“BAKIT ginagawa ang mga daan, e hindi naman bumabaha sa atin, ‘di ba?” I asked my mom when she picked me up from the bus terminal; I had not been home in my province for two months because of school work.
“E kasi, malapit na naman ang election,” my mom replied. I understood immediately what she meant.
Here we go again. This is the time when catchy yet annoying commercials of braggart politicians insinuate themselves on the media; and when pocket-sized to larger-than-human campaigns dominate the streets.
And at this moment, when almost everything can be transported into the digital realm, online posters are repeatedly uploaded on the web.
Let’s not forget the roving stereo-enhanced cars which would appear and sound like broken records playing the same thing over and over again.
It would also seem like the Philippines is having a months-long fiesta judging from all the colorful streamers and flyers dotting the nation.
Well, guys, enjoy the last song syndrome you may have, because in a matter of months, we, once again, would probably be singing one of those viral soundtracks regarding swimming in trash, or maybe this time, a melody regarding the feeling of running towards a journalist with a butter knife.
Voter apathy and lethargy have become very prominent in the recent elections, and, sadly, even today. I would be a hypocrite if I said that the thought of my one vote would not matter in the long run, never occurred to me.
The one thing that the Filipinos get in return for falling in despicable lines just to cast their “significant” vote, is a country full of broken promises, anyway. But that’s because we sometimes put the wrong person in charge.
Let’s face it. Elections are popularity contests and politicians always fail to deliver on their promises.
In the end, notorious History repeat itself, proving time and time again that it has been one of the best trolls of human faults.
Political gimmickry is just like courting. People must stop falling for the same tricks over and over: Filipinos should see through the falsity of the candidates’ attempts to sanitize their personalities like the spraying of Lysol to cover up a stench.
Voters should stop being gullible. They should vote for the right person.
How would we know who to vote? Simple, make use of the social media. Do research and know your candidate before placing your vote. Don’t let flowery words, grand promises, beguiling jingles, and popularity beguile you..
Don’t let your voice be left unheard. Vote.
Remember that politics is a necessary evil, so we will always have politicians among us. And as a Tears for Fears classic points out, “Help me to decide. Help me make the most of freedom and of pleasure. Nothing ever lasts forever. Everybody wants to rule the world.”
