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One week
from now, the nation will go to the polls and vote. At
least, those who still believe that their one vote
matters will participate in the elections.
Those
who think that Election Day was created by the Good Lord
so they could sell their vote will also participate. A
significant number of citizens will not bother to vote.
The
votes which will be cast on Election Day can be
classified into three types: the command votes, the
commandeered votes and the independent vote.
The
command votes
The
command votes are delivered by people who vote as a
bloc. These are the people who belong to political
parties, party-lists, religious organizations who vote
as one, socio-civic organizations with political agenda
and personalities who can influence or command groups of
voters.
The
command votes are priority targets of political
candidates. Capture of major command votes is considered
a prerequisite for winning. The support of the Iglesia
ni Cristo (INC) is avidly sought by politicians for this
reason. El Shaddai support is likewise eagerly courted.
Other religious organizations like Jesus Is Lord
Movement are also besieged with pleas for a few words of
public praise.
Party-list organizations with political agenda are
believed to be supported by command votes. Even barangay
chairmen “deliver” command votes. In return, lavish
monetary and other rewards are dangled. In the
provinces, owners of large haciendas, business
establishments and factories are considered good sources
of command votes.
However,
as every candidate knows, the price of command votes
goes beyond mere money.
The
commandeered votes
Commandeered votes are those which are obtained through
coercion and stealth. Paid flying voters go from
precinct to precinct and vote in the name of registered
voters.
Candidates who rely heavily on commandeered votes are
those who want to win at all costs. The most despicable
form of commandeered votes are those which are “cast “
days before the election, reported in fake election
returns, and switched with genuine returns.
Commandeered votes come in many forms and at different
levels. The public is familiar with many of the dirty
tricks, which were exposed during the infamous “Hello
Garci” scandal.
Independent votes
Independent votes are those cast by citizens without
party affiliation, influence from political and
religious organizations, their office bosses and
barangay chairmen. Others say that the number of
independent voters is dwindling fast. They are gobbled
up by the command voters and commandeered voters. Hence,
the cynicism and despair.
On the
other hand, others believe that independent voters are
increasing. While many of them are students and
professionals, independent voters cut across age, income
class and social status. I have talked with drivers,
workers, housewives and even barangay chairmen who
refuse to be captured and dragged into the command and
commandeered market.
Independent voters tend to be better informed, whether
they are street cleaners, janitors, kasambahay or
Ph.d’s. Perhaps they are better informed than the
senatorial candidate who sees nothing wrong with
publicly distributing money and admits to ignorance of
the Election Code. They know better than the boxer
candidate who thinks that being a congressman is all
about getting money from the President.
They are
more knowledgeable than the other senatorial candidate
who thinks that public funds belong to the President and
that opposition candidates should not get pork barrel.
They have more integrity than the congressional
candidate who thinks he should be called “Honorable”
after manipulating the 2004 elections. They don’t agree
with the cabinet secretary who thinks nothing of giving
P10,000 to his barangay chairmen.
The herd
mentality
Yesterday, I accompanied graduate students of the School
of Public Affairs and Local Governance of Silliman
University to La Libertad, one of the towns in Negros
Oriental. We visited an animal fair or oksyon.
Hundreds
of cows, carabaos, goats and even pigs were herded into
open pens. In the blistering heat, the air was heavy
with the smell of different varieties of ordure. While
cows mooed, carabaos bellowed, goats bleated and pigs
squealed, animal owners bargained hard with animal
buyers. The poor animals did not know they were being
sold.
On the
way home, I learned about the arrival of a senatorial
candidate in a helicopter. This is the very same senator
who publicly promised that like the controversial
cabinet member, he will also give money to barangay
chairmen who will deliver votes. He had come to my city
and province to buy herds of voters.
Obviously, he thinks of voters as just so many heads of
cattle, so many herds of goats and so many pigs to be
bought. Just like that.
Last
call to the voter
Don’t
join the herd. You are not cattle, goats or pigs. You
know who the deserving candidates are. Vote accordingly. |
