CALIFORNIA DREAMING

A talk with an American on Philippine elections
Benito"Jong" Molintas

Just a few minutes when I started making this column, I was reminiscing my high school days at Saint Vincent’s School in Bontoc, Mountain Province . Those were the days that at my age, tried to explore skills and dreams that I wanted to that time and the future.

Later, I tried my oratorical skills when I studied at the St. Louis University in Baguio City . I joined the Supreme Student Council, Kasama, among others trying my hand in student politics.
I experienced and was molded in the art and science of campaigning. It was enjoyable standing in front of voters, convincing them with a little eloquence on how to be leader. I say this as a dare to the young to become future leaders by trying first the political life in their schools.

You can be effective leaders without resorting to cheating. Everything that you think you can do, you must be positive about it for yourself and for the benefit of others.” Everything we can do now, we must do it for we shall never pass this way again,” to quote a song.

I don’t really understand why, why our nation, the Philippines , is suffering from rub-outs, shoot-outs, kidnappings, killings and many violent acts particularly during the political season. It is near election day.

We should not allow ourselves to be used by politicians or big capitalist companies through illegal means or unhealthy “democratic processes.” Let us show that we can do our task as voter or campaigner for a person whom we believe to stand for our locality, our municipality, province or our country.

Let us learn from past campaign periods by not selling our reputation just for politics. We are trying to build a good future for the succeeding generation thus we should not campaign only for our own personal and vested interests but for majority of the people.

It is hurting when politicians promise a lot but don’t fulfill these and instead become the lawbreakers.

I am sure that our political system is weak; we are being besieged left and right by evil. My American friend was also of this sentiment when we were sitting together discussing elections in the Philippines .

“Your politics in the Philippines is blatantly a dirty one,” he said. “It is no longer a way to exhibit and discuss platforms, but to kill the opponent. Those in power dictate what they want which are usually only beneficial for their own selves. That is one reason why the Philippines is virtually becoming a wasteland.”

Recalling US history, he said the country’s democracy has evolved that cheating in elections is virtually non-existent. I hope that someday, we will experience how it is to vote without fear that our vote would be misused.