A second look at the PCC Elections

Let’s take a second look at what happened during the past Philippine Community Council – NSW AGM and elections. Does everyone concede that the presentation of candidates who aligned themselves to whichever party they organized really enhanced their candidacy? In the Philippines, is it not the common norm that the candidate who spends the most, wins? So the cycle of vote buying, election of officers who really represent themselves, rather than the community whom they are supposed to serve, wins. Hopefully, that situation exists only in our home country and not here in NSW. There were reports, however, that certain personalities offered to pay for the membership dues of some associations. Isn’t that tantamount to vote-buying?

Those who got elected were not even sure the votes accounted for were the genuine count or a product of electoral magic. And what was the response received from the PCC Comelec? PCC Comelec member Jess Diaz himself told this writer: “Nobody complained.”

It made a mockery of the electoral process. It mocked the democracy and governance that the Filipino Community deserves. It mocked every Filipino in NSW. It made one shirk in shame that he is a Filipino.

It was indeed a mockery of the electoral process that one doctor voted on behalf of a medical association when he was not even authorized to represent that association. It was confirmed by no less than the president of the medical association that no representative was sent or authorized to vote on his behalf. There was no Delegation of Authorized Representative signed and truly that doctor was guilty of misrepresentation.

When asked why he cast his ballot, his only justification was: “My name was called.” Why was he present during the AGM in the first place? By the way, the “Flying Eagle” was seated beside him and we have documents to prove that the application for membership in the Alumni Association was signed 5 days after the PCC elections. Therefore, was the vote of the “Flying Eagle” really valid when there was an obvious alteration in the Delegation of Authorised Representative? Well, there were claims by the president of the alumni association that the Flying Eagle was introduced via an email just days before the election. At least 5 members, maybe more, did not receive that email.

Is there a genuine desire in every elected PCC Officer to truly serve the Filipino Community that they represent or is it for their own personal gratification? If there was cheating, it happened because it was allowed and to some extent encouraged.