Tanggulang demokrasya : Where’s the beef ?

This is a press statement from
?www.tandem.org.ph

TANGGULANG DEMOKRASYA STATEMENT
Where’s the beef?

In the aftermath of the recent 2013 mid-term elections, because also of unsettled problems of the previous 2010 elections, a howling maelstrom of protest has erupted. Led by the Information Technology community, lawyers’ groups, and civil society advocacy organizations, including Tanggulang Demokrasya, the litany of criticisms and complaints about the opacity of the entire Automated Election System obstinately employed by Comelec in the face of objections, offers of advice and assistance, analyses and findings of blatant violations of law, have dominated the news and opinion commentaries in media. Unbelievably, the bizarre response of the Comelec Chairman has been arrogance, intransigence, outright prevarication, threats against his critics, lame excuses, and total hubris.

Cases have been filed in the Supreme Court to try and stop or redirect the Comelec juggernaut. For the most part, these have either been unacted on, or ignored by Comelec, or artfully sidetracked to the frustration of patriotic citizens. In an extreme action, a prominent group filed a protest with the UN Human Rights Committee or Council, on the basis that the Comelec, mandated to serve and protect the sovereign rights of our people, have instead culpably betrayed its trust to our irreparable loss.

Tanggulang Demokrasya’s pending Mandamus Petition in the Supreme Court prays that, in the circumstances now obtaining, the High Court declare all proclaimed candidates as de facto officers, pending the completion of a verifying manual count of the physical ballots that have not been tampered with, and to order the Comelec to undertake this remedial operation.

Tanggulang Demokrasya calls on the Supreme Court to take up and resolve the petition with utmost urgency to pluck our nation from an inexhorable descent to the utter disregard for the rule of law.

Tanggulang Demokrasya calls on our people to support this just and crucial cause.