Genuineopposition.com

The Genuine Opposition party has brought their campaign to cyberspace to efficiently reach out to Filipinos all over the world. The address is http://www.genuineopposition.com.

For journalists, this gives us access to what is happening in the opposition front without us going physically to their headquarters or joining their sorties. The blog is six-days old and still a work in progress.

The few times that I attended the briefing of GO Spokesman Adel Tamano, I noticed that he and his fellow resource persons for the day (usually some senatorial candidates or party leaders like former Ambassador Ernesto Maceda) cover a lot of issues but only one or two make it to newspapers or TV. I have not monitored radio coverage.

It’s nobody’s fault because media can only accommodate so much for the day. The blog is a good source for information aside from what is available in the regular media outlets.

Yesterday, Tamano has an article saying “The SWS and Pulse Asia Political Polling Surveys, showing a big lead by the Genuine Opposition (GO) in the Senatorial race, is merely a confirmation of what the GO Senatorial candidates have experienced on the ground: the huge crowds of bona fide supporters at their sorties, rallies, and caravans. Naturally, Team-GMA spin doctors will attempt to discredit or undermine the reliability of the surveys but the spin is belied by the warm support of the public for the GO.”

He said, “At any rate, the strong public support is very easy to understand. With the majority of Filipinos poor – 53 percent of Filipinos consider themselves to be living in poverty – contrasted with the unbelievable claims of “economic gains” by Team-GMA, the public naturally identifies with the straight-talking GO who have the moral courage to acknowledge the problem of poverty. Add to that (1) the callous remarks of GMA herself that the poor should not indulge in luxuries and that she also goes to bed hungry – obviously this refers to her voluntary hunger and not involuntary hunger which is at a six year high at 19 percent; (2) the Philippines being perceived as the most corrupt country in Asia; and (3) 830 extra-judicial killings being investigated by the UN and the US Congress and you have the ingredients for a resounding GO victory.”

He also has a statement expressing concern over recent official findings showing that more than half of the 1.3 million students in public and private high schools in the Philippines are unfit for higher education.

“This is the most unfortunate result of the defective social policies of the Arroyo administration, that the education of future generations of Filipinos is being undermined,” he said.

The statements of JV Ejercito, deputy campaign manager, take a more aggressive tone. He said:

“After a recent SWS survey saying that majority of the Filipino people are hungry, GMA agrees to it saying that since she sometime skips meals, she is therefore one of these Filipinos who are ‘hunger victims.’”

“She just doesn’t get it, “JV said adding that “Hunger is as very serious matter and only Her Majesty can joke about something as serious as this. We could only understand GMA. Having lived a life of a princess, and now that of a queen, she might be the last person to understand what “hunger” really means.

JV also spoke his mind on the recent revelations of Blanquita and Joelle Pelaez about them being forced by Mike Defensor and Chavit Singson to file cases and testify against former President Estrada.

JV said, “This clearly show the kind of character of the Team Unity candidates. The Arroyo administration is like a criminal syndicate that harasses and scares individuals so that they follow their evil plans. Like masters, like servants.”

He said nevertheless, his family welcomes Pelaez’ confession. ” I feel that, slowly but surely, the truth is really coming out, as the revelation of Blanquita Pelaez about Defensor and Singson only confirms that most of the witnesses that testified against President Estrada were coerced, pressured and harassed by the administration.”