Monday being a holiday, I was able to see another episode of Forum 2007. The topic was about Mindanao, and the candidates featured were Aquilino Pimentel III, Adrian Sison, and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Mindanao is a complicated topic, and someone not from Mindanao cannot comment on the topic with confidence. Pimentel and Zubiri are both from Mindanao, and thus their confidence showed. Sison was very confident also, though I’m not sure if he’s from Mindanao.

My impression on Zubiri is that he is a politician at heart. His answers (like the other two) were motherhood statements coupled with references to his accomplishments in his congressional district. He mouthed the roads and other infrastructure that his pork barrel has funded (implying that people of Bukidnon should be thankful); he even had a so-called score card, a folder containing pictures of infra projects in Bukidnon. This is what a true-blue politician will do.

Pimentel’s and Zubiri’s proposed solutions to the Mindanao problem do not differ that much; Sison emphasized on education, which to me is rather short-sighted, as if education alone will solve the problems in Mindanao. However, Zubiri’s a bit incoherent on his proposals, to the point that I myself can’t remember anything specific except for infrastructure and the like.

Sadly, he had not shared to the viewers and panelists his specific legislative agenda for Mindanao. And that’s where the problem is.

He is running for senator, which is a legislative position. His proposed solutions are all under the purview of the executive, thus I am scratching my head in asking, “Why should I vote for this guy, when he has not presented his legislative agenda for Mindanao?”

And, by the way, was he not part of the fools at the House of Representatives that wanted to abolish the Senate? And now he is running for a seat at the chamber that he wanted abolished? This is what we call an about face, a classic in the politician’s playbook. Why should I vote for him?

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SIDE NOTES:

Pimentel said it best: “The problem in Mindanao is not just a problem of Mindanaoaons, it is the problem of all Filipinos.”

Amina Rasul’s questions were very leading. She had stated her questions in such a way that she would get the answers that she wanted. Unfortunately, two of the candidates answered that diverged from her questions. Guess who they were?

When asked about the Anti Terror Law, Pimentel had said that it is unconstitutional. He suggested that ARMM create a Commission on Human Rights wqith prosecutorial powers. Why the national CHR does not have this power is a question with no answers.