Another woman president

It's a girl. Again. This time it was rather surprising because Argentina is often thought of as a macho country, but that must have been before the advent of Evita Peron, the idol of the masses. The new girl is now the president of Argentina , but she is no neophyte in politics. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was not only the first lady – her spouse is the outgoing president – but she has also been serving the country as a senator. Now she is the president.

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Oh there were powerful women in the recent history of the country. There was Eva, more fondly known to her people as Evita. When she died of cancer, her husband married Isabel, who also tried to exercise power, but didn't last. The incoming one, Cristina, aside from being a very attractive woman, is also a very intelligent one. A lawyer, she is even said to have been the one prodding her husband into his alleged achievements. And she won over 13 opponents, too.

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She managed to do what Hillary Clinton of the United States is still working on. Of course Hillary is also a former first lady, and also a lawyer. Aside from that, she, too, is a senator, so their records seem to be parallel. Since Hillary is believed to be a shoo-in for the presidency, she will soon be on the same level as Cristina. But, do you know that if fate and EDSA I had not intervened, the record of having a first lady succeeding her president husband would have gone to the Philippines ? Everybody knew then that Imelda Marcos was already positioning herself to take her husband's place.

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Well, we got through the barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections in what could be described as a relatively peaceful activity. Perhaps the fact that these two groups had not held an election for several years now must have chastened them somehow. Reports said this was one of the biggest polls ever, with some 51.3 million voters registered, and a turnout of from 70 to 85 percent. It's a very good sign, it means people are more conscious of their duty to vote. Let us hope this will assure that they will be more vigilant when another election comes around.

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We still don't know how the bill filed by a Mindanao congressman seeking for the abolition of the sangguniang kabataan will fare, but it should signal those who were elected yesterday that they should do better than their predecessors, if they want to keep their representation. The young people are not serving as volunteers, they get paid handsomely, and we should make them accountable for the government funds that goes to them. I hear that the 2008 budget is allocating P5 BILLION for the SKs. Had that much gone to waste in the years past when they just got paid, and did not even have to get re-elected?

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Even before the day was over, news already came out that the Comelec had to declare failure of election in 25 barangays of Sulu. So who's surprised? There were also reports of election irregularities in Maguindanao. But Lintang Bedol is no longer the head of the Comelec there, is he? Where is Bedol, by the way? The Comelec has meted him six months and a fine for contempt, but they have to find him yet. He could prove to be even more wily than Garci.

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The exodus of people from urban areas to the provinces started in the past weekend when the reason for going home was to vote. But there are only two days before it will be All Saints Day and I am sure many of those who left the cities Friday or Saturday must have found an excuse to stay on for that important holiday, one of the traditional “musts” for Filipinos. And then there will only be one more day and it will be Saturday, so many will surely be taking extended vacations this week. And that's what Pinoy workers look out for, you know.

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Meanwhile, brace yourself for another round of increases in the cost of oil. The latest news from the wires say that oil has gone up to $93 per barrel, and that doesn't sound good for all of us suffering consumers. It seems as if everytime one goes to a gas station, one is met with a different price – one that is higher. No wonder trisikads and tricycles are so difficult to get off the streets.*

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