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[droasterchicken]

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Elections; Democracy and Its Nuances

The Philippine elections was a period plagued with unease and restless nerves as Filipinos, whether in the Philippines or not, tossed their votes in the hopes of choosing the country’s next set of top officials. Much thought was often placed on both the voters voting for their desired candidate and the politicians participating in campaigns to ensure that the elections weren't only true to the people but also for the betterment of the country. Knowing this led many to ask the question; why are the Philippine elections essential to the state of the country especially in terms of the country’s democracy?Democracy was described as a type of government centered on the principle of equality between those in power and ordinary people (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). The nature of elections, in the way that individuals get to be able to pick out who they want to run for office, was a prime example of democracy being demonstrated in real time. In the same way, the Philippine elections was essential to the nation as it gave people a chance to showcase their own opinions as citizens of the country that they’re voting for. Hence, elections, no matter what country it takes place in, are an important process in being able to practice democracy in society.

Beginnings of Opinion

I’m yet to vote for the national or local elections as I haven’t gotten my COMELEC (Commission On Elections) ID as of the moment. However, I’ve had my share of experience being not only a voter during elections but also as a person running or campaigning during one when elections for the Student Council came around. As for a vivid memory I have in regards to elections, I would recall the national elections that took place last May 2022, where Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. won as the president with a total of 31,104,175 votes.

I recall waking up in the middle of the night and going downstairs to grab a glass of water. In the living room, my parents and brother were sitting down on the couch, eyes glued on the television as a female voice reported live the current status of the ballots and which of the candidates were in the lead for their respective positions. As for why this specific moment was a pivotal memory to how I viewed Philippine elections, I would say it’s because as the voting was being broadcast live, there were also some other reports of the candidates’ programs and the reaction of some people to these programs. Some citizens being interviewed by the reporters were crying, some were furious, and some were just neutral.

One thing was common amongst all of them though, all of them mostly mentioned the most popular politicians as the ones they were going to vote for. Many people mentioned only the names of Robredo and Marcos, two of whom were the leading candidates for the elections at the time. It was as if the other participants like Lacson, Pacquiao, and Domagoso were hardly mentioned at all. As someone not entirely interested in the realm of politics, seeing all of this in real-time was an interesting experience to say the least, though it never really impacted me emotionally when I think about it now.

Experience, Relevance, and All Things Between

When pondering on specific factors that influence the course of the Philippine elections, the one thing I can think of would be whether or not the politician in question has the experience or background knowledge that applies to the position they’re running for. After all, nobody wants an uneducated individual to run for a seat in the government that is required to lead large groups of people or even the whole nation. Being an important figure in society, citizens must be able to choose candidates that they believe are experts in their respective fields.

Second, I believe that another factor that influences votes would be how well-known a person is. Not to say that this is the case most of the time, but I do notice that when it comes to those who aren’t exactly into politics, they typically mention big names or those in the majority lead. In some ways, this can become a problem as instead of voting for people who fit the job description/requirements that the position asks for, citizens end up picking only those whose names ring a bell to them.

A personal observation I have for this would be when some politicians will end up buying votes or bribing people to vote for them in exchange for money. Some people like to term the money they gain from this as “ayuda”, which is essentially just money coming from politicians so that they can influence you to vote for them. This is a prevalent problem in the Philippine elections as not only do they bribe voters with money, but at times the money may even come from the government. This issue isn’t exactly one-sided as voters are willing to take the money or in fact, may use it as a reason instead. In a sense, this problem must be solved on both fronts, the voters and the candidates.

The Foundation of Unity

As I near the end of this blog, I’m stuck thinking about what I want for the Philippine elections or the entire country as a whole. I may not be knowledgeable about politics or the sort, but I truly believe that it has the power to be able to change the tide of things in not only our country but in any location in general. As all people do, my main goal for the Philippine elections is for it to be more transparent in terms of its dealings. From how I see things, I believe everyone knows that some strange dealings happen behind the scenes for some votings and yet we Filipinos just look at it as if it’s a common occurrence. We shouldn’t have this mentality as it’s important for us to have a stand against these types of issues instead of it becoming a norm in our country.

That does lead us to the biggest concern, how do we deal with such concerns and what’s the best course of action for it? To begin, we must remember that we can report such incidents to an official organization, such as the COMELEC. The COMELEC is in charge of everything and anything when it comes down to voting and thus, should be the first place to go to when wanting to report any concerns regarding election violations. Additionally, the PNP (Philippine National Police) can also be approached for concerns regarding electoral fraud if ever going to the COMELEC can’t be done.

Now that all is said and done, I presume that one may wonder what’s my stance on the entire ordeal in terms of flaws in the electoral system. I believe that it’s high time for the Philippines to begin an era of electoral reform because of the few issues that continue to break the system from the inside. Additionally, it’s not only violations that we must deal with but also the attitude of us citizens when it comes to learning about these flaws. Instead of looking at these things with neutrality, it’s best for us to take action and actually do something about them. Change doesn’t stem from only one side of the argument but from both parties. Hence, other than calling out politicians or those in power who use said power to manipulate votes and such, we must also take the time to inform and spur others to action.

