Electioneering the 2016 Philippine presidential elections: will Filipinos continue the ‘bobotante’ tradition?

With just a little more than two years to go, electioneering for the 2016 Malacanang power grab is starting to get into the swing of things. As in the past, showbiz celebrities, unqualified politicans’ offspring, and dynasty heirs and heiresses persist as the banes of “activists” championing a more “intelligent” vote. As expected, the usual election-winning machines are being set up. Vice President Jejomar ‘Jojo’ Binay, for example, is on the homestretch of a long and carefully-engineered decade-long journey to the top of the pile. The kick-off for his final sprint is in his recent bolting from his party, the “Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas (PDP)-Laban” to “form a new political party”. The cherry on Binay’s parfait is Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto who, Binay says, he is “considering” as his running mate in 2016.

Bobotante tradition: Philippine President BS Aquino during the 2009 campaign

Bobotante tradition: Philippine President BS Aquino during the 2009 campaign

Par for the course in Philippine bobo-politics. Ask the question, What exactly does Binay’s “new political party” stand for? and you will probably get no more than the sound of pointed heads being scratched. Back in 2009 our call was simple: Platform Plez. The same call will likely remain unanswered considering that Filipino voters remain the same ignoramus bunch they’ve always been. And the same traditional Philippine politicians will, as usual, thrive in the same intellectually-bankrupt political landscape. No learning, no innovation, no reform. Just the same bulok brand of politics that has long been Filipinos’ warm and fuzzy comfort zone.

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Wait a minute, though…

In fairneeeesszzz… there is a new trend in Philippine politics being shaped by today’s circumstances — the explicit endorsement of crooks (both accused and previously-convicted) as “viable” candidates!

Nowadays, with much of Congress and the Philippines’ old political establishments outed as dens of thieves following spates of corruption scandals, the idea that crooks are just as entitled to seek public office as the old traditional bozos is also being highlighted. Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, for example, reportedly insists that “a plunder conviction was not a deterrent to a political comeback”. Romualdez was referring to Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr being a possible candidate for the 2016 presidential elections despite being the current subject of a plunder complaint alleging that he routinely skimmed “commissions” off his pork barrel allocations.

Well, what do we expect? Former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada set the precedent back in the late 1990’s and during the 2010 presidential elections as Romualdez himself observes…

“Remember, [Manila] Mayor Erap [Joseph Estrada] not only faced but was convicted of plunder and he almost made it in 2010. So, anything is possible in Philippine politics,” Romualdez said when asked if Revilla remained a viable candidate in the 2016 presidential election.

And who could forget “Senator” Antonio Trillanes III who despite being convicted for no less than rebellion managed to secure a get-out-of-jail-free pass and go on to sit in the Senate to “judge” no less than a Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice in 2012. “Senator” Trillanes was one of a number of Filipino ex-military personnel who allegedly mounted a rebellion against the Philippine government in 2003 and again in 2006. The zeal with which they mounted this rebellion against the government of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was eloquently described by Constitutional guru Father Joaquin Bernas using these words

They [the alleged mutineers] went through elaborate ceremonies which were meant to be symbolic of their noble goal. They seem to have considered their deed a patriotic feather in their cap and they will willingly assert that, yes, we did, even if we now regret having done it.

Last I heard, convicted rebels are put before firing squads in many countries. This is the Philippines, of course, where crooks are not only elected to public office, they are re-elected many times!

And here we were thinking that the ascent to the throne of the only son of Philippine national “heroes” Cory Aquino and Ninoy Aquino back in 2010 heralded the dawn of a new age of straight-and-and-narrow governance in this sad country. Filipinos should think again (assuming they do think to begin with). Way waayyyy back in 2000, a fanous modern-day Filipino philosopher lamented the oxymoron that is Da Pinoy’s concept of the “Ideal President”…

I’ve got news for you. (As if you didn’t already know.) No matter whom you put up there as your leader or president, it will be the same banana. Even a holy man can turn into another J. E. (Judas Escariot) for a few pieces of silver. Kumpares, alalays, relatives and cronies will encrust like flies and maggots on his cordon sanitaire. And it will be the same despicable “Sa amin na ‘to!” hullabaloo all over again.

