Online Monitors

Assessing the party-list system
Bulatlat wrote an informative and insightful two-part special report that focused on a very crucial question as this year’s elections draw near: “Nine years after the first party-list elections, 12 years after the passage of Republic Act No. 7941, and 20 years after the ratification of the present Constitution—is the party-list system serving the avowed purpose of giving voice to the voiceless?”
The first report, “Reviewing the Party-List Law and the 2004 Election,” reviewed the party-list groups that won in the 2004 elections, their track record, and issues involving them (link).
The second report, “Pitfalls of the Party-List Law,” discussed the shortcomings of the present party-list system, which made it problematic for the organizations to truly represent marginalized sectors” (link).

A one-stop elections site
A useful one-stop site for this year’s elections is the “Eleksyon 2007” of GMANews.TV.
The section does not only provide news and uploaded news clips about the elections, it also has in-depth stories, some from the  site’s news partners like Newsbreak and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Profiles of the candidates, including snippets of their political careers and advocacies, as well as issues involving them, are available on the site.
“Eleksyon 2007” also contains easy-to-read infographics showing various political clans in the country, including political profiles, relationships with other political clans, and family members running in this year’s elections.
Another informative feature—among the most highly viewed in the site—is its geopolitical map of the Philippines where information on top vote-rich and poorest provinces, political bailiwick areas by presidential candidates in the 2004 elections, election hotspots, and incidents of extrajudicial killings can be obtained.
Check their website for comprehensive information about this year’s elections.

Filling a gap
Aside from allotting little airtime and space to development and policy issues, the media also barely explained how senatorial candidates plan to address crucial issues such as poverty and corruption. This was among the findings of the monitor during the first three weeks of the campaign period by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility.
The online newsmagazine Bulatlat, however, went the extra mile by explaining not only the stand of senatorial candidates on issues of national importance, but also the issues themselves (link). The article, “The Senatoriables: How they stand on major people’s issues” (March 25-31 edition), helped readers assess some of the candidates based on their views on the Restructured Value Added Tax (RVAT), the impeachment cases against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), extrajudicial killings, and legislated wage increase.
Looking into Senate and House records, the article presented how the candidates voted, whether for or against, on RVAT, VFA, wage hike, and anti-terrorism. The platforms of those who never had any experience in government, like jailed Oakwood mutineer Antonio Trillanes IV (Genuine Opposition), were also scrutinized. The article noted that although Trillanes’s legislative program included “anti-poverty,” it did not touch on the country’s taxation system.
Readers were informed who among the candidates supported or opposed the impeachment complaints against the president and her two controversial directives such as Executive Order 464 and Presidential Proclamation 1017.

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