With all of the information presented above, I can only hope that people take my words not as information for another time but as a stepping stone. It truly takes time to learn about things such as electoral reform or democratic renewal, but if individuals make the effort to try and become educated of the current issues surrounding the mere process of choosing leaders who will guide them to a better tomorrow, then perhaps it will help deal with certain nuances.

[droasterchicken]

I love love love loveeeeeeeee your work! I'm a number 1 fan!!

Elections; Democracy and Its Nuances

The Philippine elections was a period plagued with unease and restless nerves as Filipinos, whether in the Philippines or not, tossed their votes in the hopes of choosing the country’s next set of top officials. Much thought was often placed on both the voters voting for their desired candidate and the politicians participating in campaigns to ensure that the elections weren't only true to the people but also for the betterment of the country. Knowing this led many to ask the question; why are the Philippine elections essential to the state of the country especially in terms of the country’s democracy?Democracy was described as a type of government centered on the principle of equality between those in power and ordinary people (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.). The nature of elections, in the way that individuals get to be able to pick out who they want to run for office, was a prime example of democracy being demonstrated in real time. In the same way, the Philippine elections was essential to the nation as it gave people a chance to showcase their own opinions as citizens of the country that they’re voting for. Hence, elections, no matter what country it takes place in, are an important process in being able to practice democracy in society.

Beginnings of Opinion

I’m yet to vote for the national or local elections as I haven’t gotten my COMELEC (Commission On Elections) ID as of the moment. However, I’ve had my share of experience being not only a voter during elections but also as a person running or campaigning during one when elections for the Student Council came around. As for a vivid memory I have in regards to elections, I would recall the national elections that took place last May 2022, where Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. won as the president with a total of 31,104,175 votes.

I recall waking up in the middle of the night and going downstairs to grab a glass of water. In the living room, my parents and brother were sitting down on the couch, eyes glued on the television as a female voice reported live the current status of the ballots and which of the candidates were in the lead for their respective positions. As for why this specific moment was a pivotal memory to how I viewed Philippine elections, I would say it’s because as the voting was being broadcast live, there were also some other reports of the candidates’ programs and the reaction of some people to these programs. Some citizens being interviewed by the reporters were crying, some were furious, and some were just neutral.

One thing was common amongst all of them though, all of them mostly mentioned the most popular politicians as the ones they were going to vote for. Many people mentioned only the names of Robredo and Marcos, two of whom were the leading candidates for the elections at the time. It was as if the other participants like Lacson, Pacquiao, and Domagoso were hardly mentioned at all. As someone not entirely interested in the realm of politics, seeing all of this in real-time was an interesting experience to say the least, though it never really impacted me emotionally when I think about it now.

Experience, Relevance, and All Things Between

When pondering on specific factors that influence the course of the Philippine elections, the one thing I can think of would be whether or not the politician in question has the experience or background knowledge that applies to the position they’re running for. After all, nobody wants an uneducated individual to run for a seat in the government that is required to lead large groups of people or even the whole nation. Being an important figure in society, citizens must be able to choose candidates that they believe are experts in their respective fields.

Second, I believe that another factor that influences votes would be how well-known a person is. Not to say that this is the case most of the time, but I do notice that when it comes to those who aren’t exactly into politics, they typically mention big names or those in the majority lead. In some ways, this can become a problem as instead of voting for people who fit the job description/requirements that the position asks for, citizens end up picking only those whose names ring a bell to them.

A personal observation I have for this would be when some politicians will end up buying votes or bribing people to vote for them in exchange for money. Some people like to term the money they gain from this as “ayuda”, which is essentially just money coming from politicians so that they can influence you to vote for them. This is a prevalent problem in the Philippine elections as not only do they bribe voters with money, but at times the money may even come from the government. This issue isn’t exactly one-sided as voters are willing to take the money or in fact, may use it as a reason instead. In a sense, this problem must be solved on both fronts, the voters and the candidates.

The Foundation of Unity

As I near the end of this blog, I’m stuck thinking about what I want for the Philippine elections or the entire country as a whole. I may not be knowledgeable about politics or the sort, but I truly believe that it has the power to be able to change the tide of things in not only our country but in any location in general. As all people do, my main goal for the Philippine elections is for it to be more transparent in terms of its dealings. From how I see things, I believe everyone knows that some strange dealings happen behind the scenes for some votings and yet we Filipinos just look at it as if it’s a common occurrence. We shouldn’t have this mentality as it’s important for us to have a stand against these types of issues instead of it becoming a norm in our country.

That does lead us to the biggest concern, how do we deal with such concerns and what’s the best course of action for it? To begin, we must remember that we can report such incidents to an official organization, such as the COMELEC. The COMELEC is in charge of everything and anything when it comes down to voting and thus, should be the first place to go to when wanting to report any concerns regarding election violations. Additionally, the PNP (Philippine National Police) can also be approached for concerns regarding electoral fraud if ever going to the COMELEC can’t be done.