Take an advice from Aling Epang: “Pumili ng matanda, mayaman, mabait, at madaling mamatay.” Get a president who is old – so that he is full of wisdom, rich – so he won’t need to steal more money, goodhearted – so he will render heartfelt service to his people, and is in the sunset of his life – so that he will think of nothing but gaining good points to present when he meets his Creator. And may I add: At iisa lang ang pamilya! This is, of course, asking for the moon. Just pray fervently for an intelligent leader with a pure heart who genuinely loves the common tao!

Magpakatotoo Kayo! Wake up and look at the real you. Enough with looking at your reflection in glorious, self-embellishing mirrors. The tropical sun can play tricks, you know. Do not wait for darkness to fall before you take that much-needed long, hard look at your real situation. Magpakatotoo kayo, ano? This isn’t a wake-up call-it is the final alarm!

Save the ship while you still can. Don’t wait till your people have no more dreams left to hang on to, no more hope to sustain their broken spirits. I came home, spent my penny-pinched savings so that even in the minutest way I could help your bruised economy. Your politicians sit on their fat,farting butts and get balatos (kuno!) in the millions. Receivers are as guilty as the givers. Now, tell me, who is really nasty?

That was all written in 2000. Fourteen years ago. It may as well have been written today.

You still think the Philippines has changed? Think again. And think about all these bozos running for “president” in 2000. Underneath all the gleaming high rises, “modern” roads, and tony shopping malls still lives the inescapable underbelly of the Filipino psyche — the same psyche that underlies that renowned Filipino habit of doing the same things over and over again, whilst expecting different results.

Don’t let some bozo tell you that things have changed — because they haven’t.

Don’t let some bozo tell you that things will change — because they won’t.

The only signal we should be listening for amongst the din of political and “activist” noise that will mark the next two years is one that describes substance and true innovation. This should be the bar we should set for ourselves in our effort to uplift the intelligence we apply to evaluating our politicians.

38 Replies to “Electioneering the 2016 Philippine presidential elections: will Filipinos continue the ‘bobotante’ tradition?”

  1. ” Binay: Pacquiao among leaders in new party”

    “Binay, in a media interview Monday, said Pacquiao and his wife Sarangani Vice-Governor Jinkee Pacquiao, are among the spearheads of his new party.”

    Manny pacquaio as tax advisor
    Jinkee pacquaio as bag carrier
    Mommy dionisia as cultural ambassador.

    “Pacquiao’s relatives rob Mommy Dionisia’s
    mansion” – philstar February 20, 2014.
    Next they will be robbing malacanan and the state treasury. Such a nice family!

    “It could probably be shown by facts and
    figures that there is no distinctly native
    criminal class except Congress.”
    Mark Twain

    You elect the criminals you deserve!

    Dynasty binay and dynasty pacquiao. Champions of greed and self-interest.

      1. Someone who has no job value/purpose – just ‘carrying the bags’ is all they can do.

        A bit like the pooper scoopers in congress

  2. I have lost faith in the Philippine system of elections. The next-in-line is already decided upon even before the election starts. Abolish COMELEC, abolish the political parties, they are useless anyway. Let the people do the counting from the bottom up then if after these we still have clowns elected then this whole country should be declared insane.

    1. You are right, joeld. The Phil. system of elections are manage and run by the yellow zombies. These yellow zombies have been very successful in the past, they became very powerful. They are not intimidated by critics and any threats of impeachment, because they also own the yellow propaganda machines.

    2. You are so correct @joeld. Nakapagtataka lang kung bakit may naniniwala pa sa Hocus-PCOS na Election na yan. Waste of money and human resources lang kasi plantsado na ang resulta sa tulong ng COMOLECT ni 6/2 Brillanteng hindi kumikinang.
      Lahat naman ay moro-moro lang from sorby sorby ,ads, kampanya at kung anu ano pang kabulastugan. In the end yari naman na talaga kung sino uupo.

  3. They are gonna probably gonna take advantage of the personality of the filipinos. PINOYS are efing stupid filipinos are very smart, the real patriots of the philippines. ’cause the majority of the philippines are poor they are gonna be paid in the 2016 election. somehow. *sigh* just work in other countries.

  4. This is too obvious among netizens, The problem is how do we educate the people in rural areas, the urban poor, people who don’t have internet? Their main media is TV. How do we change a state of mind that puts someone like Gordon at the bottom of voting rank?

  5. I’ll be expecting election campaigns starstruck with celebrities two years from now.

    And that’s how the traditional politicians get their vote from the masses.

