HAPPY WEEKEND

Election hang-ups
Gina Dizon

A friend narrated how he came across a man walking on the street alone and holding some polyetos. My friend offered him a ride and asked him who he was campaigning for. The man said he was campaigning for himself.

Surprised, my friend asked him if he walked in all the ten towns of the province to campaign for himself. The candidate said he didn’t have a car so he rode in public transport and campaigned to the passengers while in the bus or jeep. Good strategy. The candidate lost however by many votes.

While walking inside villages and personally getting in touch with people is a good strategy, it is not an effective way to get votes. Walking comes along with a proven track record and having many relatives.

Former board member Fr. Eduardo Solang hiked the trails and streets of the towns of Bauko, Tadian, Sabangan, Sagada to campaign for his candidacy during the May elections in 2001. He won. This was an exceptional and exemplary case.

The good reverend father gained a track record as a staunch human rights worker and indigenous peoples rights advocate through the years. He also served as a priest in Bauko and Tadian thus gaining votes from there. He traces his roots from Sagada and relatives of his wife from Tadian, which added up to more votes.

What was similar though in the above examples was that both candidates showed how it was not to spend too much money during elections in order to prevent eventual corruption.

I asked Padi Solang earlier how much he spent during the 2001 elections and he said at least P200,000. The money was used especially for food of supporters and people who visited his home.

I asked one board member candidate how much he spent during the previous elections and he said nearly half a million pesos which went to food, transportation and pollwatchers’ allowance. He won. He rarely walked, yet his winning came along with a proven track record and having many relatives and support from friends.

Here’s to this winning young board member to keep a pro-people record and steer away from corruption-related tendencies. I happened to talk to the wife of a former congressman-governor of Mountain Province and she said, her husband spent something like P200,000 which went to food and transportation all over the then undivided Mountain Provinces. That was in the 70’s when there was no vote buying then.

Today, the P200,000 is estimated to be nearly 1.5 million pesos. Yet, a candidate for congressman would need multi-millions in order to win. With a minimum of two poll watchers paid P1,500 each and deployed in 620 precincts in Mt. Province for example, nearly 2 million pesos is needed for this minimum number of poll watchers. This amount excludes the other assistors’ allowance; food and transportation of supporters, and campaign materials including publicity and possibly, money to buy votes.

What am I saying? One needs money in order to win. Where to get all the money? Either the candidate will mortgage or sell his house, borrow money from the bank or
from usurers, or do magic with public funds. Need I say more? Corruption stinks and this
topic is already emphasized too much. Let us dream of the day that the candidate during elections will:

• File his candidacy based on a proven track record and his capacity to lead and serve his constituents, and not on the number of his relatives or the thickness of his money.
• Not buy votes or entice voters with money, insurance benefits, pigs or digicards.
• Not make elections a time to make money.
• Walk the talk.
• Other reasons which would do away with patronage politics and corruption.

Let us dream of the day when the electorate will:

• Not sell their votes. Vote based on the candidate’s proven track record and capacity to lead.
• Vote based on issues and not on the money or gifts he receives from the candidate.
• Avoid making the candidate corrupted.

A shot at the moon? These dreams are attainable. If Neil Armstrong was able to land on the moon, we human beings would be able to realize the above. It starts with believing, acting on the belief with participatory governance from elected public officials.