who NOT to vote

February 4, 2010

Interesting how this election has turned out for me and my friend to be on who not to vote. The surveys and the ads all made us think that there are only two candidates fighting for the presidency. Though there are good reasons to believe that it may be true. I am thinking of voting the lesser evil (and lesser experience) of the two. If the VP candidates were the ones running for the chief executive, I would have voted on the basis of who to vote, not on who not to vote.

Last election, I voted for all the candidates to the Senate from the Kapatiran party. I believed in them, though I knew there’s a tiny chance they would win. Relatively, they got a higher number of votes than expected, but of course not enough. Most of the time, I vote according to competency and good reputation. I voted for Flavier, though not really a politician. He was a physician who knew a lot about rheumatoid arthritis information and heart attack prevention, but also knew how to manage and provide good services in the DOH. I wouldn’t forget his encouraging, Let’s DOH It! I voted for Yasay and for Monsod. I knew them to be good in their fields and to be good in their dealings. Last election, I voted for Villanueva.

But I guess we are too cautious now. We’ve had too much difficulties in the government during Erap’s time. GMA’s time was so much worse and seemed too long. This is realigning our perspective, becoming very careful not only on who to vote, but on who would become president by reason of our vote.

leaders by example

I asked a taxi driver last month who he would vote for president, he started a whole litany on why it is not good to have an intelligent president (i think he meant cunning). He said that what happens in the Big League (i.e., Malacanang) also happens in the Little League (barangay levels). He said that when a fund is coming, the barangay captains already know what to do and how to misappropriate the funds, which cannot be imputed to them. In short, they already know how to steal the money, spend it for themselves alone, and still stay in power — and get re-elected.

Look at Arroyo, he said. They said she’s intelligent, an economist, etc. Look at where we are now. (All the time, I was just asking questions to let him know I want him to continue.) He went on to describe poverty in his eyes. Then, I asked him, “Who would you vote for president?” Well, the one I voted last time. The one who really is for the masa.

What the driver said about what’s happening in the national is also happening in the local levels, I believe, is true. As the Obama administration was speaking of grassroots democracy, manong was talking about grassroots corruption. Leaders are effective only if they lead by example.

The next election, I hope we would have better leaders (or none at all). Not a senator whose always on ski vacations in North America, always part of the entourage. Or not a representative who’s always absent. Or a representative whose only bill is to change the name of a street. Or a senator who repeatedly refuses to attend investigations in the House. Or a president who just says “sorry”.