  6. I don’t blame the masses. I think they don’t have time to evaluate candidates running into office during elections because they are busy making a living, watching dramas and gag shows on TVs and making babies. They lack instructive books and there’s no added knowledge in their minds day by day that’s why they lack proper insights. I blame the system that we have, a democratic and pluralistic system that allow those uneducated and ignorant to vote. I blame the constitution. Why the supposed “intelligent” people who crafted such doctrine didn’t think of the repercussion in the first place. There’s no such thing as perfect system that’s why in each system there should be measures and limits that need proper consideration and the right to suffrage is at fault in our country. Democracy is for the people, by the people and for the people – this notion is heading towards an utter doom.

    1. More baloney.

      Jigs’ argument is that NO ONE IS AT FAULT because EVERYONE IS AT FAULT. Everyone is too busy to educate themselves. Too preoccupied with trivialities to be bothered about building a society in the Philippines that we are personally accountable for, a society that is built on the rule of law and promotes critical thinking, innovation and entrepreneurship. Jigs claims it isn’t anyone’s fault because the democratic system — the same liberal democracy and free market that has elsewhere been successful in creating communities with some of the highest standards of living — is somehow rigged. Jigs would have us believe the LIE that a sociopolitical system that was designed to facilitate the formation of consensus was not compromised by the WEAK leadership of personalities like Penoy Aquino to the point where the Philippines is highly polarised and deliberative debate has given way to a zero-sum game of avaricious, money-grubbing, revenge politics.

      1. Johnny, remember that we are on the same boat. Everyone is accountable. Each citizen’s life decisions and contribution would accumulate into something big and can either build or destroy our country. If the majority of the population are making foolish decisions then what would you expect. If the very foundation and solid rock formation of the Philippines as a State say our laws and the people are abusive, selfish and immature then we can get a weak and a feeble State.

        It’s unfair to blame the government only. The civilians and ordinary citizens are to be held responsible also. Each system, there’s evil lies underneath. That’s why Philosophers and Thinkers sprung up in early days, like Karl Marx and Engels. They saw the evils of Democracy and Capitalism. The latter which they too focused they can defend their own stand on why there’s exploitation on the laborers and existing Oligarchs’ evil interest because of the system itself which the country has created. Thus, measures need to adjust and re-evaluated. However, the core issue is that we are still struggling to get out of all this mess and it takes time. I don’t think any of the person becomes president even how good he can be can transform the Philippines from third world into second world class country within the very limited six years given all the factors he need to reform especially those headaches coming from politicians in the congress. PNoy is not perfect so do anyone. I think he is not contributing to the downsides of the country. After all, I still get good news from our country in the past 3 years, let alone the bad ones.

        1. “Each citizen’s life decisions and contribution would accumulate into something big and can either build or destroy our country. If the majority of the population are making foolish decisions then what would you expect. If the very foundation and solid rock formation of the Philippines as a State say our laws and the people are abusive, selfish and immature then we can get a weak and a feeble State.”

          So now Jigs is stating that the actions of the Filipino people contribute to lawlessness and political decay. Yet previously, Jigs said that they are blameless. Which is it?

          “It’s unfair to blame the government only.”

          Who said anything about blaming government alone? Again Jigs misses the point. The issue is Jigs’ use of specious rhetoric to negate the lack of principled leadership in Philippine politics and the culpability of the current Aquino administration in fomenting a polarised, antagonistic, ‘us-versus-them’ atmosphere over the past four years.

          Marx and Engels?

          Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed an ideology based on misinterpretations of 18th century anthropological studies in the United States. These misconceptions and oversimplifications of the unwashed dilettante who never stepped one foot inside a factory in his entire life caused real-world Communist regimes to murder up to 100 million human beings in the latter part of the 20th century through economic stagnation, famine and war.

          Compare that to the economic prosperity that was the direct result of the Reagan-Thatcher democratic revolutions of the 1980s. Socialism failed to deliver on their promises of modernisation and equality, consequently leading to Marxist ideas being discredited in the minds of many who lived under Communism.

          The evils of Democracy and Capitalism?

          Do you even understand what you are saying beyond regurgitating slogans from a Michael Moore screed and the blather of the ‘occupy Wall Street’ knuckleheads?

          The political culture of our democratic system assures an equality of opportunity, NOT an equality of outcomes as what Communists promised. To claim that liberal democracy and the capitalist free market are inherently ‘evil’ is utterly erroneous. It suggests a complete ignorance of the real world or too much reliance on Internet tripe.

