One of the hottest news items currently circulating around, aside from the Wowowee Wilyonaryo scam allegations, is that of the involvement of Philippine COMELEC Chairman, Benjamin Abalos Sr. in the controversial National Broadband Network (NBN) Project deal involving ZTE Corporation.

The $329-million NBN Project aims to interconnect all Philippine national and local government agencies, including the “barangay” offices of all local government units (LGUs). This is expected to enhance the delivery of services to the people by reducing the time used for waiting for decisions and replies to queries.

News reports have it that ZTE Corp. allegedly won the NBN Project bid because of huge bribes or pay-outs given to certain government officials in addition to some “maneuvering” done by Chairman Abalos on behalf of ZTE. They won even though the proposal was said to be grossly over-priced when compared to other NBN Project bid offers submitted by other entities such as Amsterdam Holdings, Inc. ($240 million) and Arescom ($130 million).

ZTE Corporation is China’s largest listed telecommunications manufacturer and wireless solutions provider. Founded in 1985, ZTE Corporation has been listed as an A-Share company on Shenzhen Stock Exchange since 1997 (click here).

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Related Blog Entries:
NBN Scandal: “Sec, may 200 ka dito.”
ZTE NBN Conspiracy Theories

Sources:
Inquirer.net – Teves: Abalos set meeting with ZTE
The Manila Times – Teves: Abalos at ZTE meeting

When was the last time you exercised your right to suffrage?

The circus has come, as always, to banner the upcoming Philippine local elections this May of 2007. Although Philippine election laws prohibit running candidates from prematurely campaigning for their seat, Philippine television and other forms of mass media are making a heyday from the current deluge of “personal ads” of some political hopefuls.

It’s interesting to note that these ads have found ways to circumvent election campaign laws. And so, one cannot help but notice and admire the Filipino’s ingenuity, especially when it comes to figuring out, and taking advantage of, loopholes in the current electoral system. Ah yes, the world-renowned Filipino guile, creativity and wits of these so-called political geniuses are once again put to use.

Many Filipinos are turned off by the current state of the Philippine political and electoral system. This particularly holds true for voters who have used their voting brains on past elections only to find out that the outcome leads so much more to be desired. Unfortunately, the reality is that most voters don’t even use half a brain. These brain dead types of voters are easily sucked in by political machineries and star power syndromes. As a politician, you can buy votes, you can buy airtime, or you can even buy out the competition.

So how can one make a difference? Election campaign ads say “Your Vote Counts”, but does it really? Come on, let’s be real here. How will one vote stack up against the votes of an entire zombee-voter bloc? It won’t even make a dent on the “flying-voter” tab. In other words, your vote won’t be worth SH*T…. unless… you… do… something… about… it.

Remember these things:

1. Voting responsibly won’t make much of a difference, but actively campaigning for your candidate will!

Why? Once you drop your ballot, you’re done, there’s no turning back. It only counts as a single tally. But with some pre-campaigning of your own, it’s hard to see why you can’t influence even a single person to see things your way, especially with today’s technology. Your single vote tally could potentially end up influencing a million or so more.

2. Your vote wont ‘count’, if you let fools ‘count’ it for you.

It’s your right to vote, so make sure that your vote stays that way. Don’t let thieves make a fool out of you. Report any illegal post-election activities, or better yet, be a poll watcher. Even the best magician can’t work his magic if a lot of eyes cover every angle.

There are a lot of other ways to make a difference. You should always keep in mind that voting is not only a right, it’s a responsibility. So make it count. The future of our kids depend on it.

My scheduled traffic court hearing got canceled today apparently due to the current political situation over at Makati City Hall, where the adjudication office is located. It’s too bad because I was really eager to get the whole thing over with.

As a side note, Makati Mayor Binay is in a lot of heat, which to me and to most people I know, is what was to be expected because of his affiliation with the current Philippine government’s opposition group. I personally think that Mayor Binay and company are doing a great job running the city. My traffic ticket woes might have been because of the overly strict “Republic of Makati” ordinances, but then again, I’d rather be caught here in Makati instead of anywhere else. It isn’t his fault that some of these MAPSA traffic guys are just not that competent enough in fulfilling their roles (the majority are competent, mind you, I wouldn’t want to incur their wrath, would I? Ha!). Oh well, at least they’re a whole lot better than most of the MMDA traffic aides out there.

I wonder where our country is headed. With our leaders squabbling non-stop, what hope is there for us? I guess we’ll just have to continually strive to be good citizens, and to pray.

I would want to live by the maxim: Leadership, Friendship and Service. I just hope our leaders do the same.