Consider this as a simple contribution to the Filipino people’s quest to elect the right people to wield power, and break down the chokehold on the electorate by political dynasties, the oligarchy and the rentier class subservient to foreign interests that had dominated Philippine politics since the Spanish colonial period.
Ever a work-in-progress (WIP), this Patnubay sa Manghahalal (PsM) considers the electoral process as the playground of money politics, with the opportunity for corruption presenting itself once in three years. The Commission on Elections (Comelec), which used to have at least one commissioner from the political opposition, is as partisan as any partisan could be, and its supposedly independent posture has been shattered by decisions that allowed convicted officials to run and recidivists to win through digital fraud.
For starters, PsM puts the record of candidates under thorough analysis. It is interesting to note that there is no requirement for candidates to have clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Security Council (NSC.) Vetting the candidates at the outset is a must and those who cannot satisfy this requirement must be disqualified.
Apart from drug tests, candidates must be compelled to take neuropsychiatric examinations to determine whether they suffer from delusions of grandeur, are congenital liars or are malignant narcissists who cannot raise families and who are pathological manipulators. Sadly, one such candidate won, and the Filipino people suffered for six years under his necrophiliac rule.
Third, all candidates must belong to political parties and not merely lead groupings controlled by political personalities who have no clear agenda, platform, advocacy or ideology. It is a tragedy that the Comelec had not succeeded in nurturing the growth of political parties but kowtowed to so-called charismatic personalities who serve the interest of bloc-voting constituencies, destroying the separation of church and state and abetting the rise of cults that endorse candidates who run the country to the ground since they consider these voters as “zombies,” physically alive but mentally dead. In other countries, taxpayers fund political parties to contest control by traditional politicians.
Fourth, the idea of a “stupid electorate” is not unique to the Philippines. The US also has its share of bizarre voters who continue to think that after four disastrous years under conman Donald Trump, they still believe he has the cachet to run the government. As one US critic said, the situation reminds him of George Carlin’s remark: “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” PsM hopes to lead Filipino voters out of the trap laid out for them by corrupt politicians who are already campaigning for the 2025 midterm elections. Let us bury the idea of the “stupid electorate” by voting wisely and kicking out the devils that have dominated the executive and legislative branches of the government.
Fifth, a checklist should be prepared for each voter to remind him or her of the record of the candidates. This checklist includes the pieces of legislation championed by the candidate, and whether such legislation led to higher taxes, the dismantling of social, health and educational services, or diminished job opportunities and worsened the economy. Include as well how the legislator promoted his or her family’s landgrabbing, used Congress to bend infrastructure projects to benefit his or her family’s corporations. Workers and farmers would always remember how plutocrats in Congress insulted them and worked to kill agriculture and industry. This is not a case of forgive and forget. One must never forget.
Sixth, voters must examine the value of candidates and find out if a cost-benefit analysis proves that they deserve to be elected or reelected. This is fairly simple. Look how much the people spent for them in three or six years and what the citizens got in return. If their perorations in Congress did not lead to economic benefit for voters since the lawmakers engaged only in investigations but charged no one despite their media hogging ways, then these characters do not deserve a minute in Congress. Include in the list of those to be excised from the ballot members of influence peddling syndicates, those with dubious citizenships and the lazybones and worthless lawmakers who should be sent back to grammar schools. (DEO MAGNO)