STILL MEAN VOICES: A POINT OF PREPONDERANCE

 

Just recently the COMELEC released the names of 8 presidentiables and 8 vice presidentiables as well as the 58 senatorial candidates. Meaning to say, the COMELEC is intend to trim down the number of candidates for the highest and second positions, and senators of the land to facilitate their main objective of computerizing the results of election, both national and local. It dismayed a lot of low profile or no-profile-at-all candidates charging COMELEC is delimiting the number of candidates just for the purpose of easy and immediate determination of the winners come May 2010. Possibly true!

To the constitutionalists, such COMELEC move deprives other aspirants; to lawyers, it outrightly misjudge the person; to the skeptics, it certainly is the need, but not an assurance of no-cheating scheme; the doubters do not trust the machines in counting the votes and also cynical about the teachers who will serve as election officers. However to party volunteers, it would be a lost opportunity for earning.

Election is employment time. A lot of candidates field out their pool of volunteers (or paid volunteers) to protect their votes; and the so-called non-partisan groups clad in future political inclinations will swarm the way while warring to win the attention of the media. Well, do not discount the soothsayers and black propagandists streaming their way in to get the attention of their friends-candidates, and fit in their way to be “rapid talkers” and “flood surfers”.

What are rapid talkers and flood surfers? Well, let me give you some definitions on these new clip words.

Rapid talkers are tipsy drinkers. They are composed of at least three or four persons. One talks while others listen and take notes while distributing pamphlets. They pretend to know their candidates good enough. Make up good stories to boost the esteem of their party or candidates. They collect information for each of their candidates and ask permission to add up his own ideas. When all is approved, they pronounce in rapid talk (to minimize time) every bit of information they have. By the end of the day, rapid talkers collectively recall and evaluate every word they remember about last night’s presentation. By the beginning of a new presentation, adjustments will be made to make it up the other night’s errors or mistakes. You know, rapid talkers plan every word to beat time. They are either the candidates themselves or otherwise.

Flood surfers are researchers and “goods” deliverer. We can call them as pawn workers, the bargainers, negotiators, or night emissaries. They identify leaders of the opposing party, conducts background investigation, search weaknesses before surfing in to win the heart of these identified leaders. Sometimes, we can call them as “intimidators” or “predators”. The goods that they usually bring with them are either “money in the envelop” or “relief goods” whichever is appropriate in a certain hostile political arena where the opposition is strong. We can call them also as the “sharks” or “leeches” who keep the flood of money or goods for their own and let alone their candidates lose in the race.

By the way, rapid talkers and flood surfers can be rolled into one. We call them the expert predators of candidates. They are in chameleon’s cunning disguise.

Just recently I conducted a personal random survey on friends, ordinary people who are frequently involve during elections, with this question: Anong nahihiling mo sa kada eleksyon? (What do you think you see every election?) And you know what they say? Well, sit tight, I’ll tell you. Here are the five common answers:

A vendor when ask about the May 2010 election responded with a full-blown smile and said: “Darayaan naman, anong labot ko” (It’s cheating time again! Anyway, who cares? ” A tricycle driver also shared his experience by saying: “Mabaha naman an perak. Maray man, ta makabawi lamang kita. Pirme na sanang sinda, kita na man daw.” (Money will flood. It’s good, we can claim payback. It’s always them, it’s us this time.) A port worker when asked, he said: “Aw, kun siisay an may perak, seguradong gana! Mayo man pobreng minagana sa eleksyon.” (Well, whoever got the money, surely wins! Poor people don’t win elections.) A fisherman quips this way: “Maski siisay an ikaag mo sa pangogobyerno, mayo man kanultulan an gobyerno ta. Anas nanggad kurakot. Aw inda!” (Whoever is elected, there is nothing good in our government. Everyone is corrupt. Aw forget it!) A professional public school teacher shared his experience: “Puruyatan naman, tapos darayaan. Tapos libakon pa kaming iyo an paradaya. Mayong padumanan. Tultol ka, libakon kang raot; kun raot, inoomaw ka. Ribong baga ang eleksyon! (It’s sleeping late, and cheating. Then they’d accuse you a cheater. There is no direction. When you are good, they say you are evil; when you are evil, you are adored. Election is crazy thing!)

I believe everything they said is true. I just wonder when was the last time that there was a clean and honest election taken place in our country, local or national. As I can see today and the very first day that I casted my vote in a voting place in an election for Kabataang Barangay (KB) before, elections is marred with lots of genuine cheating spell. Everybody is involved except a few who dared not. Even the last election for Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) overshadowed a traditional cheating spree from every corner of every small unit, the family, of our society. The youth is aware and possibly they are learning good enough to engage themselves in politics as well.

When the father or mother runs for elective position, a son or daughter, runs for a lower position. Dynamism in political exercises is in the blood of everyone. When the father learns the technique of winning, it is shared to everyone in the house. Politics, as they say, is a good business venture aside from getting into your stream the fame, power, and influence. When you are good at it, then, you can make up your own dynasty. Every birth of a child of a politician, surely become a politician someday; every wedding occasion, child baptism, anniversaries and parties, are great opportunities to settle votes. Every activity is great opportunity. What else?

Anyway, I’d like to remind you, you can be a politician just as long as you qualify the COMELEC’s standard or as provided for by law.

The May 2010 elections? Let’s get to it. And yet, let us build a point of preponderance, whoever wins get the head.

Good heavens!