Deadline

If there's one thing I can definitely say that Pnoy and his ilk were very good at during their reign, it was their skill at destroying our government institutions. The latest institution to suffer a big blow to its credibility is the Commission on Elections, thanks to their phenomenally cynical move to extend the "unextendable" deadline to file candidate's Statement of Contributions and Expenditures at the Liberal Party's behest. Hmm. A deadline that can be extended, kind of defeats the purpose of a "deadline" don't you think?

Sheesh, what more can be said? The law is the law except when the powers that be say it isn't. Once again, its revealed that the game is rigged in favor of the lawbreakers. Isn't it time we, as a people, have done away with this palusot attitude? 

What was their reason for extending the time limit beyond for what the law allows? "Precedent" they said and also that they would not want to frustrate the "will of the people". What a tiresome phrase. "Will of the people" is the same excuse the SC made in allowing an American to run for the Philippine presidency. "Will of the people" sure sounds nice but think about it. If concern for not frustrating the will of the people is a valid excuse to do what they did, then what in God's name is the point of all the excessive rules and procedures the COMELEC has? Why make candidates jump through all those hoops if the "will of the people" is enough to brush all those questions aside. Now that's an idiotic precedent.

If not frustrating the electorate is such a concern, why not just fine the erring candidates? You don't have to stop them from taking office. A hefty fine and warning is a lot better than making it appear that you have zero integrity. I mean, what does integrity mean to the body in charge of running our elections? Poor optics.

You can make all the legal arguments you want until you're blue in the face but by now, you should have already figured out that we're living in a kind of soft tyranny where the law isn't what it is and can be bent to suit any purpose if the right price is paid.