Talking with Papsie's boozed up friends last night, one of the topics was about the coming barangay elections. Listening, I learned that there was a candidate who sounded sensible because of his proposal to keep the hush-hush earnings for projects. He did not win. Why? Simple, the greater part of the majority does not desire losing the hush-hush earnings in their pockets.I was probably naive to think that there is truly a noble cause why these candidates run. I thought that at least there is a number that truly cares for the constituents' welfare and the barangay's improvement. I learned that those candidates who had been on the run for many years are truly running for a cause - to fill their pockets with hush-hush earnings, or to become rich because of ill gotten money.
The barangay electoral system in the Philippines had been marred with greed, corruption, and chaos, for a long time. Still, I have this wishful thinking that this will change in the future though I know it is just as near to impossible. Some are ready to kill for a position, or to covet the position even in the most bloody way. Some cling to the position even though their constituents had been denouncing them for long.
The anatomy of barangay elections in the Philippines stems from its culture of being clannish or family-oriented. It may sound like it is a positive attribute but it is with this essence that unqualified or incompetent people are elected to a position. It is not about a candidate's capacity to govern, or serve, it is about how much money they use to buy a vote, it is about how much percentage of the clan a candidate will win over, or it is about their ability to thwart the truth and the lies therein, or to coerce their constituents to vote for them.
But it also stems from the constituents' unwillingness to change. They vote for the same incompetent person because of the personal favors they will be getting in the future. They sell their votes for a need but are not worried how much the act would cause them in the future. They are negligent and uncaring that they do not take courage making their voice when these evil politicians openly cheat. They tolerate the misdeed because they foresee the monetary gains they will have by agreeing to the evil deeds, or being silent about an obvious cheating.
i feel you sister. i can re-post your entry, change it to my barrio - voila! same story!
ReplyDeleteBing, you only talk about "constituents" who have vested interest or hoping to gain something if their candidates win. What about those who are only performing their duty as a citizen of a barangay?
ReplyDeleteI think the second set of voters are far more numerous. In urban areas, most of them are politically ignorant, can be easily swayed or just looking for a fast buck without thinking of the long-term consequencies of their action.
Proper education, IMO, is the key in irradicating these kind of mindset.
ok lang, reynz,, to re-post it. thank you for the appreciation. :-)
ReplyDeletewell, the honest constituents are unrecognizable because the number seems to diminish as days go by. blogusvox.
and about the politically ignorant, they are driven with the same selfish desires. i do believe that goodness and evil are innate in people. therefore, even if you get them educated, if they have these selfish desires in themselves, wala rin kahit e-educate sila.
education is one but there are still other factors that could help eradicate this mindset. value formation is one.
[...] Bing of Warmstone We are so pre-occupied about Noynoy Aquino, what he did, what he didn’t do and what he [...]
ReplyDeleteBing, no. I’m not talking about individual behavior but a social class as a whole. You see, in urban areas, most of these people are just within the fringe of the poverty line. Their perception narrows down to what only affect them. Where to get their next meal supersedes who they put as their barangay leader.
ReplyDeleteEducating them properly will, in someway, raise their economic status. A better earning capability allows them to have a perception that is beyond what they “need” and goes to the next level, which is what they “want”.
Call it selfish motive if you want, but at that level, their political judgment is far better.
Is there a term limit for a barangay leader? Maybe they should have one although I doubt if it will substantially change things.
ReplyDeletewell, blogusvox, education is good but as you said, they have to be educated properly.
ReplyDeletehello, bertN. there is. it does not change things. :-(