In my mind, the mid-term elections is already hobbling along – like a maimed beggar seeking alms of credence; like that famous race between a tortoise and a hare except the tortoise was given an invisible skateboard, rather than wit and perseverance, to win the race.

The Commission on Elections ruined it for me when they accredited party-lists with hidden roots emanating from the Office of External Affairs of the Office of the President. That they had to be told by the Supreme Court to reveal the names of the nominees tell us that this is one agency that will not go out on a limb just to prove its competence and credibility.

Then a Comelec division composed of Commissioners Brawner, Ferrer and Borra rendered a decision declaring Magsaysay Awardee and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo as an alien citizen. This despite a decision written by the Comelec en banc on August 5, 2003 declaring Jesse Robredo as a Filipino citizen. To his credit, Borra dissented from the opinions of Brawner and Ferrer, law classmates of KAMPI President and CamSur Gov. Villafuerte. Villafuerte’s son is Robredo’s opponent. One plus one. Do the math.

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay was taken aback by a preventive suspension served by the DILG between 8 to 9 pm last Friday. According to DILG Undersecretary Marius Corpuz, their office had no choice but to implement the order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman. Waiting until Monday would give the city mayor little time to prepare for a hearing scheduled by the Ombudsman on Tuesday of next week. How fast the hands of justice move — when applied with remarkable tenacity backed up by a sizeable police contingent. On my radio program (’Global Pinoy’, every 5.30 to 6.30 pm, DWIZ 88.2 AM), Usec Corpuz said the order means that Mayor Binay must now turn-over the mayorship to his vice-mayor unless the opposition leader is able to secure a TRO.

It also bears watching that while on the surface this election is still the opposition versus the administration, the ideological undercurrents have also converted the polls into a Left vs Right boxing match – hence, the AFP’s advocacy campaign versus the insurgents & vice-versa.

All the disappearances, unsolved killings, harassments and inconsistent application of election laws tell us that May 14 will not likely go down like a spoonful of sugar. More likely, it’ll be the bitter pill that will make us gag and sweat and ponder and fret and ask — what the heck is happening to our country? I hope the heavens will intervene and prove this trend wrong.

Eight days to go. Watch and pray. After you vote, stick around with phone cameras handy. Be alert and remember, evil will flourish only if good people let it.