Concede is the new verb in New Philippine Politics

Concede was such a painful word before this automation elections. Now, everyone and surprisingly even the biggest spender of this elections, utter it with such regularity that it is now part of the political vocabulary of this tiny Republic. If manual elections means "cheating", automation now means "conceding".

How I wish that Mrs. Arroyo learned the use of this word when the Filipino People rose up against her administration. How I wish that the 2004 elections were automated. Had it been automated, we would have been in a better position now.

Prior to this, elections in this country reminds us of goons, guns and gold. Unfortunately, the 3Gs is still in vogue. Traditional politicians still used goons who killed 11 people and injured others. Guns were also seen a-blazing in several towns and gold, reared its ugly head last May 10. Many people got rich and voted for their preferred candidates anyway, trustful of the system and distrustful of those who gave them the monies.

With the manual count, candidates always think that they lost because someone cheated them. Cheating was the first " C" word in our vocabulary that whenever we say "manual elections", this word always crop up.

Now, with the automated elections, another "C" came out and very surprising, this "C" reminds us of the old Filipino trait which we lost, which is "humility".

It is like man has succumbed to the beauty and wiles of technology that most respect it without question. Probably, Filipinos' minds were wired to think that they can't fight machines. That machines always, always churned up the big and truthful matters.

Concede, a verb which, if used in the right way, gives us the feeling of comfort. When Nacionalista standard bearer Manny Villar conceded, it was like, everybody heaved a sigh of relief. What a gentleman, I dare say. So goes to JC delos Reyes, Gibo Teodoro, Dick Gordon and Eddie Villanueva. They went out of their way and accepted defeat. It is like they worshipped the very system which they all criticized before the elections.

That, for me, is new politics.

There are, of course, remnants of the old order who refuses to respect the system, the likes of former president Joseph Estrada who now trails Senator Benigno Aquino III by several millions. Estrada says he'll not file a protest; he only wants to know the real score after the canvassing of the votes. Good.

There is now one surprising revelation--that of a losing Vice Presidential candidate who, also conceded, but nevertheless put a poisonous potion in the "good feeling broth". Loren Legarda, who just gained nearly 10% support behind her VP bid, conceded but made a caveat--she accuses one VP candidate of trying to "go against the vote" through automated cheating. She did not identify the candidate but there are only two "suspects" if you will--Roxas and Binay. The popular suspicions point to Roxas because he's "moneyed". Yet, not everybody knows that Binay is not the "poor guy" that he once was. He's also "moneyed". Many, however, feel that only the one who trails the leader, will try to "cheat the system". Nah. Even more the leader to sustain his measly margin.

So, there are two contrasting uses of this verb "concede"---those who, like Manny Villar and the rest accepted their defeats without feeling bitter about it and the likes of Loren Legarda who used it nay with bitterness.

You can now identify who among our politicians still cherish the old order and those who now welcome the new order with open arms. To those who want change, may we now welcome the new leaders with relish and junk those who simply wish that we serve and worship them like old tyrants and masters.

Villar concedes to Aquino: This is the beginning of New Politics

For my friends, I am actually writing this somewhere in Northern Luzon. I just learned that Nacionalista party standard bearer Manny Villar has just conceded to Aquino who is still leading the presidential race.

I must laud Villar for doing so. That shows you how a gentleman Villar is. Villar, despite losing billions from his presidential entreprise is a person worth emulating. And I must apologize to Villar for writing those things about his campaign. As a friend of his brother Jojo, I must tell him the truth. Otherwise, I am not being a friend to him.

I ask former president Joseph Estrada to concede as well. There are reports that Erap plans to contest the results of the elections. Either this is meant to force a negotiations with their camp or not, the point that Erap should learn from all of these is simple---the time of traditional politics is over.

With the success of the automation quite obvious to everybody at this point, this is the beginning of the end to traditional politics. With still some twitches to the system, the automation would prove to be the saving grace of Philippine democracy.

Though the stinking feeling of some of my friends not making it to the Senate has clearly not set in, the realization that Noynoy Aquino is poised to become our 15th President as what I predicted in several posts, gives a sobering effect to me and my family. A certain claim pervades throughout the country, with the realization that as promised, a smooth transition of power is clearly on the horizon.

This day is also the day when new politicians like Alex Lacson, Joey de Venecia III and Susan Ople have tried to get into the groove of things without compromising their principles. Though they are headed towards possible defeat, what with a few millions separating them from known political brandnames, rest assured that we have not seen the last of them.

This day just proves one thing---the new Generation is now poised to replace the old guards. This new set of leaders will not fail. Change is definitely a few feet away from our grasps!

We must congratulate each and every Filipino for making this happen. We must thank the Comelec for implementing a highly successful automated elections system despite initial doubts.

Rightly so, dapat talagang umusbong ang mga pagpuna because it helped the Comelec improve the system.

What will happen now?

Aquino's victory will surely lead to the further diminution and dissolution of power of ascendant political groups. A new group of elites will surely dominate the political scene for the next few years. This group, whom I call the nationalist bourgeoisie, will dominate politics for the next six years.

Surely, the militarists among the elites will eventually "fade away". Strong traditional political groups will also be dismantled slowly. Democracy will continue.