          The fact that there are oligarchies does not indicate a failure of democracy or the ‘evil’ of the free market. What reality tells us is that elites have ‘gamed’ the system to protect their economic and political advantages and transmitted those to their children. They have colluded with politicians and subverted our political institutions to do so. THAT IS NOT CAPITALISM. Contrary to the LIE Jigs continues to perpetuate, that condition is called CRONY CAPITALISM. It is a perversion of the ideas behind liberal democracy to enable the few to secure their positions at the expense of the intergenerational social mobility of the rest of society.

          “However, the core issue is that we are still struggling to get out of all this mess and it takes time. I don’t think any of the person becomes president even how good he can be can transform the Philippines from third world into second world class country within the very limited six years given all the factors he need to reform especially those headaches coming from politicians in the congress. PNoy is not perfect so do anyone. I think he is not contributing to the downsides of the country.”

          The ‘core issue,’ Jigs, is that, apart from being a stunningly uncharismatic underachiever, Penoy Aquino has done his utmost to perpetuate the influence of his clan on the Philippines. This is the very definition of OLIGARCHY. The ‘core issue’ is that Jigs continues to disseminate finger-pointing, apologist rhetoric to obfuscate the damage caused by Penoy’s third-rate performance as President of the Republic. The ‘core issue’ is that, again, contrary to the LIE perpetuated by Jigs, the Philippines will be profoundly transformed by six years of Penoy Aquino through another round of economic stagnation and widespread blackouts owing to poorly conceived, badly implemented public policy.

        2. Johnny, I did not mean to say the masses are blameless, in fact, they’ve got a lot to blame for. I said specifically not blaming them when it comes to elections it’s because I know in their dire situation, they cannot produce good results for their chosen leaders in public office. The latter, which proven many times in many places in the Philippines, have manipulated and twisted the minds of their constituents particularly those in grassroots and marginalized levels. Another point is that since the masses are less capable of establishing a prudence and willful insight for our country, then those who are supposed to be intellectual elite who are in power and are presumed patriots should provide and exercise limitations on the side of masses with regulatory laws especially on their right to vote if enlightenment is not enough to compel them to vote wisely.

          You can blame PNoy administration but not to the level of negating the bright sides of his administration. I think there is because I have read it from local and international news in the past 3 years. You are always singling him out when in fact you don’t analyze the whole paradigm shift which in this arena of Philippines politics, there are a bunch of pulling forces no matter how good the executive is, there are those people who would incessantly malign and toss dirt on you if you are not cuddling their whims. Tell me who’s your president, if he is competent enough then so be it, but I would bet that if he cannot fail himself then his allies or party mates would fail him. It happened many times in the past that’s why every president is struggling to keep their image afloat. I, myself, chose to support the current government but not to the extent of embracing their failures. I can criticize but I also suggest what they can do to improve their governance.

          Socialism/Communism ideology started in Europe where in the factories the laborers and the capitalists worked have nuances of exploitation vis-a-vis profit scheme. This has been seen as evil of capitalism during Marx and Engels era where the poor continue to be poor and the rich becomes richer. This notion is evident in most of capitalistic societies in Europe, USA and Asia. I’m not a supporter of the said ideology, what I’m trying to say is that there’s no such thing as perfect system and in the Philippines, our system of competition and free market is getting worse and that would probably relate to the aggrandizing repercussion of the connivance and abuse of capitalists and politicians in our country as well as our toothless enabling laws and its enforcers.

          You blame PNoy when in fact it is his relatives who are Oligarchs. As if I blame you for the fault of your family’s wickedness. He is incompetent based on resume but he is already our president and we should respect that alone. Those competent presidential aspirants in the past elections like Gordon and Theodoro, they also have issues and are link to the Traditional politicians in the government since they have the same party or at least ally to the latter’s party. I don’t think they can uplift the status of the Philippines in six years. If they will not fail, then those bozos in congress and LGUs would fail them to some degree. You bet! this is Philippines. PNoy gradually if not ideally, improve the performance of each department under his realm. You can check by the records compared to his predecessors. Come 2016, you will see he has done his part of at least reconstructing the lost decades of our country into something as newly emerging economy in Asia.

