Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Philippine Election 2013: Experiences and Insights

The recent election is no different from the previous ones. There's been so much buzz going on in the web and outside of the internet. There'd been too much noise caused by campaign jingles and debates, too many clutter caused by posters, flyers, and other campaign materials. And now, everyone is waiting for the election results. Although unofficial results are already in and counting for the official results is on the way (and more or less, we already have an idea as to who's in and who's not), many of us are still hoping for some sort of miracles.

I, for one, am hoping for one miracle. I only voted for 4 senatorial candidates, and my top Senator is Dick Gordon. Unfortunately, results show that he's only #13 in ranking, and only the Top 12 will be in. I NEED MY MIRACLE!

Anyway, here are some of my personal experiences during the previous election:

1. Vote buying. Everybody knows it's illegal, but it happens. In fact, families in our barangay received sample ballots from candidates, which contain a list of the endorsed candidates (from Senator to City Councilor) plus a neatly folded 200php enclosed in the ballot. And it's just one of the many. It's a sad reality, and it happens election after election.

2. People selling their votes. This is an even sadder reality. It's one thing to receive money from a running candidate, and it's another thing to vote for a candidate just because that candidate distributed a higher amount of money than his rival (yes, there are cases when all running candidates buy vote - the difference is the amount they shell out for the vote). It has become a business for some people during election. In fact, in some communities that I know, it has become a source of neighborhood conflict.

There's this one municipality with two candidates running for Mayor. Both candidates assign so-called 'leaders' in various barangays, and these 2 leaders have a list of names of all the voters in their community. Based on that list, the candidates will release a certain amount of money to the leaders, to be distributed to the voters in their community. However, there are times when a leader in one community will choose to keep the money and not distribute it. People will start asking: "Where is our money?" (Yes, there's this prevailing idea in the community that the people are entitled to that money). Then, leaders will start pointing fingers. Sometimes, they will tell people that their name is not included in the list, so there's no money for them. And then after the election, accusations fly and some even say that a candidate did not win because his chosen leader did not distribute the money to the people in the community. As if the vote is entirely dependent on the money.

Sadder reality? Yes. And to quote the Filipino saying, "May manloloko kasi may nagpapaloko."

3. Political dynasty beginning at the lowest level. I know of someone who is a barangay official and whose term is about to end. His family members are looking for someone (from the family) to replace him. They are convincing potential candidates from family and relatives to run in the coming local election. The one doing the 'recruitment' was even heard saying: "If I don't find someone from the family to replace him (the outgoing official), then I am the one who will run." Never mind whether the replacement is qualified or not. Never mind whether he will make for a good official or not. The important thing is that there is a replacement from the family.

We call for change on a national level. We call for the Binays, the Estradas, the Marcoses, and the many other political families to take shame and stop political dynasty, but I guess we must first look into our own small communities and address the problem right there.

The election process is about to end, and we are all about to start in our new journey with 12 new (or not so new) senators at the helm. All of us Filipino citizens have been given a chance to take control in electing 12 leaders, but that chance is now gone. Complaining about the election results and criticizing those who are elected will not do us any good. (I also complained loudly when I saw the initial results, but I realized it's out of my hands now.)

To all those who voted, congratulations for exercising your right. And if our chosen candidates will not make it, let's hope and pray that those elected will be able to do their job well and let's do our part in making our country better. Let's stop the criticisms; all these can possibly do is distract the elected candidates from the job that is waiting for them, and we do not want that to happen. We want them focused and determined. Let's give these candidates a chance.

And to all those who did not vote, please stop complaining. You say you're paying taxes, too, so you have the right to complain. But guess what, paying taxes is not your only obligation. Participating in the election is also your obligation (it's not only a right; it's an obligation, too). Your not voting automatically means that you surrender the decision-making to those who are voting and you will respect WHOEVER is elected.

After all of this, whoever is elected, we must all know that this is not the end of it all. Our leaders make up just one part of the whole; the remaining part is made up of all the Filipinos. And in the end, the future of our country will depend on the collaborative efforts of our leaders and ourselves. Our leaders may not be perfect, but we can always make up for their imperfections - one person at a time, one small effort at a time.