Editorial: A Future For Sale

Note: This post is the Administrator's take on how the recent elections went. Fair comments are welcome.

From how I saw it, it was indeed an impressive election. It definitely was more peaceful than the most recent ones. Automation made the process exciting (or worrisome) but at the same time challenging. Truly, it was heartwarming to see people brave the punishing summer heat and the tiring wait just to be able to cast their votes.

There is no doubt in my mind that the results reflected the Abaknons’  true democratic will. However, why they voted for whom is an entirely different issue.  I wish to think that in the final analysis, they did vote with the thought of what’s best for Capul.


But even with that, any voter who receives money during election time still compromises his vote.  While I do not wish to rob the winners of the glory of their victory, I bet that the aftertaste of their win would have been much sweeter if they (again, i mean ALL of them) did not give money to court the votes of the  electorate who themselves showed very little self-respect by being all-too-willing to put a price tag on their votes.


This does not mean though that those who lost are absolved from blame. Some of them may claim that vote-buying was the cause for their downfall but they just have no right complaining about it when they too gave money no matter how miniscule. Their hands are equally dirty. 

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With only about 8,000 registered voters, Capul’s electorate are a small speck in the national scheme of things.  No Presidential, Vice-Presidential and Senatorial candidate in his right mind will pour massive funding just to corner this immaterial number.

For the provincial posts, the number could matter in cases of close calls. But yet again, why would candidates concentrate on a remote island where their maneuvers can be limited and easily telegraphed? They would better woo the voters from Catarman, Laverazares or Allen if they want to win significantly. Don't we wonder  why for so long, no expansive developmental projects were made in Capul? It's because our number was deemed insignificant vote-wise.

But why is it, that when I checked with other voters from Metro Manila and elsewhere, bigger amounts were given to Abaknons? In those areas, many voters received from Php 300-500, but many others received nothing. But in Capul, more than majority received at least Php 1,500.00! And I say “at least” because I know there were those who received more, either from one or both sides of the political contest.

On the eve of the elections, a leader of one party told me that as we talked, about 4,200 prospective voters have already been given the standard P1,500.00. That already amounts to about P6.3 Million! He said that separate funds have already been given to the candidates to fund their last-minute personal appeals. On the otherhand, the other side also claimed to have finished distributing the envelopes to all those they thought belonged to their fold. And by their survey, a win is likewise apparent.

Pray tell me, where in heaven’s arms did all those oodles of money come from? We have not even inputted yet the logistical costs of the campaign and the money given to people  long before election day came!

For chrissakes, will somebody please tell me how these people expect to recover this massive investment from the meager salaries they expected to receive? With a post receiving say Php 30,000 (the average salary of the mayor, vice and councilors), such will only give P 1.2 Million for a 14-month three-year term. Any way you look at it, they lose! Or am I just playing naïve?

I understand that candidates will do everything they can to win. They would even mortgage/sell properties or get usurious loans to bankroll their run. And they would impose upon themselves this supreme sacrifice because of their deep desire to help the people of Capul. Yeah, right.

But it takes two to tango, doesn't it? What happened to the principled electorate? What happened to the idealistic youth vote?

I remember a time when people voted primarily because of kinship or belief in the ability of the candidate. Candidates then would just give out cigarettes or liquor to the roadside “tambays”. With only Php 150.00 per session as honorarium, it was then foolhardy for any councilor-wannabe to spend Php 1,000.00 (for the entire campaign) to solicit votes.

What eroded this ideal scenario where people made choices without money in the equation? It was when the parties received funding support from party-headquarters. Not wanting to be accused of pocketing the money, the leaders divided whatever amount they receive to all their perceived allies. It was not difficult because people then wear their loyalties on their sleeves. Only a few would sit on the fence and become “unreadable”. Wrong recipients would actually return the money shared by the assuming party.

But while the initial intent was honest, that decision triggered the practice of giving out bigger amounts in succeeding elections. Money started becoming a necessary part of the process. From Php 50.00 in one election, to P100.00 to 200 and now P1,500.00! And whereas before only party funds were equally shared, now candidates have to dig deep into their pockets in order to at least hope for victory. 

But instead of feeling shame, the voters relished the once-in-a-blue-moon attention and rationalized that getting money is not embarrassing since everyone received anyway. The usual retort was, "it is not vote-buying/selling because they would be voting for their kursunada just the same." How ignorantly wrong! (I suggest they read Sec. 261 of the Omnibus Election Code)


What became a boon for the voters, of course became a bane for the candidates. Not contented with the regular offer, more voters became visibly “unreadable”, as that would assure getting gambits from both sides. The harder-to-get they seemed, the higher the bid. This drama persisted until the very last minute of the election when some would wait in the sidelines for the whispered bids (not just to vote, but also not to vote).

With the passing of the 2010 election, the question now is, at what point is this craziness going to stop? Serving Capul is clearly not an easy task and I am sure it will be very hard to convince prospective public servants to participate in elections where they will be measured in terms of the amount they could give and not the quality of the service they could offer. In the end, Capul will be just the dumpster for those with political capital. But what if the candidates get tired of buying votes? Would there be a time when there will be elections with no candidates? That would be an interesting scenario.

So what's in store for future elections in Capul? With the current trend, we are undoubtedly headed towards more disturbing scenarios. To avert these, allow me to pose this challenge  to all future candidates: run without giving out money. Let's allow our people to decide based solely on merit. True, expenses are inevitable but the contending parties could opt to spend only for campaign logistics. If monetary support comes from outside, they could  save it for scholarships to the deserving or any other worthy project. What's important is that money no longer gets distributed to individuals.

And of course, the bigger challenge is for the Abaknon electorate.  In these times of crisis, it is indeed hard to resist the temptation to receive, more so when everyone else does. But if only we take suffrage as our solemn duty to God and country, we will bear in mind that we could still vote for our favored candidate without asking anything in return. After all, elections are intended to benefit the community and not our individual selves. To that ideal I cross my fingers.