Alvin Elchico
ABS-CBNNews.com
May 3, 2010


MANILA, Philippines – There is an alleged plan to try to disqualify Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III from the presidential race, Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel said on Monday.

The congresswoman, who’s running for a Senate seat under the LP, said the Nacionalista Party (NP) plans to use the fake psychological reports on Aquino as the bases for his disqualification from the presidential race.

“The mental health issue did not gain traction, so they now want to use the documents to file a disqualification case,” the congresswoman said. “Desperate men resort to desperate and foolish measures."

Senator Manuel Villar, NP presidential candidate, denied that his party has such plans.

“Apparently Risa is better informed than me,” Villar said. “I’m the NP president and I don’t know of such a plot."

However, Villar conceded that such an action is possible.

“I’m not saying that won’t happen,” he said. “What I’m saying is that so far, there is no such plan.”

NP spokesman Adel Tamano was more specific on his stand on the fake psychological reports.

Tamano declared that he will oppose any attempt to use these fake reports to push for Aquino’s disqualification from the presidential race.

The 2 psychological reports, which turned out to be fake after their supposed authors denied writing them, were used in 2 separate attempts to portray Aquino as mentally and psychologically unfit to be President of the Philippines.

Psychologists alarmed

Meanwhile, the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) denounced the use of fake psychological reports in the electoral campaign.

The group branded the fake psychological reports as “misuse of psychology” and “an affront to psychologists and to psychology as a discipline and profession.”

“These irresponsible actuations have dangerous long-term effects on efforts of Filipino psychologists and other mental health professionals to address the psychological well-being of Filipinos,” the PAP said in a statement released on Sunday.

The PAP said the results of psychological tests or assessments cannot be released to the media or the public or to any person other than the client.

“Any reputable individual psychologist or psychological organization ensures the practice of confidentiality and that the results of psychological tests or assessment are only shared with the client,” PAP said.

The PAP also denounced suggestions made by certain individuals to force political candidates to take psychological tests or assessments.

“Individuals cannot be subjected to psychological tests or assessment without their informed consent,” the PAP said. “Any reputable individual psychologist or psychological organization ensures that informed consent is acquired from the client before conducting psychological tests.”

The PAP also condemned the insinuation that depression is a permanent disability and the use of words like “abnoy”, ‘sira ang ulo’ and “may diperensiya sa utak” to label individuals.

“These irresponsible statements and similar acts perpetuate a profound lack of understanding of psychological concepts, of the nature of psychological problems and dysfunctions, and of the nature of psychological health and wellbeing,” the PAP said.


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