Comelec’s intransigence is both baffling and revolting

OVER the storm of protests that erupted after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) signed an agreement with Rappler last February 24, 2022, in relation to the coming May 9, 2022 elections, the poll body, steady and defiant like the Rock of Gibraltar, said it is standing firm with the agreement.

It would be convenient to excuse this on the part of the Comelec as a result of poor decision-making or sloppy fact-checking on the part of its officials, especially by its spokesperson, Dir. James Jimenez. However, being the Commission’s spokesperson for as long as we can remember and having been a ‘veteran’ on media affairs, such excuse is simply unacceptable to most people, including this paper.

The National Press Club (NPC), in its protest-letter sent to the Comelec the same day the agreement was signed, presented the collective angst—surprise—of Filipinos when it said:

“While we respect the COMELEC’s right to partner with anyone in order to ensure that the coming political exercise is “clean, credible, honest and transparent,” we believe that your choice of Rappler as a “valuable partner” in the dissemination of “truthful information” is a contradiction that is unacceptable to most Filipinos.

“We are registering our protest because just like most Filipinos and just like you, we too, would want to see and experience a clean, credible honest and transparent election the result of which may well decide the country’s future in the coming years. But your choice of Rappler, certainly, is a step in the wrong direction.

“It is an established fact that Rappler has a spotty record when it comes to the dissemination of ‘truthful information’ considering its record of gross bias in its reportage that resulted to its current legal woes.

“We call your attention to the fact that most of Rappler’s current legal woes arise first, from its being a foreign-funded media outfit, contrary to what is provided for in our Constitution.

“Its chief executive, Maria Ressa, has been convicted of criminal libel by a Manila court for biased reporting, a fact that cannot be obscured by the many ‘awards’ given to her by foreign-based media organizations.”

As we mentioned, the Comelec-Rappler MOA has been met with near universal indignation and the Comelec’s (or was it Jimenez’s fault alone) continued intransigence has left Filipinos baffled and yes, revolted.

And why not? This is a clear case of “folly” on the part of the Comelec. As the great historian, Barbara Tucman puts it, folly is the pursuit of a policy contrary to its own interest. Worse, this is folly that is not only damaging to the interest of the Comelec but in every Filipino’s interest as well.

And over this intransigence, why would not every decent Filipino not be revolted by it?

Must they simply go along with the MOA simply because the criticisms against it have pricked the personal pride and ‘amor propio’ of those in the Comelec and that is why they are standing pat on it?

But beyond this of course is the hands of US Imperialism doing everything it can to again frustrate the will of the Filipino people on election day.