TASK FORCE 2010

In order to have a fair and meaningful elections next year, a number of workshops sponsored by the Task Force 2010 are held at the different regions to tackle various issues. In Region V, through the Simbahang Lingkod Bayan (SLB) and the Institute of Politics, the Ateneo de Naga University has recently hosted the Bicol Region Multisectoral Consultation Workshop with the focus: Ensuring the Right to Electoral Participation Giving Access to Vulnerable Sectors in 2010.

Solidarity

The workshop started with a dinner last 2 June 2009 at the Arrupe Convention Center participated by the different representatives from various schools and organizations in the region. Rene Gumba, Executive Director of the Institute of Politics, opened the event with his Welcome Remarks. It was soon followed by an introduction and description of Task Force 2010 given by Bro. IJ Chan-Gonzaga, S.J., the Director of the SLB. Representatives from the different sectors also shared their Solidarity Speeches, reaffirming their commitment and responsibility in the coming election.

The representatives who gave their speeches were Senior Superintendent Rudolfo Llorca  (Philippine National Police), Election Officer Alexander Marpuri (Commission on Elections), Atty. Myjee Nieves (Commission on Human Rights), Robert Dy (Caceres Social Action), Beda Priela  (University of Nueva Caceres and Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce Industry), and Atty. Mineta Estanislao (Archdiocese Church).

Awareness

In the following day, 3 June 2009, resource speaker Atty. Pelagio P. Señar, Regional Director of CHR-Region V, started the morning session by giving some important points concerning the individuals' Right of Suffrage as guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution, pointing that voters from the vulnerable sectors are much important in the coming 2010 election. Resource speaker Jess Pasibe, Associate Director for Political Affairs of (SLB), then gave a situationer and presentation of consultation outputs highlighting the reasons for not voting and non-registration (e.g. Climate of Distrust, Hopelessness and Cynism, National tendency of Political Disengagement, and Migration Diaspora). The Situationer was followed by another presentation, Elections from a Human Rights Perspective, shared by resource speaker  Ramil Andag of the Philippine Human Rights Information Center, citing suffrage as a basic human right as guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and highlighting the public as rights holders and the state as duty bearers. He also noted that it was the state's obligation to respect, protect, and fulfill the peoples' rights.

Commitment

After the presentations, the participants were then divided into specific teams for the focus groups discussions (various vulnerable sectors), they are the Youth/Newly Registered Voters, the Indigenous People, Persons with Disabilities, Migrant Workers, Detainees, Elderly, OFWs, and Internally Displaced Persons. Each group were given ample time to discuss their specific cases within their represented group, providing crucial evaluation and observations from the previous elections. The groups then gave their presentation showcasing their specific issues and problems, their solutions (materials and action plans) and time of implementation. There was then a synthesis of the presentations followed by a closing remark by IP Executive Director.

*The workshop was organized by the Commission on Human Rights and Task Force 2010 in Partnership with the Commission on Elections. The Activity was also supported by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the British Embassy.

**Photos courtesy of Rex Perez