Thursday, May 24, 2007

Election Campaign Sorties?

Again many political 'wannabees' are now trying to hoop around many different places in our country. They are seemingly determined in extracting no honeys this time but votes from their constituents that serve as their life blood in building and strengthening their career in politics. A positive vote would mean their hope to find their seat in an elective office that promises meager salary but so glamoured with exorbitant perks and power-that-be. "Believe me not him!", as they rant and sling mires even killing each other. But they seem to be unified and harmonious in chanting their rhetoric's, to serve for the best interest of the public. In the guise of their commitment for public service, they spend so much money for their campaign by giving some dole outs to voters in exchange of the most needed votes in their favor. But when they move around to places within their area, they choose to be blinded with the situations of the roads they pass along the way. Lubak dito, doon...! Is this public service or just the usual outcome of the Department of Public Works? Why don't they just spend their money instead in repairing all these damaged streets for their constituents to enjoy travels to and from their homes? Think of this simple scenario my dear voters?

Political 'wannabees' during the campaign period flit and rush to places under the sweltering heat of the sun to entice the voters with smiles and handshakes. Others show their talents 'kuno' in dancing and singing. They look like flitting butterflies and stinging bees. May be they think that what is several days of campaign sacrifices when it means the crowning glory of their success for an elective office! The fact is, they are the artificial and masking individuals trying to level themselves with the masses just to gain some voters' sympathy. However, when they are already in their office they think no more of the people who voted for them and eventually send them to their elective seat in the government. All their focus now when elected (seemingly the busiest time for them) is how to get back all those money spent during their campaign and more so in enriching themselves by extracting no pure honey now but poor peoples money thru 'kick backs'. And of course giving back by means of business protections or appointive government positions, the 'utang na loob' to several padrenos who in one way or another help them financially in sponsoring their candidacy. The saddest tale of all these usual 'parang normal' practices is that our government ends up running the system ineffectively because political appointees without any brains to run the office efficiently are abound. They do nothing in their office except keeping themselves occupied in collecting protection money and 'cuts' by engaging anomalous deals with big-time treacherous businessmen who now tend to squeeze consumers hard earned money to buy their products at higher prices. And who are these consumers, are they not the impoverished masses?

On the other hand, most of our elected lawmakers are not that intelligent enough in weighing things down in enacting laws for the land to benefit the whole citizenry, not only for the privileged few. Regrettably, they keep on making and amending laws tailored to self serving interest. The will to serve the masses they advocated in their campaign is now placed in the sideline and shelved to forgetfulness. They would not even remember when was the last time Juan de la Cruz took his meal. They would not even care to think about what and how many times an ordinary Filipino eats in a day. Do we call it 'deadma'? Most of them choose to be crooks pocketing the large portion of the peoples money when they collect their salaries and allocations. And of course, they are always aware of hidden list of the 'cuts' they expect from treacherous contractors they poke to manipulate many overpriced government contracts. Their allocations are supposedly spent for viable projects within their area to benefit their constituents. However, because of the shameless manipulations of these corrupt officials government projects always end up with substandard quality. And what you see around now is nothing but damaged roads, lack of school buildings and classrooms, poorly trained teachers, hungry pupils, etc.? All these problems are left behind and unattended in their agenda because they keep themselves busy getting back their campaign money and enriching themselves in office. Many treacherous politicians speak in public like godly apostles of wisdom but behind the scene they wear in secret that satanic smile in irony. And silently they despicably smile and quip, "Mga bugok kayong lahat, bakit ibinuto ninyo ako. Kayo rin ang may kasalanan sa lahat ng mga ito!"

You may not be able to read this message before May 14, 2007 but I hope this will serve as a wake up call for the voting public to learn more the way how to choose a leader, though he or she may be the littlest of all evils. We can do great things by using the power of one vote. One vote is your vote. One vote for a better country where we live. Mabuhay ang mga patay para bumuto ngayong darating na eleksyon!

My Viewpoint...

Since the time when the Philippines experienced election as a democratic process, the word 'allegation' goes almost parallel with the word 'election'. The winner always claims the election is generally peaceful and that the people have spoken the truth, while the loser doesn't easily concede. The loser is not deplete with so much allegations. He has always that tendency to lodge a protest that there was a failure of election because of allege vote buying, cheating, forcible counting manipulation, etc. This kind of a scenario which is always happening during elections spells divisiveness and disunity among all of our political leaders and followers oftentimes taxing our will to move on and make a better and progressive society.
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When the first Philippine Republic was established in 1898 during the Spanish regime, Katipuneros in the name of Emilio Aguinaldo and Andres Bonifacio were in contention for the leadership, to become the first president. Andres Bonifacio, despite his fervent patriotism and strong leadership as founder of the clandestine society 'KKK' was unable to etch another milestone in history as the first president of the Philippine Republic. Emilio Aguinaldo got the big deal! He became the first president. The allegations were that Bonifacio was disqualified for not having a higher education, that the balloting was rigged and that the counting of votes was manipulated in Aguinaldo's favor in the absence of Andres Bonifacio. Because of these allegations, the bitterness in Bonifacio's heart became evident when he expressed non-support to the Aguinaldo's regime. This spelled some faction in the secret organization that cost Bonifacio's life. He was then assassinated in the mountains of Cavite by an unknown assailant allegedly a supporter of Aguinaldo.
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With this scenario the noble Filipino spirit symbolized in Bonifacio's 'KKK' started to lose its meaning. It now meant to me as 'Kanya Kanyang Kayod'! Divisiveness and disunity are the negative factors attached with the acronym haunting the minds of each and every living Filipino. When we look at where we are now with the emergence of globalization, our country still remains latent and sluggard among the countries of the world! One negative attribute to this plight is our 'crab mentality'. Filipinos have the brains, however, we use our brains to compete with one another resulting to divisiveness instead of uniting our efforts in building a strong Filipino nation. The fact for now is that we always ignore group effort that is why we fail to play as a team. We only excell in individual endeavor because we set our minds as individualist. I for one wanted to be an advocate of changing this 'crab mentality'. I have to do it to make it real! How about you?
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