Sick of vote buying
As the polls come to a close, I fumble with my mobile phone in order to get decent photos of the recent situation. With a few taps on the screen to send my shots to the newsroom, I stumbled upon photos of paper bills stapled with flyers of candidates who were vying for the position in the barangay. I wish I could see them for myself. About two years ago, envelopes also arrived at our doorstep but I wasn't home yet. If only I can talk to those who had brought the money and return the envelopes to them in their faces. I bet it would be satisfying for a person like me who doesn't like to play dirty.
When one person's vote is bought and divided by the number of days in office it is tantamount to a couple of centavos. This demeans the person's value in society. Some say it is very Filipino and that it cannot be eradicated.
Well, change has got to start from somewhere. Why can't we remove the element of cheating in our elections? Isn't this supposed to be a democracy? Or has this concept died a long, long time ago? I pity those who are persuaded by a couple of pesos but I commend those who are brave enough to post the photos of those candidates on social media. It would be ridiculous for them to keep claiming they are leaders when they cannot even follow simple election rules.
The day after the election is not fun at all. It will be full of protests and waiting for the real winner. It is always a wonder why certain posts are coveted in this country. As if these positions would pay a lot. The influence may be there, but it is not as practical as it seems unless you've got some monkey business going on. I wish we have leaders with pure hearts who want to truly serve. Those with hearts that have the intention to change the barangays. After all, we all wanted change, right?
The election has been long overdue and with the choices made yesterday, I guess it has been well thought of. I pray for those areas that have been taken over by goons. We all deserve a government that we have dreamed of. Please don't let democracy die in the most unconventional way.
The next few years will be exciting. Will the couple of pesos be all worth it? It is a question worth asking? If we are willing to exchange our votes for twenty pesos then we might as well give in to the desires of changing our type of government. Always think twice, once for the future of your family and again for your country. Vote buying deserves to die. It's time for real work and action to take place in the barangay. Hope and pray that yesterday's vote made all the difference.
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