One workday, over lunch, an office mate said she had an argument with her boyfriend regarding voting for Noynoy Aquino as president. The boyfriend had nothing against Noynoy. It's the fact that my friend couldn't explain why she is choosing Noy over other candidates that seemed to have triggered the argument. Up until that lunch, she still could not defend her choice.
I was itching to say a word but I let my other officemates who favored other candidates to butt in and say why she should not vote for Noy. I realized that many people still do not see the significance of this particular election to our future as a nation. Many will still vote based on the achievements and track record of the candidates. And many others will still vote based on personal leanings and loyalties.
If this were a regular election like any other elections we have had, any of the presidential candidates would be appropriate. Many of them, after all, are good in what they do, no matter what they claim or what others say about them.
But this is not a regular election. It is a vote for the future of the nation. When we go out there tomorrow to mark our ballots, we are either signing up for the death of the Philippines or for its continued existence as a real democracy. It is not a matter of who to choose but a matter of what we choose if we choose who we choose.
I'm not voting for Noynoy....per se. I'm voting for what he represents as a person, as a leader of the country if he wins. I'm not voting for him because he is Ninoy and Cory's son. I'm not voting for him because he is single and has no family distractions. I'm not voting for him because business groups favor him. And I'm definitely not voting for him because he is Kris' brother.
I'm voting for Noy because among the current presidential candidates, he is the only visible symbol of what GMA is not.
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This was my blog post a few years back, specifically a day before the 2010 elections. When I wrote this post, I was filled with conviction. I believed in every word I said and I believed in Noynoy, and no one could persuade me to believe otherwise, no matter what they said.
But tonight, I reread this post and it didn't even leave a bitter taste in my mouth. In fact, it was so bland, it felt like eating paper. This article has lost its flavor, its spirit, its essence. And sadly, I don't even know what to believe anymore. The Noy that fired up this prose has killed the flame with six years of sandy promises and a platform of principles that are rooted on a vacuum. Nothing worth supporting or praising or owning was ever accomplished during his term as president, and despite being a confirmed bachelor who's leaning toward gay-ship, he has impregnated the Cabinet with corrupt friendships from his smoking and shooting circles.
In a few months, Noy is going to end his term with a very faint bang....or maybe a pfftt. And I will be voting once again. I'm no longer sure of who to vote and for what. The last election has ruined my trust in the government and in the elected officials' potential to go back to being clean, honest, brave and promising leaders of the Filipino people.
The prospect of voting yet another weakling pretending to be principled, and suffering his or her lack of political will for the next six years (again) is a scary thought. But I can't even distinguish anymore who is who and which is which.
The Philippines is painfully gray as mud.
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1 comment:
Hi sister in law¡¡
Very interesting article. I understand you 100%. I also have been disapointed with some politicians and parties. I dont know much about politics in the Phillipines but I can risk to say something. Before 2011 in Spain we had no good choice but the communist party, because socialist party turned to right and disapointed people and our right is fascist. So voting the communists here was the only choice, althoug I am not communist. But then, we had a peaceful revolution in Europe and in Spain inspired in the arab spring, where Sherri and me participated in many rallies, many groups claiming for their rights in Europe, in education, hospitals, in favour of public services, against the cheat of the markets, neoliberal politics, etc.
Due to that, many people started to think, open the mind and be more critical, and a new party was born, Podemos (means we can), and they started to be the voice of that people. Now, after the elections, they did not win, but are represented in our parlament and will grow.
Banks do not finance Podemos so they are free to propose politics for the people. They come from those rallies, and most of the principal leaders are university teachers, so they are not bussines men who goes to politics to earn more money. For me that is the key. I don not trust in old family sagas or politicians who come from the private sector. Not at all. I think, maybe I am wrong, that in the Philipines they need a peaceful revolution, in wich governments and corporations feel the presure of the mass and start to think of the people and not of their bussines. Some may say it is impossible but in the history of the world ony like that you can change the statu quo. The good people of the Philipines deserve more.
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