YOU’RE right! It’s election period once again! The heat is on and you can be certain, most everybody is contagiously feverish about it!
As for me, I am not excited. Far from it. I look at it with jaded lens, that’s right, weary, tired lens. Election after election, and we have the same faces like the country has run short of prospective leaders.
In any event, new leaders come and they never leave, thanks to the enticing pull of power. The old politicians never leave – do they ever? They endorse a family member and another one after that – for as long as they like, mind you, whilst the new politicians learn the trade and never leave, as well, repeating the cycle. It’s so sad and pathetic at the same time.
Now, this talk about political maturity and political education is rubbish. Our candidates resort to different antics and gimmicks to woo the voters. Only a few are committed to genuinely educate the masses. Hence, the very first people who stunt political maturity and enlightenment are the candidates themselves. Like I said, truly pathetic.
We talk about our admiration for the political exercises in other countries – we dream about it, however, as a people, we tolerate our own political gimmickry because let’s face it, it’s entertaining and a sort of relief from the cares of life! It’s like the “circus came to town” for the Filipino, thus everybody is in a festive mood.
Let’s not forget the ubiquitous hostility and mudslinging that accompany every elections adding more amusement to the circus. Best friends begin quarrelling and breaking relationships because each one supports a different candidate.
The same is true for families – family members fight for conflicting political positions, destroying relationships. How many families have we known have had broken relationships as a result of politics? You can probably count it with your ten fingers and toes.
Then we have an array of characters for candidates, quite a record! We can only wish these people have delicadeza or a sense of propriety, not to run for public office for their questionable actions while in government service.
Sadly, delicadeza has become old-fashioned in this day and age. We are not the Japanese, no matter how we admire them. We are Filipinos and we have thrown delicadeza out of the window. Yet again, these candidates with questionable records submit themselves to another election process without shame. Yes, zero shame, to borrow the phrase of my writer-sister.
Come to think of it, the action is probably an act of redemption on their part. They will feel redeemed if they win the elections. It’s probably cathartic on their part to win because winning for them, sort of erases the sins of the past. How truly, truly pathetic.
Nevertheless, hope springs eternal. While there’s life, there’s hope, as they say. Maybe a change will happen not in this lifetime. Maybe the millennial generation will have the audacity to change the political landscape, if they aren’t contaminated by the present crop of politicians yet. Maybe, maybe.
It’s sad that quality candidates must resort to cheap tricks and gimmicks to pander to voters because it is the accepted custom – custom propagated by traditional politicians and lapped up by the naïve populace. Or perhaps, the populace enjoys the political circus so much, compelling our candidates to resort to such. Any which way, the Filipino is still the loser, in the end.
So for now, what we can do is to identify our own personal or family criteria for leaders. Campaign quietly or aggressively, as the case maybe. As for me, these are my criteria:
1) Integrity – no involvement in corruption, no matter how small. Yes, it’s a tall order but it should be the order of the day;
2) Decency – no involvement in patronage politics, misuse or abuse of power, practises delicadeza;
3) Strength of character- with conviction; with gumption. Stands by what’s right, fair, and just;
4) Advocate for the environment – preserves the environment at all costs;
5) Principled – the buck stops with him or her; makes a stand on moral and political issues;
6) Godly – lives out what he or she professes. No hypocrisy.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate. – Kin Hubbard
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For comments, you may reach the writer at belca.87@gmail.com./PN
