"No matter how we feel about the way other people decide whom to vote for, their vote is just as important as ours."
"No matter how we feel about the way other people decide whom to vote for, their vote is just as important as ours."
Less than two weeks from now, Filipinos will troop to polling precincts to vote for candidates they feel are suited to lead them.
After a campaign period that has seen alliances form, friendships break, accusations hurled, conspiracies denied, it will all come down to something intimate: An individual holding a ballot, using his or her conscience for guidance. This is the foundation of democracy.
The reality is that countless voters do not bother to evaluate the merits of a candidate, much less involve their conscience in this all-important decision.
The reasons that one has for voting for a particular candidate are that person’s alone, made in the sanctuary of the precinct. He or she does not need to defend or justify it. It’s a God-given right.
Meanwhile, we do what we can to help fix what we deem appalling standards that Filipino voters have.
Some months ago, a bunch of giddy female voters were interviewed why they were throwing their support behind a particular politician. They said it was because he was handsome. What about his billion-peso plunder case? They didn’t care, they said. He was handsome.
That video became viral on social media.
There is therefore a profound and deeply depressing truth in the saying that “the problem is not with the awful politicians running for office. The problem is the foolish people who continue to vote for them.”
Recent surveys have shown that voters choose candidates for their accessibility. “Madaling lapitan.” This means people like politicians who are always ready to help them in one way or another.
I have a congressman friend who lives in a village in Quezon City. One day I visited him at 10 in the morning at his home. I saw hundreds of people lined up at his gate.
I asked him what they were there for, and he said that happens every Saturday “when they know I am home.” The people come all the way from the province asking for so many things—money for the trip home, funerals, birthdays, anniversaries, uniforms for basketball teams. They stay for breakfast, lunch and dinner too.
I’m sure my friend spent an awful lot of money being accessible to his constituents. In my mind it’s all from pork barrel where a congressman gets a kickback from projects, ranging from 20 to 40 percent. His money comes from corruption, period.
It’s actually a vicious cycle. People who vote for them want a return on their votes. In turn, for politicians to meet the people’s needs, they resort to corruption.
That is the tragedy of our political system.
In spite of how we feel about how the majority votes, however, one thing is certain: Those votes are as valuable as ours, and they must be properly counted. That is the sad and painful reality of democracy. It all boils down to one thing—poverty.
With just a few days to go until election day, all efforts must be made to ensure a clean, honest and orderly polls. This year’s election is vital because it will be the first time since 2010 that the Comelec would be fully in charge of the automated system. Smartmatic will be hands-off.
To be fair, the disdain for Smartmatic is unwarranted. Since the time it took over in 2010, all 103 electoral complaints have had the same verdict: The electronic and manual counts yielded identical results.
Still, with Comelec at centerstage, it is up to the poll body to safeguard the very foundation of our democracy.
***
The latest Pulse Asia survey raises a lot of questions.
The entry of Lito Lapid as number 3, surpassing Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Koko Pimentel and JV Ejercito just validates that masa voters just rely on awareness. Lapid is a known TV and movie actor.
The same goes for Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla.
Then there are Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa, whose main qualification is their loyalty to President Duterte.
Another development is that Mar Roxas is no longer part of the Magic 12.
Still, who knows what will happen? Surveys are just surveys.
***
The said incident between Binay siblings Abby and Junjun would not have happened if Junjun just practiced the adage that a man should not quarrel with a woman.
Mayor Abby thus got the sympathy of Makati voters.
As for the political rivalry between them, all I can say is that the performance of Mayor Abby speaks for itself.
***
What was disturbing about that matrix on the alleged destabilization plot was that the source of the Palace was allegedly a foreign government. As we know, the story was released to a government-friendly newspaper.
Why is Malacañang relying on outside sources?
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