I got my first dose of indelible ink on my fingertip. It meant I voted for the first time. But it wasn't a pleasant experience though. The reason I voted was because I would rather not waste my right to suffrage and maybe because I would not want to waste my opportunity to make a difference in a way. Here is an excerpt of my conversation with my mother:
Geneva (G): What is the point of exercising my right to suffrage if those candidates in our place are not worthy enough to be voted? It's just like I'm wasting my time.
Mama (M): Then why did you register in the first place? Don't tell me that crap.
G: Well, because I thought there will be someone who seems capable enough to handle the position. And maybe for the additional grade.
M: Don't waste your chance. Umuwi ka na. Hinihintay ka na ng papa mo.
(My mother is a voter in Makati and my father and I are in Manila.)
Thinking about not voting was a grave mistake. I realized it. I ought to do my part in my community doing this? What if the "right" one was those candidates in my mind and they only need one point to be in the position? Whew, I would feel guilty about it.
If you were in my place, the situation was disheartening. Instead of stating their plans and changes that they'll implement, which are of utmost importance, they'll tell you not to vote the other party, which was actually a big nonsense. And the candidates, whew, I frankly say my impression on them. It seemed that they do not know the position they were running for. I would be more than glad to ask them what would they be doing once they got their seat but I opted to keep mum instead. If you were in my position, with all those teenagers, shaking my hands, it's like they're asking for our support in a contest. Like SK elections were just a big game. Throughout the campaign period, there were only few people who were really serious about this. And you could tell they wanted to make a change. Somehow, I thought of this people just after I had my talk with my mom. They wanted to make a change. I realized by not voting I would just throw away my chance of putting these people in their rightful position. I then decided to vote. Finally.
I thought the disheartening feeling went away when I thought of this people. But then when I was on my to the school where I am supposed to vote. The situation was worse than ever. Violations kept sprouting from every corner. People still distributed pamphlets of those candidates for sk kagawad. Even the candidates themselves asked for a group of people, supposedly some members of the community, who are in no way involved in their party but just mere voters, and others to go to their headquarters to talk about something. My prejudice making its own judgment, I decided not to go. I do not even want to know what happened there.
Being a first-time voter, I did not escape some fallacies that people do not often notice. We are supposed to be the ones to put our own ballot to the ballot box. I was reprimanded by my father why did I let the woman who tear a slip from my ballot was the one dropped my ballot to the box. He said that's the start of cheating in most elections. I believed my father. He witnessed more than enough for me to doubt.
Going home, I internalized about what had transpired on that day. There are many people who are wiling to do anything to win, even if that includes cheating and violence. Thinking about that, I realized that even if this was just Barangay/SK elections, it was really true. Now I knew why it was hard for us Filipinos to erase these two things on our national and presidential elections. It is because we can't even eradicate these from our elections in our own community.
***
I remembered when a candidate helped me throughout the registration process. I would not say her name, though. My cousin, too old for SK elections, accompanied me that day, together with her. She asked her mother if there could be manipulations that could be done to change his age. I almost gasped out loud. Good thing her mother said nothing but she didn't reprimand her daughter anyway for thinking about that. I wonder if there was any way for her daughter's thought to be possible, the mother would allow it to happen. Ohh, it makes my head ache.
Really, many people deviate from the rules. I should have texted Boto Mo, Ipatrol Mo. Why did I not do it?
October 29, 2007 at 11:10 PM
talamak talaga dayaan.
October 30, 2007 at 8:10 AM
that's not unusual nowadays. many candidates get through the election process illegally, UNNOTICED.
October 30, 2007 at 8:29 AM
because those implemented "measures" are not applied stringently, and the people behind these schemes, not only those candidates, BENEFIT from these illegal procedures.
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