In a matter several hours or a couple of days, scions from different political clans or dynasties will be celebrating their victories in their respective political races. Winners will be mostly gambling lords, drug lords, warlords or overlords in their respective political domains. These are unscrupulous men and women who are used to being called “political elites” and whose lust for power, prestige and people’s money remain unabashed and will be far more ready to devour whatever political resource that they could hold.
They have evolved indeed from the previous elections. They’ve become much greedier, they’re more aggressive than ever, undaunted and remain unfazed by the electorate’s criticisms of them and their malpractices. They have developed immunity from their opponents’ political mudslinging and much worse is even resorting not only with character assassinations but with political violence as well.
Many of our political candidates which will be declared winner this afternoon or tomorrow will have faces possessed by or resembling those of showbiz personalities. They have gone much good-looking now. Majority would exhibit a more pleasant and dignified look. What a great investment indeed for being a racketeer. But behind such radiant and enticing mask are the ulterior motives of robbing us unceasingly, their gusto of prolonging our agonies and painfully slamming us hard on poverty to extend our country’s state of hopelessness, a condition which they always thrive.
More or less majority of the 50 million of our country’s voting population will march to the precincts, totally duped to cast each their vote. A vote that will confirm that only political dynasties should rule more than any other alternative, a vote that will reflect that we commend thieves more than the honest, a vote that will tell it’s much better to elect scandalous philanderers, predators and rapists, pathological liars, religious hypocrites, pretenders and goofs than those who aren’t.
We will howl against all forms of electoral fraud but realizing that majority of those who will win have resorted in such schemas in order to secure their targeted posts. Election irregularities won’t just exist in the periphery of the polling centers where we will be voting, they have long started since campaign day one. Vote buying would be as innovative as attempting to tamper the voting machines, its bandwidth and source code.
We appreciated becoming running candidates’ test subjects and like guinea pigs, we have been bombarded and injected with TV and Radio Political Adverts. We have been mind-conditioned by their constant and controlled surveys. Somehow, even the very citadel of our religious beliefs have blurred and flawed our political reasoning by citing that endorsements in a form of pastor’s teachings, a cardinal’s pastoral letter or a religious leader’s anointment is considered willed and handiwork of god ergo we adhere to it up to the ballot.
Later or in a couple of days there will be validation of our worst fears. Although most of us would dare say that we would not vote the crooks, how sure are we that these scoundrels won’t win? How are we going to justify voting for political candidates from political dynasties are just so practical? When we’ll we realize that it’s a fact they’re all over 73 of 80 provinces in our country? Will we tell ourselves that we simply don’t have any choice, for mathematically there might be a possibility that 80% of the members of both chambers of the legislative branch and 70% percent of the elected posts in the executive branch will be occupied by personalities from political clans?
Just shortly, victors who have spent millions while celebrating and accepting accolades from their supporters and voters will start computing their projected “ROIs” in the next 3-6 years vis-à-vis recently incurred campaign expenses. We’re already accustomed by asking how can such loses be recovered by elected officials’ meager monthly salary for one term if they won’t turned corrupt and rob public coffers in the coming months or years. Deep inside, even the losers won’t cry that they are truly defeated. Elections are not only a business venture, for political candidates, it’s always been a fund-raising hobby. All candidates ask generous donors and supporters for money for their campaign chest that would reach millions only to spend less than half that they received and pocket the rest. No wonder Philippine elections have become a con circus as if voters expensively pay for only good-for-nothing and deadbeat entertainers advertised as “outstanding” performers.
In the next few hours or the next day, the candidate who has committed the most atrocious acts of terrorizing political constituents because of massive control of local police and military forces, possessing private armies or paramilitary groups and hiring paid assassins will just confidently look ahead and be wary of next election’s prospective opponent further solidifying the political clout which is feared by any voter.
As it will be exposed shortly in the counting, the marginalized sectors will become the watering hole of desperate politicians who fears retiring. They will rejoice like their lives were rejuvenated or been lent another lifetime for indeed it will be an extension of their political life and a matter of political survival. Even those who advocated violence and rebellion will continue to exploit this marginal tactic for their political goals.
The trend of family ventures in politics forever serves as bad news for anyone aspiring for a political slot. We have witnessed family members switching posts, kin members alternating in electoral posts, brood members campaign and work in tandems. Worse the entire family and/or clans will lord it and fight it out among themselves as not to allow anyone outside the group to get the coveted political prize.
Coming down the pike, these candidates will commit the most common lapses by simply reneging principles, breaking promises and forgetting their oaths to their constituencies. Never mind the environment, for victors and losers alike will just leave behind their campaign materials to litter everywhere. Almost majority of them will not dare take down their banners and tarpaulins that are tied or clung in MERALCO posts and communication lines that often cause service inconvenience. Even politicians who promised to protect Mother Nature will abandon this battle hymn of recycling and properly disposing campaign rubbish if ever they lost the race.
And finally, in just a matter of time, we will probably consider pegging the price of our own vote. Is it worth it to peddle or auction our votes to the highest bidder? At what cost? Surely we will inquire the cost of this sacred political exercise, get intrigued of how much a candidate can spend in order to win or lose this election. And perhaps even quantify whether there’s really hope worth hoping in a political arena where only political clans, swindlers, spin doctors and cheats get to win most of the time.
But moments from now until majority of the election results are due Tuesday, we’ll realize that nothing will really change. We will still feel the same amazement that the old types, those who would fool us in the next 3-6 years including the few recycled, replacement or pretentious reformist ones will emerge triumphant. Except of course, if the voters start not voting for any of them and change the manner they vote. I don’t know if responsible and educated voting is anathema to Philippine elections or we just had that penchant of committing the same election blunders over and over. Curse of realpolitik?
Enough!
