Ka Leody to Comelec Garcia: Fairness not in the vocabulary of political dynasties
“Walang pangil ang panukala ni Chair Garcia tungkol sa pantay na paggamit ng facilities sa pangangampaniya,” said senatorial candidate Leody de Guzman, following the statement of Commission on Election (Comelec) chairman George Erwin Garcia’s ambush interview yesterday telling barangay officials to be fair to everyone.
According to de Guzman, the issue of fairness in elections cannot be resolved by simply informing them that all political candidates can use public spaces such as covered courts and town plazas as venues for their campaign sorties.
He pointed out that patronage politics and political dynasties have influence on why only them and their allies can use public facilities for campaigning.
The labor leader also added that aspirants who rose to challenge the powerful local elites cannot expect fairness from reporting village officials who won’t comply with the Department of Interior and Local Government.
He cited the case of Cavite, where the secretaries of Interior and Justice – former governors Jonvic and Boying Remulla have close and intimate relations with the incumbent mayors of the cities and towns of Cavite.
“Open secret sa Cavite na ang dinastiyang Remulla ay kilalang mga political operator at kingmaker sa probinsiya. Walang nanalo diyan na hindi binabasbasan ng kanilang angkan. Isa pa, ilan sa mga kaanak nila ay kumakandidato rin”.
He added, “Sa bayan ng Naic kung saan tumatakbong bise-alkalde si Jacinta na anak ni Boying Remulla ay naka-line up sa magkapatid na Dualan na isa ring political dynasty. Paano pa makakapangampaniya ang kumakalaban sa kanila?”.
He also noted the case of District 5 in Cavite where the Loyola clan is known to mobilize barangay captains to disrupt, harass, and sabotage the campaign of their opponents.
To ensure clean and fair elections, De Guzman proposed that COMELEC and the national government must fund campaigning and election processes, ensuring equal coverage and reach for each candidate. ##