AFTER months of heavy criticism about its leniency towards the approval of doubtful aspirants running for local and national positions, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) finally started to weed out such nuisance candidates. And the first sorry individual to have his head on the chopping board is no other than presidential candidate Eddie Gil.
The self-proclaimed billionaire was declared a nuisance candidate after a Comelec investigation revealed Gil’s numerous inconsistencies.
One of the discrepancies cited was Gil’s inability to launch a nationwide campaign. The standard-bearer of the Pilipinas Isang Bansa, Isang Diwa (Pibid) party was accused of issuing bouncing checks to drivers, hotels and restaurants during several campaign sorties.
To make matters worse, four former Pibid senatorial candidates – actress Pilar Pilapil, former television host and senator Eddie Ilarde, retired police official Ramon Montaño, and Jose Floro Crisologo – inculpate Gil after the four disclosed that they had to pay their own during campaigns.
In addition, the investigating body also pointed out misleading information written of Gil’s certificate of candidacy (COC). Gil wrote ‘Filipino’ in the blank space allotted for gender or sex, wrote ‘businessmen’ instead of ‘businessman’ on the space provided for occupation, and wrote ‘Erlinda Gil’ instead of writing the full maiden name of his spouse.
Further, Gil had a discrepancy on his birth date and place. When he ran for a senate seat in 2001, Gil wrote on his COC that he was born on Feb. 7, 1944 in Masbate. But on his 2004 COC, Gil indicated that his birth date and place was Feb. 4, 1944 in Zamboanga.
But Gil cannot be wholly blamed. Since the country is a democratic state, every person is entitled to run for public office on the basis that these individuals are of legal age.
With such freedom, the dilemma is now clear. Even those who are deemed incapable of handling a government position can snag one, as long as they can be popular to the voting public.
No matter if several non-government organizations (NGOs) painstakingly try to spur the public to vote wisely, all things go down the drain. The national elections is the country’s own version of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras and Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival.
It seems that everybody is joking around. No one is taking things seriously.
But the bottom line is, candidates like Gil make the elections more fun, no matter how disturbing it may look like.
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The power of printed words transcends the borders of paper.
Those who read my column entitled “Death becomes Christmas” that appeared in the Varsitarian last December had mixed reactions. Despite the loads of negative feedbacks that the column got, there were some who appreciated it for reasons that they found themselves in the topic.
I confess, it was morbid and was an out-of-season topic. I let myself to be washed away by my emotions. But that is life. We are humans born to make mistakes.
But there is a lesson to be learned for those who aspire to enter the world of Journalism. As manifested by the reaction that the column garnered, be wary of what you write about and always be ready to stand for it.
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At the same time the sun revolves around the Arch of the Centuries, resembling a sundial of the ancient world, my days as a Thomasian student are numbered. I had my regrets during my four-year stay in the University. Yet, nothing can turn back the hands of time. Contented with what had been life as a Thomasian student, one must move on.