Now that all is said and done, I presume that one may wonder what’s my stance on the entire ordeal in terms of flaws in the electoral system. I believe that it’s high time for the Philippines to begin an era of electoral reform because of the few issues that continue to break the system from the inside. Additionally, it’s not only violations that we must deal with but also the attitude of us citizens when it comes to learning about these flaws. Instead of looking at these things with neutrality, it’s best for us to take action and actually do something about them. Change doesn’t stem from only one side of the argument but from both parties. Hence, other than calling out politicians or those in power who use said power to manipulate votes and such, we must also take the time to inform and spur others to action.

With all of the information presented above, I can only hope that people take my words not as information for another time but as a stepping stone. It truly takes time to learn about things such as electoral reform or democratic renewal, but if individuals make the effort to try and become educated of the current issues surrounding the mere process of choosing leaders who will guide them to a better tomorrow, then perhaps it will help deal with certain nuances.

[droasterchicken]

The Philippines Cries in the State of Politics

As disputes in the country continue to rise with the passing time, people need to step up to the challenge to resolve the problems that society brings. This is done through governmental elections, where the citizens of the Philippines would vote for candidates who run for positions in the government. Whether these candidates are worthy of the position, the fate of the Philippines lies in the decision of the nation. 

The people are given free will to vote those they deem fit to acquire a position in the government. Without elections, there is no free will, only submission to authority that has been predetermined by the privileged and those with high social status.

It was in the month of May in 2022 and on a rather cool afternoon. It was common knowledge that Duterte had to step down from his seat as president to allow someone else to take the responsibility.

The votes were tallied between BongBong Marcos and Leni Robredo, the tension was high until the results were released. The news came from my grandmother who casually spoke of how BongBong Marcos won the position as president of the Philippines. In all honesty, I felt nothing, I knew nothing about the candidates themselves nor did I think of how this would affect me since I was just 16 years old. 

The internet was disappointed, if not hated the results, people on Tiktok were blaspheming Marcos and spoke of how it should have been Leni. Still, I underestimated the importance of elections until my mother spoke of how this affected the relationships of some families.

Parents were disowning their children, children were disowning their families, all because they had opposing views on who to vote for. This got me thinking, why are families willing to destroy their relationship because of the elections? Suddenly, it became a lot more significant to ponder about, especially when my time to vote would soon come. 

The candidates for Philippine elections were represented through status and wealth. But that alone does not get one to succeed in the elections, one must win the hearts of the people to win the votes.

As I grew older, I realized that candidates in the privilege spectrum would make use of their reputation and do what they could to acquire the position they were aiming for in the government. Whether they were a star such as an actor, or from a long family line that withheld a rank in the government, unless the candidate was popular and had the money to buy people, it did not matter if the candidate was truly knowledgeable or fit for the position. If they are not popular, they do not have the chance to win in the elections. 

I recall the 2022 Philippine elections when Robinhood Padilla won as Senator. He was known as a TV star and actor before he became a Senator. Another example I could think of was the vice president, Sarah Duterte, who shared the last name of the previous Philippine president who was Rodrigo Duterte. 

These alone exemplified the Philippine’s voting pattern, not by wisdom, but through personal feelings. Through these observations, it saddened me that people chose to ignore those who had great potential to lead the country and focused on those of popularity. Just because they contain the fun or “bibo” vibes does not mean they are qualified.

As of now at 18 years old in 2024, I tend to wonder; just how reliable is the system of the elections? If the government allows movie actors or models to apply for certain positions, are these the kind of people that we would want to represent and lead our country?

The Philippine election is a place where everyone stands on equal grounds, a place where the country is properly represented by those who understand the country’s needs. By this, we should not view a candidate by simply their appearance, but predetermine whether they can handle the responsibilities given with the position and through their character.

As someone who is ready to choose the next leaders when the elections come, I am more than willing to not vote blindly based on popularity, but on the sets of skills that the candidates hold. Yet I shall never turn blind to one’s reputation, for whatever is built up by the candidates works as a surface that leads to their character and personality.

The Philippines is still in the middle of change, yet what never changes are the officials who are blinded with the power they hold, officials who are corrupt. Nowadays, people do not actually know how to properly see through the veils that candidates put up to please the public, later on this results in deep regret once that veil falls off. 

The need for electoral reform in the Philippines is a call for improvement. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to having the right to vote. The candidates in the elections are not to be viewed for their outward appearance, but one must be an educated voter in terms of capabilities.  

Duterte as president may have achieved many great things for the country, even helped progress the nation, but not without consequence. The War On Drugs campaign, despite its good cause, resulted in blood shed and corruption. Many lost loved ones and cried for them, just as how people cry for leaders who will lead this nation and lift it up.

Don’t vote without cause, nor because of biases. Don’t vote because of popularity, nor because of sweet promises. Have the research done for the candidate’s reputation reveals who they are even before they stepped foot into the elections. If the country chooses the wrong candidate, it will reflect on the country’s complexions.