Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proclaimed eleven winning senatorial candidates with little opposition from any dissenting quarter as the votes came from the same ballot that all voters had to fill up last May 10 which official ballots are all headed at the top with the names of the Presidential candidates and Vice Presidential candidates which cannot be ignored or overlooked by the voter.
Ipso facto, one can presume that, more or less, the number of votes cast for the "senatoriables" will be the same, or can be less, than the number of voters cast for the presidential candidates.
Corollarily, since the administration K-4 coalition shall have won 7 seats out of 12, it follows that more votes were obviously cast for administration candidates, not to mention the closet opposition voters who, at the last minute, decided to cast their votes for President Arroyo in view of her experience and accomplishments in comparison to the lack of experience of Fernando Poe Jr., notwithstanding his popularity.
Second, this particular election, despite the tension and isolated politically motivated violence in remote municipalities, has been transparent, closely supervised, and widely monitored by foreign observers, and analysts who have concluded that the electoral process has been relatively credible, and democratic with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo clearly leading in the canvassing.
It is therefore saddening and disappointing again to see Sen. Aquilino Pimentel resuming his characteristic political chameleon role by opposing for the sake of opposing the canvassing in Congress with delaying tactics, and thus exposing this country to the risk of a political vacuum, which he desires, and for civil war and chaos to ensue.
For a self-anointed nationalist, the behavior of Sen. Pimentel is very unpatriotic which similar performance by Rep. Didagen Dilangalen is comprehensible as the latter has been notorious for his circus antics in Congressional debates.
Thus, the dilatory tactics of these legislators give greater credence and urgency to the public clamor for the abolition of Congress, and the official canvassing to be undertaken by the Commission on Elections which is an independent constitutional body.
Third, the market is poised to expand and stabilize with the prospective election of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo which will be reinforced by the return of investor confidence, political stability, and a government of national unity and reconciliation.
When all is said and done, Fernando Poe Jr. should now disengage himself, once he is convinced of the veracity of the canvassing and trends, from the KNP; return to the movies; tell his "trapo" leaders to accept the verdict; and be magnanimous in defeat while it is hoped that President Arroyo will extend the hand of friendship and humility to the vanquished.
Be that as it may, let us not wait for the nation to be outraged and humiliated by the outrageous and politically-motivated tirades of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel and Rep. Didagen Dilangalen which reflect badly on the quality of our Legislature and the representatives that we elect to represent the people.
You be the judge.
