“A breath of fresh air in a most notorious department” Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change today welcomed the reported appointment of Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Leila de Lima to head the Department of Justice (DoJ) under the incoming Aquino administration.

The first 100 days of the incoming administration of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will be crucial. This period will reveal and set the tone on the priorities of the new government as well as demonstrate the intent, if not ability, of Aquino to address the injustices that our people have long been suffering.

By depicting himself as the bearer of genuine change and invoking the legacy of his parents, the martyred Ninoy Aquino and former President Cory, Aquino has raised people’s expectations of his administration. Aquino built his bid for the presidency on a strong advocacy for good governance encapsulized in his political ads enticing Filipino voters to take the “daang matuwid” (righteous path) with him, in contrast to Arroyo’s plunderous and illegitimate regime. It is thus reasonable to ask for tangible steps in his first three months that could provide the Filipino people hope in the new administration

At the tail end of her nine-year rule, Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s propaganda offensive has focused on the supposed “legacy” of her administration. The recently reported growth in first quarter gross domestic product (GDP) of 7.3 percent, for instance, has been hyped as a “great note to end” the so-called “glorious” years under Arroyo. And as if placing an exclamation point on an oft-repeated message, Malacañang will showcase the supposed achievements of the administration through a P10-million Freedom Day parade on June 12. The  costly display of the supposed milestones under the outgoing administration will reportedly feature 10 floats to represent Mrs. Arroyo’s 10-point agenda.

Mrs. Arroyo first unveiled her 10-point agenda during her inaugural speech in 2004. She had just clinched a six-year term in what was considered as the most fraudulent presidential elections in Philippine history. The following discussion scrutinizes the supposed achievements of Mrs. Arroyo vis-à-vis her 10-point agenda.

The People’s IOM considers the Comelec, Smartmatic and the Arroyo government accountable for the problems encountered in the May 10 elections. And we can fairly say that the Philippine government is not committed to free and honest elections

With the many serious problems in the whole election process, we would like to add that it is the only through the efforts of the people – the sacrifices made by the public school teachers and the resilience of voters – that the elections was made possible.

The findings of the PIOM focused on the following:

    * The voting process including the preparations as administered by the Commission on Elections
    * The role of the military establishment, the political dynasties and the government during the elections
    * The human rights situation in relation to the electoral process
    * The stamina of the Filipino people so that they could vote and the bravery and the admirable sense of civic responsibility that the teachers as Board of Electoral Inspectors demonstrated