Cocopea on the forefront

By Gonzalo Duque

THE other day, the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA), – the umbrella network of private educational institutions representing some 90 percent of private schools nationwide – has tasked this humble representation to chair an advocacy committee that will work with the country’s legislators led by whoever gets elected speaker (Cocopea hopes JdV stays) to work for educational reforms thru the private schools.

Realizing the value of legislation, the Cocopea led by its chairman Vicente Fabella has taken a firm hand in supporting its own candidates as its first contribution to empowering private education for socio economic advance.

Cocopea is all-out in ensuring the victory of its party list A Teacher, which shall specifically work for education reforms in Congress.

A brilliant first step, if I may say so.

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The senate bets who have become household names due to the Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia surveys owe the two groups their political lives.

 A friend told me why we still have to elect our public officials since the surveys have already sealed the candidates’ fates?

 I have always been against these sorbetes groups especially when their releases are done frequently. Very suspicious. Of course, they will deny to the very end that they paid the survey groups, but common sense will tell you that both are beneficiaries of their own gimmicks.

Ang kawawa ay yong wala sa listahan nila.

They  are not reliable per se, I once said, because Mar Roxas, whom SWS and Pulse Asia rated poorly, came out Number One in the elections.

 Some laws must be passed to regulate these survey groups. They are making a mockery of our democratic process.

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The formidable Iglesia ni Cristo church organization has sort of sealed the fate of our candidates. Not so yet in the national level, I think. There are many imponderables that the church, however, well-meaning, can’t take into account. In the local level, medyo matindi ang dating sa mga wala sa listahan. That’s the reason my kumpare Teddy Manaois lost to Benjie Lim in the last elections. The more than 3,000 Inc votes in Dagupan was Benjie’s winning vote’s difference.

My affair with Speaker Joe de Venecia in l987 and l991 also showed the INC’s sway of the election results. He got the Inc, I got the Quick Ink. But I have no rancor because that’s the way of politics. In our democracy, we allow religious groups to have their say on this and that issue.

But wait a minute, I hasten to add, there are candidates who still manage to win sans INC  support.

At this point, I have no idea whom the INC is supporting between JDV and BSL. It’s anybody’s guess because both JdV and BSL have had their support and non-support from the INC. This election on May l4 is the defining moment. Anyone who loses his grip on the church’s vote will have to pray hard for a miracle. The church has a big following in the 4th District, about 8,000, I heard

Cross your fingers — literally.

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One dominant reason for our paradigm shift from politics to education is that it is only thru an educated citizenry that one can have hope in the future. While politics destroys the future, education saves it. Yes, it is simplistic, but all of us are agreed that only an enlightened citizenry can improve our political system and our socio-economic life. The reason our country has been lagging behind is because our people allow the wrong kind of leaders to govern their lives. They can’t choose their leaders correctly. They sell their votes. They do not know the implications of their decisions, which are made under duress and extreme pressure due to poverty and ignorance, well-known factors that self-serving politicians abuse. It’s a vicious cycle.

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I commiserate with the family members of the late Mayor Jolly Resuello who was killed by assassins.

It is obvious that the motive is political. But the case is in the hands of the law enforcers and our courts. The earlier the case is solved, the better. I knew Jolly from way back as an idealist and political reformist. He has stepped on the shoes of big time politicians. But as a government worker, he was most effective. San Carlos City is what it is today mostly because of him.

Continuity of his fine administration is left to his son Ayoy, who is running for mayor, and another son, Boggie, who will replace him as vice mayoral bet.

       Price of democracy. 

(For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/playing-with-fire/)

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