The Burdens in Winning Elections: A Political Scenario
May 8. Two days more to go. Leaders of the candidates are drawing the winning streak. Strategies formulated from the past election experience was soon to be obsolete. Voters stigma seems a burgeoning malady on the side of those who wills to win a seat for the local elective posts.
This day seems to be an never-ending analysis and decision-making process for all the candidates. Telephones and cellphones rang intermittently or even continuedly without let up as the field agents of each candidates are trying to envelope upon their own efforts the burden of convincing the voters to their side. The voters are adamant and would not let go of their enticing. They have decided already. Others are a little bit confused of what's going on, expecting that "something" is going to be cooked up by the aspirants. They get ready into it. They waited along the streets and highways were luxurious cars and wabbled-buggy trucks and jeepneys are driving fast beyond its natural pace. These vehicles were clogged with streamers all around equipped with microphone and amplifiers so to speak. Tricycles on the other hand race their tracks with almost the same equipment of microphone and amplifier.
Moreso, some of the barangay officials and barangay employees were having meetings with the candidates surreptitiously with unknown envelopes where people have been thinking about either money is there or a couple of instructions from their favored candidates was mailed by hand. Nobody knows.
The political stalwarts in the province of Camarines Sur, on the other hand, are trying to analyze their winning stance. They called a meeting with their henchmen and asked them what's going on at their respective places of coverage. Monitoring was on the go! Not one can miss the opportunities of knowing what’s going on in the field. People need to be contacted for certain conferences, either overtly or covertly. Political financiers are also tagging their means to assure their supported candidate that the needed funds is already available in the bank for disposition. Some even have been withdrawn to finance the miscellaneous undertakings at hand to the joy of the candidates and their minions.
Some candidates for senators have already conntacted their people in the province assuring them of support when they get elected.
The Political spectrum now on the verge of either disunity or division. But the candidates are trying to amass a lot of would-be supporters an their backyard. Keeping them, by providing foods and snacks, or even liquor drinks and others. People are getting used to coming the house and enjoy the prepared refreshers and hospitality shown to them by the ushers and usherettes who are either hired or volunteers.
May 9. The expected rest for all the campaign sortie, but the campaign is going to be formally ended at 12:00 midnight, so, there’s still a lot of time for visiting some friends who were not reached during the campaign. Relatives were coming in to visit their candidate even those who are not within the jurisdiction of the political division of each towns and cities. They come like a swarming bees equipped with fallacious greetings or even bad news from their supposed supporters. Everytime, they have with them solicitation envelopes related to their fiesta celebrations or inter-barangay tournaments and many other insurmountable reasons that they could get just to obtain the needed funds for such an activity. (Sssshhhh...this is secret: Some of the money raised were kept inside their pockets specially those envelopex kept opened. The same envelope is being used to another candidate...ha ha ha...wise enough...yes, it’s really wise enough to raise funds easily with the lofty spell!)
May 9, 12:00 midnight. Vehicles were running around the highways and barangay roads like a racing event. People are picked up by certain political leaders for an interview with the candidates; while on its way, the fetcher negotiates with a big smile. He proposes something much promising than the others did. Thence, the envelope which contains the amount as proposed is being handed down to the expectant recipient. Sometimes, the travel would not last up to the supposed destination, it stops in a certain place then letting go of the picked-up people. (This is another technique of vote-buying.) For all we know, inside a car or any vehicle for that matter is a nice place of vending votes!)
Meanwhile, candidates with insufficient funds could not expect a high trend of voting opportunity. Why? People would go for a price! Never mind the sacredness of the ballot, it’s the time to collect from the candidates, they said.
Nighttime, sacks of rice on board a truck was delivered everywhere. The destination is sporadic. People are amazed of such mobility and the swiftness of delivery. Thence, leaders are calling up the number of people who will help them re-pack the sacks of rice by kilos. Everybody participated with amusing smiles and surprising astonishments.
May 10. D-Day. Everyone is busy preparing the breakfast, snacks, and lunch. The candidates have given the fund or some of their friends have delivered a number of kilos of pancit and meat and other ingredients purposely for the refreshment of the voters.
Stories ran out. News are everywhere that certain number of sacks of rice were delivered to such and such. Others have already collected their share. They encourage others to do the same. They followed with blind obedience.
Voters are getting started to swarn the voting places; looking up their names on the list while other find their names, a few murmured finding themselves out of the list. They reported the matter to the local COMELEC office. They were denied to vote for nobody have known them in the place. Others would not want to support because they are identified with the opposing group. Not one lift their hands when the COMELEC officers asked a confirmation inquiry about his/her personal circumstance. Very intriguing indeed.
3:00 P.M. Voting is stopped, counting of ballots commenced. The watchers are now languishing their stomach aches. They needed to get food and some rest. It take a matter of time to count the casted ballots. In their absence, manipulations are going on; while other remained blind, others are openly doing the risk of their lives!
May 11. A lot of scenarios were published and even broadcasted in all radio stations. The local newspapers and tabloids are getting ahead of hand for people are amused with the nude pictures that attracts them. Never mind the news headlines, just get on with it later. The national televisions are having their own hay; interviews are everywhere. Radio stations are playing wild, banterings and bickerings are everywhere; no one knows what to believe and what is not believable. Take your pick....
These four days observations by this writer is a clogged-up dues and I could not keep it inside my heart and mind. I need an outlet. Indeed, I’m lost. Confused. I needed to shout at the hilt! I needed to relax and let my fingers roll in front of the computer. This is my only consolation as I become witness of these tremendous burden that my own people themselves are hauling for their own load.
