Wanted – Matalinong Botante

This early, this nation that lives on its daily bread, is future-oriented enough to think of the elections come 2028. The main position up for grabs, of course, is no less than the Presidency of the Philippines.

Thereafter follows the rest, down to the lowest levels of the local government.

For all the negativity of our times, there is always that light at the end of the tunnel called – regular elections. Our myopic views that prompt us to think about how well Communist China’s economy fares are indeed short sighted.

Just pause for a few seconds. Would you rather live in China if you think that they are so much better off?

I dare say that 10 out of 10 would rather stay in this noisy democracy we call the Philippines than live in a house of gold without any chance of voting to change Xi Jin Ping as your Supremo.

Neither do you have a direct hand to change Prime Ministers in other Parliamentary forms of government in our Southeast Asian region.

So just relax, we may live in a poor man’s house, but we are kings and queens come election day. All candidates grovel for our votes and we are their Masters. Unfortunately, most of our voters becomes merchants of their votes to the highest bidder. And that is our problem.

So what is the doctor’s prescription?

‘Mercury, the messenger of the gods, has this to prescribe: Treasure your vote, assess the candidates, and vote the good and the best who you think will put the country first, rather than their own.

Do not sell this chance of simple patriotism, no matter the price. If you do, you may eat for a few days, but the rest of the years of incumbency of the candidate you sold to, will be spent in collecting maletas of cash to your ruin – unbuilt roads, phantom flood control projects, and general poor governance and pervasive corruption. The choice is ours. The answer is in our hands.