05.13.13

Sa medyo weird na pagkakataong ito, naisipan kong gamitin na lang muna ang aking pambansang wika upang mas maiparating ang damdaming makabayan. Kaakibat nito, napagpasiyahan ko ring talakayin naman ang isang napakaimportanteng bagay na kaunti lang siguro ang nakakaalala. Medyo boring talakayin ang kasaysayan ng politika ng bansa, manood nalang kayo ng Matanglawin para don. Mas importante kasi para sakin ngayon na pagusapan ang kasaysayan ng bawat isa sa atin pagdating sa bakbakang ito na sinasabing madumi at kailanma'y hindi magiging mapayapa.

Wala lang. Naisip ko lang kasi na hindi ba nung elementary tayo o kahit nung high school, kulang na lang idikit natin yung mukha natin sa desk para lang hindi ma-nominate. Yung iba kasing mga ma-trip na classmate natin para mang-asar ino-nominate yung pangalan mo tapos sa huli, hindi ka din naman iboboto. Hashtag badtrip di ba? Pero pagtanda, iba na yata talaga eh. Yung ibang tao, mabulungan lang ng maimpluwensyang friend nila na tumakbo, go naman sila.

Dati, nagmamakaawa kang 'wag ka na iboto, with matching praying hands gesture ka pa. Todo tanggi sa resposibilidad na kaakibat ng posisyon. Ngayon, bali-balita lang naman na yung kandidato mismo yung desperado para sa boto, bribers eneverytheng. Nung grade school, muse,escort at PRO lang yung medyo nakaka-thrill na pwesto. Ngayon, kulang pa yung nine years na pagka-pangulo, kelangan kahit hospitalized, kongresista ka pa din. Wow.

Noon, isang hampas lang sa katabi ang katapat para patigilin sa balak nilang i-nominate ka. These days, medyo baliktad. Kapag hindi mo siya binoto, hampas ang katapat mo. Buti nga kung yun lang eh, minsan kase nangma-massacre pa yung iba ng convoy eh. Lupet!

At ito, last but not the least. Tanda ko noon nung bata pa ko, kapag nanalo na yung kaklase ko, pinipinlit pa siya nung teacher namin na mag-speech o mag-message kung ano daw ba yung gagawin niya as president of the section. Eto namang si kuya mong napilitan lang, walang maisagot kasi napilitan nga lang siya in the first place. Nag-joke na lang yung bata at sinabing “everything I do, I do it for you, classmates”. Sabay petiks lang siya, the whole year round, ni-hindi man lang nga tsine-check kung yung cleaners kada araw, nag lilinis nga talaga. Ngayon, wala naman masyadong pinagbago, may ibang masipag na opisyal, may mga petiks pa rin naman. Ang pinaka-significant siguro na pinagkaiba, eh yung speech at pag-papangako factor. Super level up ngayon eh. Lahat ng pwedeng ipangako, ipapako este ipapangako pala. “Libreng pag-aaral, libreng bahay, libreng gamot, libreng patubig, libreng shampoo, libreng Ipad, libreng sakit ng ulo.” Lahat libre, ba't di pa kaya bigyan ng jacket 'yan!

Wala lang. Ang cute lang talaga natin. Cute din ang bansa natin. Sana di natin ito ipinaubaya sa mga taong pa-cute lang :) MABUHAY ANG LAHING PILIPINO!

Drilon warns public not to sell their votes

Angono, RIZAL – Team Pnoy campaign manager, Franklin Drilon urged the electorate on Wednesday against selling their votes on the May 13 election day.

Drilon issued the statement after receiving reports that quarters are out to lure voters into selling their votes with just a week away before polls.

“I appeal to the electorate not to accept money from candidates or their emissaries in exchange for your votes. Kapag ginawa ninyo iyon, tayong taumbayan ang matatalo sa huli dahil mga corrupt ang mailalagay sa pwesto,”  said Drilon.

The Liberal Party comrade warned voters against accepting, directly or indirectly, money, transportation allowance, food and drinks as these “undermine the integrity of the election.”

"Let us safeguard our votes against cheaters and poll manipulators, whether they will come from the opposing party or the ruling party," he added.

Senator Drilon also dismissed claims that the administration will manipulate the result of the election, saying with President Benigno Aquino III being strongly against electoral fraud, “cheating is out of the equation.”

"This administration never tolerates fraud and cheating. Let us not forget that the cleansing of voters’ list in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao was made possible during the Aquino watch,” Drilon said.

"If cheating in order to win is our goal, we would not have exercised efforts to remove the thousands of ghost voters in the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), where most cases of electoral frauds took place," he added.

Drilon called on the people to be vigilant against election fraud and report irregularities immediately to authorities.

"Ensuring an honest election is a duty not only left to the government; it is the responsibility of every citizen of a nation to safeguard their votes," he said.

 - Danielle Gabriel

(P.S Just trying my hand in news writing)