HAPPY WEEKEND

Vote buying and mental slavery
by Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Once again, the Philippines has exercised its popular version of what elections mean -- cheating and violence. The recent display of elections, Philippine style, is another round of a stinking electoral exercise practiced in the previous 2004 elections where the electoral fraud reportedly perpetrated by top officials of this country has not reached satisfactory decision in court.

Here in culture-rich and peaceful Mountain Province where there are no reported cases of murder and violence during elections, accounts and stories of vote-buying however have been heard to have reportedly been done throughout the province.

Talks of 500 to 1500 peso bills are rife over the grapevine to have been given to the electorate and even directly reported to this writer to have been distributed per household.
Not only is there reported direct vote-buying which is an illegal act, but also reports of indirect vote buying perpetrated through the giving of pigs during reunions and other family or community celebrations.

A local tourist here in this tourist town was surprised to know vote-buying happened here knowing that cases of vote-buying were filed with the Commission on Elections. She thought it was only in her hometown in Sorsogon and other poverty stricken places that vote- buying happens.

Sagada, while it is a tourist town is still an agricultural community just like other town or province of this agricultural country. Only a few households derive their income from tourism with a few families operating inns and restaurants, and others serving as tourist guides. The rest of the majority of the populace are farmers while some of the very few are employed in government and in private businesses.

Like the rest of the poverty-stricken Filipinos, Sagada populace are also hit with the effects of poverty such that a 500 peso bill freely given by a supporter of a political candidate or given by the candidate himself is already a blessing enough to buy a half cavan of rice or a 1,500 bill enough to buy a cavan of rice and a kilo of sugar.

To complicate matters, the acceptance of the money comes along with the psychological effect of voting for the one who gives the money, otherwise, it would be a curse not to. With a people who have strong cultural, if not superstitious beliefs of receiving a favor and giving back a favor in return, people become enslaved to this system of conscionable vote selling.

That is why, the advise of some politicians for the electorate not to vote for the one who gives the money does not work especially in this 4th class province. Chances are, the one who gives the money or a cow or a pig always wins and the one who presents a very good platform without giving money, will not win.

Calls for new politics, consultative governance, and democratic participation espoused by losing former congressional aspirants in the province including lawyers Anthony Wooden and David Daoas in the 2004 elections, and engineers Arnold Pilando and Jupiter Dominguez in the recent elections remain to be ideal platforms of good governance which have not taken off the ground.

Even implementation of the Local Government Code involving non-government agencies and participation of constituents in the making of barangay municipal and provincial development plans have not been fully implemented since the law’s passage in 1991.

The assertive involvement of the electorate in making a better community is still to be felt. While the law is there for people to participate in decision making for their own betterment and active involvement, governance has been left in the hands of the ones whom they have elected into office.

Either the electorate is apathetic due to utter helplessness or ignorance, or they have simply considered involvement in decision making the least of their priorities in life. This “stinking political system” says Sagada native Rose Capuyan, will continue with a people enslaved and helpless.

This feeling of helplessness and chosen slavery perpetuates when money or a gift is received from a traditional politician who in turn is voted by the recipient in return during elections.