Every now and then, politicians, celebrities, and ordinary citizens file their certificates of candidacy for the national elections. Some want to continue what they believe has been started, while others want things to change for the better. Either what they aim for, indeed the ostensible goal of serving the populace, or the truthfulness of their true intentions should truly be ascertained. And this kind of pessimistic viewpoint is entirely valid, as we were duped by campaign promises.
Every election season, we hear so many promises. Promises of good governance, promises of honest public servants, promises of better living conditions, promises of protecting our rights and sovereignty, promises that our children and future children will reap the benefits of their supposed labor. But these are all empty promises that will leave us disappointed after the campaign. And, while every election represents a new beginning, a fresh start, it is only for the beginning or for the first few years because the true intentions will suddenly reveal themselves before our very own eyes. And we can't really expect too much from a change in leadership that is so critical, and so it is likely for others to no longer register or vote in the election because they have lost faith in the system.
I have known quite a few of my colleagues and former students who have signified to be in the politics. Some said they won’t enter politics as they are overly critical of the system, and yet they have filed their candidacies. But I know we all have some aspirations to have better government, maybe not in our lifetime but in the future. For the quality of future generation would depend on how we are being governed at present.
Election after election, it appears that we have not learned our lesson. Campaigns would be the same every time. We are always hearing and loving beautiful promises because we hope that one day our dreams will come true. However, nothing has changed. It's a never-ending cycle of promises, frustration, promises again, frustration again, and so on. We can always hope for genuine change. However, because it is a recurring cycle, we would always be and continue to be a critical component of the entire process. We will continue to be critical and vigilant of the abuses of those in power.
Money and corruption are ruining the land, crooked politicians betray the ordinary citizens, pocketing the profits and treating us like meek sheep, and we're tired of hearing promises that we know they'll never keep.
We must always remember that we are the reason these people are in power. And such people, we always hope, would keep their promises, for promises elicit new hope, which will hopefully keep us on the side of what we wished for from the start; genuine public servants who keep their promises.
And to my friends, colleagues, and former students who have begun their journeys into public service, may your ideals be fully realized. Keep the fire burning in the service of those who truly believe in your promises.