Feature Article
By Manny C. Dela Cruz
HERE in the Philippines, politics is like the crispy skin of a lechon pig that makes you salivate, appetizing. What essential quality does politics have and many politicians are attracted to deal with it?
You know, politics seems to be show business only here in the Philippines. Politicians who are known to the society when they enter the political field look like actors in TV and movies. Aside from there is the beauty of a candidate an investment to win the political battle? What else?
Most of the people say that politics in the Philippines is very controversial. For example. If anyone wants to participate in the political arena, whose position he wants to win is mayor or governor, they cannot do so without money. Participating in politics is not just about looking good or being smart. You can’t just be nice either. The most important factor in participating in political exercise wherever you are a voter is money, money and more money.
It’s hard to accept that people’s customs have changed nowadays. In reality vote-buying and vote-selling obstruct the democratic process. Most of today’s voters are greedy for money (mukhang pera) — materialistic. Others sell their right to vote or sell their dignity for a small amount of money.
Hence the colloquial term money politics in terms of people buying and selling votes. On the part of political aspirants who don’t have money to spend on campaigning will just go through the process of shaking hands with the voters, in that way there is no guarantee if he will get a lot of votes in the election.
What is the definition of vote buying? According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), vote buying is not the only distribution of money during the campaign period. Even the distribution of things such as hats, fans, clothes, or food can be considered vote buying if the said items come from the candidate.
There are many ways to buy votes. For example. The candidate can connive with the owners of sari-sari stores to buy the store owner’s rice or other food stuff to give to the voters contracted by the candidate. That is the modus operandi. Contracted persons will be given a candidate stub. The stub will be given to the store owner in exchange for a few kilos of rice or grocery items. In such a modus it is not obvious that the voter sold the vote in a shrewd way.
If the candidate is an incumbent he can use his position and in that style the incumbent candidate is immediately leading a little compared to the horse race. Since the incumbent candidate has a wide bailiwick, various organizations and other organizations are also held by him, so the candidates who are in power are not just opponents.
It is also true that deceitful politicians cannot stay in their position all the time. The day of their fall will also come. When any politician exceeds the power. When the people are no longer satisfied with their elected leader due to the lack of action on the grievances of the constituents and are no longer able to do development projects in their areas, the people themselves will take the initiative to remove them from office by ballot on election day
A reminder to everyone that under Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, Section 261(a), Vote-buying and vote-selling are prohibited by the law. Any person found guilty of any election offense under this Code shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one year but not more than six years and shall not be subject to probation. In addition, the guilty party shall be sentenced to suffer disqualification to hold public office and deprivation of the right of suffrage. (UnliNews Online)