        3. @ JS, still thumping that Thatcher/Reagan horsed hit about the alleged ‘good’ they did in the 1980’s?ROTFLMAO @ U . Reagan’s firing of the air traffic controllers in 1981 doomed the working man in the USA. Clinton’s signing of the NAFTA sent 40(That’s FORTY)Million jobs(that a lot of zero’s and Reagan was the biggest zero,BTW) oversea’s and sent real wages in the USA to the stagnation they are still at today. The repeal of the Glass-Steagal act has led to the speculation economy that is $17 Trillion(I know you can’t count that high) and threatens to remove the US DOLLAR as the world’s reserve currency. The last recession was not a recession it was a robbery(the American Tax-payers were extorted ,in one instance and not even the worst instance, for $700,000,000,000.00 by one Man/POS Henry Paulson who threatened to crash the banking system.) of the magnitude that has seen the biggest transfer of wealth in the history of Mankind go from bottom to top. The corporate welfare system created by your idiotic heroes Thatcher and Reagan has left the middle-classes in the 1st world around the globe in direst of third world straits.
          Being from the 3rd world I Don’t expect you to understand just what a blight on human-kind those two corporate shills were. Your lack of understanding of what caused the booms in the UK, North Sea oil is no dried up and so is the UK(Much like,nah, aint join there!) and USA, shadow Banking and derivatives markets/exportation of debt to the 3rd world and on and on and on, are not so complicated but won’t be explained to the likes of you who dismisses Engles and Marx under false pretenses (‘mis-interpretations of 18th century …’.),LOL! and then goes on to sound, as if your somehow authoritarian in your in-correct views to a jack-ass like this Jigs person is.
          MAYBE you are comfortable expounding in-correctly on such subjects but I know you have no idea of what you are talking about.

    2. That is a big time laugh, do not blame the masses or the elected people.

      Yeah, right, blame the system. Guess what, Jigs, the system we have now is the combined result of the stupid masses and incompetent people in government.

      Democracy? The pinoy masses do not deserve democracy, since they do not have a clear idea of how it should work. They think that democracy is free for all, erect your shanty and clog up the rivers and esteros. Mindlessly stack up rubbish by the kanto, spit and urinate anywhere you like, drive like a frustrated F1 driver, bring a gun so if somebody overtakes you, you can shoot him – in the face. Vote anyone you like because it’s a democratic country. Run a red light because you are better than the others, hell violate any other law because you can get away with it and you will be seen as better than the other guy. Always blabbering about corruption and how it is pulling the country down but when renewing your driver’s license, get the service of a fixer. Get employed just because you know somebody “inside”.

      Oh, I can go on and on.

      1. That’s why we need to start in our constitution again. We can amend the provision to which it gives the right to vote available for everyone. Or let the COMELEC come up with administrative laws to make reforms on the voter’s choice. They can also educate the masses for instance, aside from registering their names, on how to properly select their next leaders or they can disseminate information on those candidates running into office.

        We have laws that are ideal in nature but the problem is the implementation. I’m not certain how to begin with, but I think the biggest factor would be on the enforcers of the laws with checks and balances on their actions in a sustainable and transparent way. That way, the citizens would be deterred and would follow suit. Just like in Singapore.

      2. If not democracy then monarchy or dictatorship. The scary part is getting stuck with an incompetent leader.

        1. Please explain which monarchy actually allowed genuine political development and transformed that country’s society.

          The Philippines has already tried a dictatorship. Or has everyone already forgotten the twenty years under Ferdinand Marcos? It’s only been 28 years since that New Society social experiment ended. Don’t they teach this at uni?

        2. @Aryianna:

          Who’ll run to be a King? Maid-in-Waiting?, Court Jesters?, etc…Communism is “Disguised Monarchy”. Look at the succession of leaders in North Korea, Cuba, etc…

        3. Speaking of Moinarchies…we are already in this type of government. Just look at family political dynasties…fathers,mothers, wives, sons, daughters, relatives, etc…each succeeding from generation to generation. Ruling their political turfs, as their Kingdoms…some even have private armies…and they treat the government treasuries , as their banks…

  7. The solution is simple in 4 steps. Step one, gather all your friends and neighbors and discuss the merits of each candidate. Step two, decide who you will vote for. Step 3 accept money from every candidate passing it out (it will bankrupt them). Step four, vote for the candidate you want to win.

    1. Jerry,

      Do you know the process of vote buying? It is a very orchestrated process. Let me explain, First the Candidates has a List of all voters of a precinct courtesy of the COMELEC. You can acquire it by just going to the COMELEC Office and they will give it to you without any hesistation.

      Usually, large families have the same precinct because they have the same surname. When they buy votes, they do not individually buy persons but instead they buy the whole clan.

