So don’t vote if you don’t believe in elections, but still be involved in tomorrow’s political exercise
I am surprised by how desperately I want this elections to be different from the 2004 polls. Intellectually I understand all too well that the 2007 polls being free from fraud and violence is an impossibility akin to trying to stand staring at the sun for longer than 5 seconds. On all other levels, though? I am grimly hoping that at the least the fraud won’t be so massive; that no more people will die; that the Armed Forces of the Philippines will be caught red-handed as they implement the Arroyo administration’s fraud campaign; and Team Unity candidates will be eating dirt (lalo na sina Zubiri at Defensor na kay babata pa ay mga trapo na).
I do not believe in elections. I do not believe in any of the declarations that it is the most democratic exercise of political will of the Filipino people. I do not believe that elections are the main venues wherein the people’s voice is clearly (and for once) heard. I do not believe in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), I don’t believe in most politicians, and I don’t believe any genuine and positive social change can ever come as a direct result of elections.
What I do believe in, however, is the good will of many Filipinos volunteering to make the 2007 elections less dirty, less violent, less a venue for the Macapagal-Arroyo administration to cheat its way to victory. I believe in the spirit of honest and selfless volunteerism, and I am now ignoring my usual bitterness when it comes to the motives of people when it comes to elections (may perang makukuha, may sinusuportahang kandidato na pinagkakautangan ng loob, etc).
This morning Kim and I got our IDs, t-shirts, and pollwatcher manual from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting or the PPCRV which is said to be the ‘citizen arm’ of the Comelec. At 9am we were already in the community church, attending the last briefing for volunteers in preparation for tomorrow’s chaos.
It was a hopeful kind of gathering. No one harbored any illusions about the elections themselves being a sacred political exercise (aminado nga ang lahat na sobrang kadiri ang eleksyon at ang katatapos lang na kampanya), but there was a strong current of collective determination to not just stand by and let the cheats and thieves get away with manipulating the polls.
Socio-civic concern. Kahit sukang-suka ka na sa sistema, you still opt to do something about it even through simple volunteerism instead of just being dismissive and disgusted and staying at home on election day. It’s like saying - "May ginagawa ako bukod sa pagrereklamo. Hindi ako masisisi na nagsawalang-kibo habang nagkakagulo sa bayan ko."
It’s still a little depressing to see that there aren’t enough PPCRV volunteers, o sige na nga kahit NAMFREL volunteers.Everyone should go out on May 14 and guard the elections. The Police and the military are not allowed within 50 meters of the polling centers, but civilians are, and everyone who cares about what happens to the Philippines in the next three years should go out and guard the elections KAHIT HINDI NANINIWALA SA ELEKSYON MISMO.
Later this afternoon I will get our IDs laminated and tonight maybe I’ll even iron our PPCRV t-shirts (inexpensive oversized white cotton shirts that beg for respect for the wearer and what he or she is trying to stand for: clean and peaceful elections; paggalang sa karapatan ng bawat isang Pilipino na bumoto at huwag dayain, lokohin, o gawing mandaraya at luluko ng kurapsyon ng mga tradisyunal na pulitiko at ng mismong bulok na gobyerno).
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Tandaan! Isulat nang buo ang pangalang ALAN PETER CAYETANO sa listahan ng kandidatong susuportahan para senador.
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Ka Bel will be voting at 10 am tomorrow. Hindi pa rin siya nakakalaya, and it’s clear that he will only regain his freedom the moment Macapagal-Arroyo is no longer in power hopefully through another popular people’s uprising. Binola lang ng gobyerno ang Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) at pinaasa ang pamilya at mga kasamahan ni Bel na papalayain na siya through bail. Lesson: never trust the government’s word on freaking anything. For five minutes, nakalimot ako, tsk-tsk-tsk!
The campaign season came and went and he remained in his detention room at the Philippine Heart Center. It was very painful for him to have not been able to help in the campaign for Anakpawis Party-List. Even though he’s in his 70s, ordinarily wala pa ring kapagod-pagod si Ka Bel.
I’ve changed my mind. I will not vote for anyone from Team Unity - not even for Joker Arroyo. He still refuses to acknowledge the role of the AFP in the massive human rights violations in the country, and he’s still an apologist for Malacanang. I am grateful for his support for Ka Bel, pero hindi yun sapat para iboto ko siya.
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Tagumpay para sa mga progresibong Party-List ng Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela Women’s Party, Suara Bangsa Moro at Kabataan!
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