elections 2010

A year from now, everyone --well, at least all registored voters--will elect the next president, vice-president, senators, and congressmen. Again, I will volunteer at NAMFREL (National Movement for Free Elections). Again, I will witness how elections here in the Philippines can be so...err...medieval? barbaric? I'm serious with the terms I use. After going through two and a half weeks of counting during my stint at NAMFREL two years ago, it was a bit of a shock for me to actually see how crude the electoral system is here. It's so easy to cheat with the old method of tallying and re-counting. Tally marks don't add up to the supposed corresponding numerics. Some poll watchers are paid. There are NAMFREL volunteers who are arrested or hurt.

Most people I know have already given up on the system and just dismiss all politicians to be corrupt or have no conscience at all. I, however, still believe that there are good public servants. We just focus on the bad ones that's why we're so discouraged. I believe that everything we do is our choice--within our area of control. Yes, it's true that most of the officials who get elected are corrupt or are susceptible to being corrupted. But I believe that it's their choice. They are accountable to all of us, and they know it. Now, we cannot just lose hope and accept that. Next year, we have to cast our votes again. It's our right and duty as responsible citizens of this country to vote for whoever we think will lead us to the right path. I think we've all had enough of the crap our country has been through for the past few decades. It's time that we do the right thing. We are accountable to our country and fellow citizens as much as public servants are to us. If the people who get elected are corrupt, well...that's their choice. They're accountable to us. We have to stop blaming officials and start looking at ourselves--at what we can and can't do for the betterment of our country.

I love my country. I can honestly say that if it comes to that, I can and will die for my country. I easily get frustrated when I talk to some people who just don't care. Considering they're also Filipinos, it's really frustrating how some have already given up. Well, I'm not. You? Are you giving up..or have you given up? Or are you still hopeful for a better Philippines?