      How do they know that they will vote for the candidate? Easy, they already have listed all the names of those who have received money from them. From this, they can arrived to how many votes must that candidate received. They will now have an unofficial result on their hands. This is monitored by the watchers, both posted inside and outside the precinct. So if your family did not follow or voted for the one who bought your vote you will have a bad time.

      There is another Vote Buying Strategy, They will buy your vote, and they will never let you vote, you will be dabbed with indelible ink already and be guarded by some men. This is common to election hot spots like my province.

      1. @ Ken, the ‘SMART-O-MATIC’ machines are called ‘SMART’ for a reason. HINT, HINT…SEE?

        Oh, alright, the flash cards/drives are easily removed/replaced and manipulated to reflect any undesirable result.

        SEE?

        1. @JT,

          My point is on Vote-Buying, not the Machine. Kindly read my comment again.

          It seems to me that you do not know what happens next when the polling precinct closes. After it closes, they have to tally all votes on the Certificates of Canvas, even with the “SMART-O-MATIC”, the board of canvasser will still have to input it on the COCs. And the Watchers of Candidates will also have a copy of the result of that precinct.

          My point here is the process how politician monitors the vote they have bought. After the polling precinct closes and they have completed the COCs, and which watchers also have a copy. They will now have to check their own list againts the COCs.

          And another thing, For I do not believe in a flawed system of the so called “SMART” machine. It is easier to manipulate that “SMART” machine than a PC.

      2. @ Kenneth. No need 4 me 2 re-read ur comment. I understood it. The process is flawed at the point of the voting, and ,every place there-after, and that is my point that MAYBE YOU do not see, SEE?

  8. “Destiny is a matter of Choice, not a Chance…” by William Jennings Bryant. If we want our Destiny to be a good one. We must think of ways to change the mindset of the people. Aquino is a rich man; yet he has stolen more than Marcos…bought the Senate, Congress, and the Judicial Branches of the government with Pork Barrel Funds…with our own taxmoney.” Ginisa tayo sa sariling mantika…”

    Nothing change, if we don’t use the Information Technology to help, inform fellow Filipinos…it will be the same old Politics. If the true leaders do not come forward to present themselves to really lead.
    It will be hard to change. But, it can be done. Truth and information are the best tools to change the mindset of the Filipinos. Everyone must help…

    1. ‘He has stolen more than Marcos’.

      That is doubtful, as Marcos is rumored to be the biggest thief in human history based on the value of the money he stole at the time he stole it. No doubt the kleptocracy in the country is carting wheel-barrows of CA$H right out of the country to Swiss bank accounts via secret US Currency accounts in the Philippines, but still: Marcos was/is the biggest scumbag/thief in the history of mankind. He even beats Caligulas despotic trashing of the treasury of Rome.

  9. If Kris Aquino wins the elections…it’s time to say bye-bye to this country because I don’t want to wallow myself in deeper crap.

    There is a saying that “You reap what you sow.” The stupidity of many of our countrymen to elect an obvious incompetent person for a president is clear proof.

  10. There should be a law prohibiting “SURVEY RESULTS” on candidates running for office. This makes a big impact on minds of common Filipinos, especially when it is released near the election.

    “Magaling sana siya, kaya lang bat ko siya iboboto eh hinde naman siya mananalo, sayang lang ung boto ko.”

    This is a common phrase I have received during my college days when we interviewed people nearing the election period. Many people are misinformed, they think their vote will be wasted if they not vote for who is currently in the mainstream. Some of them assume that surveys are the results.

  11. The saddest thing about the politics in the Phil. is the distrust of almost anything that the govt. do. We could not even trust the messengers (the mainstream media) for political informations? “Who can we trust?”, should be the theme for the next election. Because the truth is still the best policy.

  12. The Filipino’s are very tired and bored because of corruption and political dynasties. What makes this country number one in corruption? Even if the evidences against corruption is strong. No one goes to jail. If there is only one leader strong enough to but these guys behind bars. I am sure He/or she will be the next President. Philippines will prosper if there are no more dynasties. If the Americans are really our ally. Please help us fight these dynasties. If China will truly invade this country, Why should we defend this country? It is full of corrupt officials. Sometimes it is better to be a colony than to be ruled by these corrupt officials. The martyrs, heroes, soldiers who died for this country. Died for nothing. They may have liberated us from foreign invaders but they did no liberate us from these politicians.

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