I can only say that the future of my country may look bleak but there is still faith that embraces all in necessity!
This day seems to be an never-ending analysis and decision-making process for all the candidates. Telephones and cellphones rang intermittently or even continuedly without let up as the field agents of each candidates are trying to envelope upon their own efforts the burden of convincing the voters to their side. The voters are adamant and would not let go of their enticing. They have decided already. Others are a little bit confused of what's going on, expecting that "something" is going to be cooked up by the aspirants. They get ready into it. They waited along the streets and highways were luxurious cars and wabbled-buggy trucks and jeepneys are driving fast beyond its natural pace. These vehicles were clogged with streamers all around equipped with microphone and amplifiers so to speak. Tricycles on the other hand race their tracks with almost the same equipment of microphone and amplifier.
Moreso, some of the barangay officials and barangay employees were having meetings with the candidates surreptitiously with unknown envelopes where people have been thinking about either money is there or a couple of instructions from their favored candidates was mailed by hand. Nobody knows.
The political stalwarts in the province of Camarines Sur, on the other hand, are trying to analyze their winning stance. They called a meeting with their henchmen and asked them what's going on at their respective places of coverage. Monitoring was on the go! Not one can miss the opportunities of knowing what’s going on in the field. People need to be contacted for certain conferences, either overtly or covertly. Political financiers are also tagging their means to assure their supported candidate that the needed funds is already available in the bank for disposition. Some even have been withdrawn to finance the miscellaneous undertakings at hand to the joy of the candidates and their minions.
Some candidates for senators have already conntacted their people in the province assuring them of support when they get elected.
The Political spectrum now on the verge of either disunity or division. But the candidates are trying to amass a lot of would-be supporters an their backyard. Keeping them, by providing foods and snacks, or even liquor drinks and others. People are getting used to coming the house and enjoy the prepared refreshers and hospitality shown to them by the ushers and usherettes who are either hired or volunteers.
May 9. The expected rest for all the campaign sortie, but the campaign is going to be formally ended at 12:00 midnight, so, there’s still a lot of time for visiting some friends who were not reached during the campaign. Relatives were coming in to visit their candidate even those who are not within the jurisdiction of the political division of each towns and cities. They come like a swarming bees equipped with fallacious greetings or even bad news from their supposed supporters. Everytime, they have with them solicitation envelopes related to their fiesta celebrations or inter-barangay tournaments and many other insurmountable reasons that they could get just to obtain the needed funds for such an activity. (Sssshhhh...this is secret: Some of the money raised were kept inside their pockets specially those envelopex kept opened. The same envelope is being used to another candidate...ha ha ha...wise enough...yes, it’s really wise enough to raise funds easily with the lofty spell!)
May 9, 12:00 midnight. Vehicles were running around the highways and barangay roads like a racing event. People are picked up by certain political leaders for an interview with the candidates; while on its way, the fetcher negotiates with a big smile. He proposes something much promising than the others did. Thence, the envelope which contains the amount as proposed is being handed down to the expectant recipient. Sometimes, the travel would not last up to the supposed destination, it stops in a certain place then letting go of the picked-up people. (This is another technique of vote-buying.) For all we know, inside a car or any vehicle for that matter is a nice place of vending votes!)
Meanwhile, candidates with insufficient funds could not expect a high trend of voting opportunity. Why? People would go for a price! Never mind the sacredness of the ballot, it’s the time to collect from the candidates, they said.
Nighttime, sacks of rice on board a truck was delivered everywhere. The destination is sporadic. People are amazed of such mobility and the swiftness of delivery. Thence, leaders are calling up the number of people who will help them re-pack the sacks of rice by kilos. Everybody participated with amusing smiles and surprising astonishments.
May 10. D-Day. Everyone is busy preparing the breakfast, snacks, and lunch. The candidates have given the fund or some of their friends have delivered a number of kilos of pancit and meat and other ingredients purposely for the refreshment of the voters.
Stories ran out. News are everywhere that certain number of sacks of rice were delivered to such and such. Others have already collected their share. They encourage others to do the same. They followed with blind obedience.
Voters are getting started to swarn the voting places; looking up their names on the list while other find their names, a few murmured finding themselves out of the list. They reported the matter to the local COMELEC office. They were denied to vote for nobody have known them in the place. Others would not want to support because they are identified with the opposing group. Not one lift their hands when the COMELEC officers asked a confirmation inquiry about his/her personal circumstance. Very intriguing indeed.
3:00 P.M. Voting is stopped, counting of ballots commenced. The watchers are now languishing their stomach aches. They needed to get food and some rest. It take a matter of time to count the casted ballots. In their absence, manipulations are going on; while other remained blind, others are openly doing the risk of their lives!
May 11. A lot of scenarios were published and even broadcasted in all radio stations. The local newspapers and tabloids are getting ahead of hand for people are amused with the nude pictures that attracts them. Never mind the news headlines, just get on with it later. The national televisions are having their own hay; interviews are everywhere. Radio stations are playing wild, banterings and bickerings are everywhere; no one knows what to believe and what is not believable. Take your pick....
These four days observations by this writer is a clogged-up dues and I could not keep it inside my heart and mind. I need an outlet. Indeed, I’m lost. Confused. I needed to shout at the hilt! I needed to relax and let my fingers roll in front of the computer. This is my only consolation as I become witness of these tremendous burden that my own people themselves are hauling for their own load.
I can only say that the future of my country may look bleak but there is still faith that embraces all in necessity!
posted by Unknown | Friday, May 14, 2004
