‘… every election season because I always strive for the prayerful wisdom to know the difference between things I can change and things I cannot.’
AS the political pot heats up and candidates for the Senate prepare for the start of the campaign period for national posts, many of my friends are back to moaning and groaning about the state of the country and the state of governance and the survey results that make them feel gloomier by the day.
I don’t blame them, as there are times when I also felt that way. Notice the past tense. I’ve learned to “accept things I cannot change” and one of those things is to get people to vote for better candidates. I’ve realized over the last seven or so presidential elections that every voter defines “better” in his own way. And years of trying to “enlighten” others on what “better” means to me has only brought me grief.
Until now. When I just don’t care. Ha-ha.
But maybe we have just been too arrogant thinking that we know better than the majority of voters as to who the “better” candidate is. For them, if I have read them right over the years, the “better” candidate is the “Matulungin” or “May malasakit” – a fact of electoral politics long before Bong Go was even born. And it’s the politicians who have been able to project themselves as Matulungin or May malasakit through the years who have broken through. Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko worked for Orly Mercado. Compañero y Compañera worked for Rene Cayetano and benefitted even his children. Malasakit centers worked for Bong Go. The same can be said for the Tulfo trio.
If only being Matulungin or having Malasakit were enough. But for many, it is. Or at least is a good start.
So yes, okay, acknowledge that being Matulungin or having Malasakit is at the top of the list for voters when evaluating a candidate.
But then what?
Family name? That to me isn’t a minus up front. I am not comfortable with all these anti-dynasty slogans because we are being hypocrites about it. First, it is the right of anyone to offer himself or herself for public office; let the voter decide. Second, in a culture that values family (“Family first” nga, said one savings plan gone bankrupt), this is obviously cultural. Third, if dynasties were a really bad idea, then why didn’t the saintly Cory Aquino demand the first post-Marcos Congress to pass a law enabling the Constitutional provision to become effective? Because her family was a practitioner of it too? Hypocrites, all of us. So let’s just shut up about dynasties and let the voters live with what we have.
The biggest percentage of our voters care little about dynasties. “Natulungan ba sila?” is the principal consideration. And when election time comes around, may nagawa ba, and may inabot ba? So other than Matulungin or Malasakit, the question is, magkano? It’s the highest bidder that matters to maybe 70 percent of our voters while 10 percent of our voters are the bidders (ha-ha).
Which leaves the 20 percent, the rest of us, who bitch and complain but do not have the numbers to achieve much.
So what to do? Here’s my not-so-smart guide to surviving the political season.
I’ve learned to keep my sanity every election season because I always strive for the prayerful wisdom to know the difference between things I can change and things I cannot. This is true for situations as well as for people. And on occasions, I change my views on people I normally vote for and when I cast my ballot, I am always happy because I always vote according to my conscience.
But at the same time, I also accept the fact that my views are simply my own and the majority may very well have a different opinion and this being an exercise where the majority wins then I am always ready to accept the results, happy or not – though usually not.
Not too wise, yes, but I’d rather be not too wise than be driven mad by our crazy politics!
