At least 36 people were killed in last Monday’s Sangguniang Kabataan and barangay elections. One hundred congressmen and local officials were involved in vote-buying. It cannot be fake news reported by the “troublesome and irresponsible media.” This was according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government whose nationwide report was culled from the Philippine National Police and Commission on Elections reports.
What would be fake news is when certain officials describe the recent elections as “generally peaceful” which certainly it was not. The political exercise in “grassroots democracy” has become so dirty and no different from the big league politics played the pros. The Comelec and particularly public school teachers who are always at the vanguard of our elections did their best. Around 500,000 teachers were deputized to serve as members of the Board Election Inspectors. But many voters complained the list of voters was so muddled, and many of them could not find their names in polling precincts where they are supposed to be listed. This resulted in long lines and frayed tempers with some unable to vote.
At stake in the SK and barangay elections were one seat for chairperson and seven seats for kagawad or councilmen in each of the 42,044 barangays nationwide.
Why has this election of local officials at the lowest level become so hotly contested? The reason is that big-time politicians, particularly congressmen, governors, and mayor supports their own respective barangay candidates. Why? Elementary—having the support of SK and barangay officials are key components to the election of congressmen, governors and mayors. This is crucial to winning in next year’s senatorial, congressional and local elections.
This, plus the power and perks that come with the posts of the barangay chairman and kagawad (board members). The kapitan barangay (chairman) has a salary ranging from P17,000 to P20,000 a month. He has power and influence because he is the community’s point man in local affairs. He’s the one you’re supposed to go to when one has a problem of employment or financial nature. The barangay chairman is a congressman’s extension to his constituents, The kapitan or kapitana is the one who brings your problem for help with the district representative in the lower House.
Other local problems such as road repair, building a community bridge, evacuation, rescue and relief operations in the event of fire, typhoon or earthquake are brought by the barangay to the attention of higher officials. Woe to the barangay official who did not support the congressman in his district. There will be no public works projects for this community because the congressman won’t make any representation with the Office of the President for budget allocation.
This is the irony of the SK and barangay elections specially on the young SK candidates who are exposed to how dirty the political game is played in this country. The elected local officials at this level should be the ones to control the traditional politicians to make a change in how government is being run. But by accepting money for their campaign, the elected SK and barangay candidates become indebted to the tradpols. Thus the cycle of corruption is perpetuated at the grassroots level.
Many forms of fraud and cheating were reported by voters. Aside from the direct vote buying, there is also the subtle form of coercion and payback time expected by the tradpols on their community scholars. “Either you vote for my candidate or you lose your scholarship.” Indigent students and parents are vulnerable to this “or else” blackmail. Aside from having access to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for medical assistance to indigent people, lawmakers have under their miscellaneous or pork barrel funds a list of scholars. Scholars of course are poor deserving students but often many of them are relatives of lawmakers or relatives of supporters.
With this nefarious political practice, is it any wonder why our culture of corruption has been so ingrained in the people that there might be little hope for meaningful change? This may not be the right attitude or mind frame to have, but it is the reality in this benighted land.
