almost 12 million people. He did not even campaign. There wasn't a huge political machinery backing him up. I didn't see a multitude of campaign posters and fliers, not even adverts on the telly. Only a couple of (lesser-known) people openly declaring their support for him. And still, that many people voted for him. Makes me wonder how much more it would've been had he been allowed to go around the campaign trail.
IN THE FIRST PLACE, the moment he filed his candidacy, they should've made moves to stop him already. Was it because they thought he won't even score a vote? For all the cunning and malice of power-grabbing a**holes seated up there, they could be quite idiotic most of the time.
Oh, it's the elections in Japan this week, too. I wonder if these kinds of power plays happen there as well. Or is this another "Only in the Philippines" thing?
There wasn't a huge political machinery backing him up. I didn't see a multitude of campaign posters and fliers, not even adverts on the telly. Only a couple of (lesser-known) people openly declaring their support for him. 
