The Manila Times, Opinion, Letter
June 17, 2004

Pimentel did the right thing

THIS refers to your interesting story, “Palace tells Nene to pipe down” (Manila Times, June 14, 2004.) We should be glad we have a senator who is interested to know the truth on who really won in the presidential and vice-presidential elections on May 10 in the person of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. What I can’t understand is why Malacañang does not want to know the truth and follow the election laws. Is this because Malacañang is hiding something wrong? When the President’s spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, says, “The people are already getting impatient,” I agree with him if he is referring to the people in Malacañang and administration partisans. But right-thinking Filipinos like me are not getting impatient because we want the truth and not deception. Together with millions of Filipinos, I insist that accuracy, not speed, and truth, not deception, should only govern the tabulation of the Certificates of Canvass. Unless this is done this important job of senators and congressmen could easily be carried out even by idiots with a good calculator. When all is said and done, Senator Pimentel will emerge the hero of the May 10 election because he is doing the right thing.

Oscar R. Landicho
Sydney, Australia