(courtesy of mjgallego.wordpress.com/
Today the Philippines is electing government officials from the highest to the municipal level.
It has been a history that it would be a bloody election. Last year the clash between the Ampatuans and Mangudadatus in Maguindano has claimed about 70 lives including journalist. In other parts of the Philippines reports of destroying the PICOS machines were noted a day or hours before election and a sadder news just hours after the start of the election 4 were killed. Even civilians just refusing to be bought was just shot at point blank. The question that always run in my mind why does it has to be like this?
Lives are taken for just a position which pays only a small amount. So many people wanted to grab seats of power. Have they not known that being elected is a sacrifice. It should be a seat of lifelong sacrifice to serve fellow man and not to serve oneself and its allies. I have seen this mentality for my family as well is in politics. Good thing I never dip my foot to it. Back then my brother was considering me to run as barangay SK chairman just like many of my cousins in different barangays in our town. Sons and daugthers are force to run for a seat in government to preserve power and then it will be a continuous cycle of interchange. The former mayor runs as congressman and the former congressman runs as governor then after one term the governor runs for mayor and the mayor runs for congressman....a line of what we call TRAPO(Traditional Politicians)
What Philippines need are statesmen. Men who does not run for fame, power and money but rather men who run for the better management of the country. The Philippines has long been longing for this but the powerful and influential has always abuse the poverty and ignorance of the masses. The few elite men are blinded by the promises and positions that they will get once they side with the Trapo, and the few great men are easily push around due to lack of support and lack of machinery to topple down the dynasty.
All I could do is to pray for the fate of the Philippines. A few more hours and the election will really start; counting the votes is one of the darkest hours of the election. Many politicians will kill just to win, just to make sure they get the votes. I pray for the safety of the canvassers, watchers, teachers, media, observers, and all Filipino doing there best for a fair, clean and honest results of this May 10, 2010 election.
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