Praying for Filipino People to Be Conscientious

     The filing of candidacy is from Oct 1-6, 2024, and politicians are scrambling to get noticed. Some of them resorted to TV advertisements just to get noticed. It's sickening to see them trapos(traditional politicians) indirectly manipulating the poor public. The first to publicly announce it's line up for Senators is the administration of BBM. 

The admin's 12

     This line-up exemplifies there is no loyalty in Philippine politics. I spent half of my life in Malaysia and Singapore and party loyalty is prominent. The politicians don't hop political parties, and the voters don't vote for the individual names, rather on the political party. In the Philippines, it's all personality based. The administration's line-up is a mix from different parties, some even ran from President against BBM in the last election. Automatically, the wealthy elite, who have the means and opportunities to wage a campaign, rules the political contest.

     I am not inking a single one in this line up and I strongly pray that the poor masses don't fall into the trap of BBM and co-horts, popularizing Marcos-style of dole-outs. If there will be reliable candidates from other parties, I will vote for them. If none, then my ballot will be blank.

Too Much Politics

     It's ten days or so before filing of candidacy for May 2025 election but politicians have started the ball rolling. Several potential candidates for senators have aired their ads on TV since last month The Commission on Elections cannot do anything about it, it seems. The trapos (traditional politicians) are like having a feast.

     It's saddening how much they try to portray how much they've done for the country but it's all words and the lives of the ordinary man remains the same. There is so much poverty in the countryside yet politicians are busy with their scoring points to get the masses' support come election time.

     What is even more saddening is the return of the Marcoses and Romualdezes into power and their perpetration of old ways of politics not different from the politics of the Marcos-Imelda era. 

     The Romualdezes are using government agencies like the DSWD to dole out cash incentives to the masses. I am so perplexed because initially I thought they are giving out the monetary based on their plan, later I found out all of them are existing programs of MSWD and they are abusing them to their advantage. The poor masses think they are able to receive because of them, without any idea that they are actually existing programs of DSWD. If only following to the letter, anybody can go and apply at DSWD. What they did is organize MSWD to dole out in the countryside with their names and party list prominently displayed.

     I was listed as recipient of a certain monetary incentive, which later I found out is a DSWD program for former OFWs. I went to receive not knowing it is for ex-OFW which actually aptly suits me, and the speech before giving out the cash, was as if it is an initiative of TINGOG, a Romualdez-led party list. Something is very wrong.

     In May 2025 is the mid-term elections where it is an election for half of the senators, congressmen and all local officials. This is going to be a make or break exercise for the Filipinos. If they elect still the people of the Marcoses and Romualdezes, it is going to continue the downward spiral of this country. If the electorate chooses alternative politicians to eliminate vestiges of the Marcoses and Romualdezes, it will be an action in the right positive direction, hope for the country's future.

Change of Heart

     When I was still an OFW in Singapore, I was very vocal of my support for Leni in 2015. That was then when I was not in the Philippines, far from the grassroots, far from seeing the realities. Now that I am back to ground zero, I can see the true realities in the rural areas, the conditions of the poor farmers mainly in the countryside. It is far from what I thought the country has become all through these years. 

I was a victim of the yellow propaganda

     I without doubt changed my political color. I have reached to a point I became "Anyone But Leni" although I certainly voted someone to ensure the yellow wagon doesn't come into power again. I have come to my senses after seeing the conditions of the poor. 

      Unfortunately, no one among the politicians is fighting for the poor, no one is looking at the root causes of the economic disparity of the society. A new leadership has been installed, not the yellow power, but as I see it, they are not offering a real alternative that will fight on behalf of the oppressed poor. The status quo remains.

Money Politics

     In a poor country like the Philippines, money does really rule. People vote based on how much money they get, not on the capacity of the politician to lead the country to become a better one.  Politicians are manipulating that to their advantage, heeding the basic want of the masses. When will this change?

That's flagrant indirect vote buying

     I can't blame the poor because they are in an environment that keeps them. The wealthy politicians like Manny Pacquiao are exploiting that without any long term vision to change the situation. Elections year in and year out remain an instrument for the wealthy politicians to exploit the poor.

The Elitist Class Wants Power

     This is indeed true. The top elites are the ones supporting Leni and the lower class and the masses are for Duterte. I hope money doesn't come in during election time and put her in power. This social imbalance is something I've not seen in Singapore or Malaysia. They want to regain the power to continue their hold on the poor and re-establish their domination.

Truly elites 

Philippine Politics

     There is too much politics in the Philippines which I never experienced in my 20 years in Malaysia and 10 years in Singapore. The governments there spend more time improving the country for the people's sake.

The opposition is scrambling, I am not sure if for real or a ploy to be in the headlines as part of mind conditioning

Exploiting the Poor

     Politicians in the Philippines are exploiting the poor. They use them, they feign fighting for them come election time but once in power, they forget everything. The poor people are unknowingly victims of the structure. During election time, the politicians buy their votes, they give them money and both are unaware they are exploiting the situation I think. Or the poor are unaware, the politicians are aware but they continue to do so because they need to stay in power maintaining the status quo. Both think it's the natural order, it's how things are supposed to be. 

Too Much Politics

     In the Philippines, there is too much politics disenfranchising the interest of the masses, the poor masses, just too much compared to Malaysia and Singapore, I feel. In the same way, there is so much Tiktoking and showbusiness, and this is unproductive really for the country, and nobody cares. The establishment wants to keep the status quo, the rich including the politicians remain rich and powerful while the poor continue to be poor and at the mercy of them, the wealthy oligarch.

     As early as now, politicians are scrambling for media mileage, and they do just anything to be on the headline. In Malaysia and Singapore, both better developed than the Philippines, they only have few days to campaign, I think the longest I remember is eleven days before election. Very unlike here in the Philippines where as early as now, some eight months before election, there is so much politicking of the powers that be as can be seen on TV. Totally bad for the economy, very unproductive and the masses are not aware about it, they are part of the system uninformed and unaware.

     I feel like come May 2022, I may submit a blank ballot, maybe for lack of choices that will truly make the difference. Whatever I will do in 2022, I definitely won't vote these following trapos(traditional politicians).