The president and senatorial robots.pdf

Media

Part of Panorama

extracted text: THE PRESIDENT AND SENATORIAL ROBOTS In the election for seats in the Philippine Senate next November, 1967, each of the two major political parties — The Nacionalista and the Liberal — has 8 candidates. The writer of the following paragraphs is a senatorial candidate of the Liberal Party. In answering the ar guments of President Marcos, he has drawn a clear picture of the party and its candi dates which is worthy of no tice and study at this period of Philippine political his tory when election issues, party affiliations, and the personal qualifications of candidates have become se riously confused. “Each of the 16 candidates of the two major parties in this election constitutes an issue. Each is an individual leader, a responsible official. They are bound by certain party ties, but they are not robots. They share certain views of government, but each view is so colored by a host of other considerations, out of principle or personal interest, that it would be presumptuous for anyone to judge them solely on the ba sis of party label. “If these were all they are — loyal and obedient party men — then there would be no need at all to look into their qualifications. One would simply have to write the party name during the election. There would be no need fo~r any discussion of issue. There would be no need for issues. “But the fact is that each candidate is an issue in him self. And when he presents himself to the electorate, the individual voter must look at the candidate’s record and his qualifacations. September 1967 23 “But President Marcos in sists there is but one issue in this senatorial election -his record as President of the country these last two years. “This is an indecent and dangerous presumption. It ignores the constitutional declaration that Congress is an independent and co-equal body with the office of the President. “What he really wants are eight robots who will jump at his command.” — By Be. nigno S. Aquino, Jr. Extracts from Manila Times, Septem ber 16, 1967. BAR HAZARD People who spend too much time in bars can go blind, a Brazilian ophthalmologist warned. Dr. Hilton Rochan called on police to ban the murky lighting of modern bars and night clubs which he termed “black light.” In recommending it outlawed, Rochan noted the same type of light is used by police for ballistic tests, dnd detection of counterfeit money. “It can bring blindness to those who spend too much time in bars,” he said. — Belo Horizonte. 24 Panorama
Rights