I just assumed and hoped that those were only isolated incidents. I thought the election fever has been over but noticing those discussions and comments, I decided to give the subject one last blog post. Hopefully this would be my last post about Elections 2010.
First and foremost, I would like to emphasize that the Anahawnons have decided and there is no intention in this blog to question the results of the recent election. I just wanted to raise some points from my own personal views in relation to all those reports heard from Anahawan and on the reactions of some Anahawnons.
There is no way I could know and understand all the circumstances of this recent election in Anahawan. It would be easy to speculate when you are just watching the game from the top of the hill and not get involved at all. It really is hard to know the truth when you are not there. All I could say is that I am simply a speculator who only tries to organize and interpret information from informal resources including rumors.
One of the best examples of accepting defeat that I have witnessed was during the 90's (could not recall the exact year) when a losing candidate for Barangay Captain of Tagup-on walked towards the house of the winning candidate, presumably to congratulate the winner and accept his defeat. That walk itself, from my own point of view, was very symbolic and so memorable. If my memory serves me correctly, that losing but venerable candidate was Sir Policarpio Tobio while the winning candidate was Mrs. Pennie Lopiba.
For me, these kinds of actions deserves to be given more focus rather than letting the negative allegations linger even after the elections. My own personal perception of Manny Villar changed by almost a hundred and eighty degrees when he bravely faced national television to accept his defeat. Many of my chosen candidates at the national level did not win and I, at one time, even thought the people made an outright foolish choices. But that is just how democracy works, that the many out rules the few and we have to live by this fact in our system of government.
Perhaps it is just too hard for some of our losing candidates to accept their fate this recent elections due to allegations of unfair and unethical practices. Please take note that I am using the word allegations as none of these has been formally proven as true. The reports of alleged vote buying has just been too rampant it would be hard to ignore it. I am tempted to consider election as if it is just a game and vote buying is just part of it. The vote buyers are just the smart ones who use their brains and manage their resources well. The vote sellers are just exercising their freedom to choose and they chose money.
Seriously, and all kids aside, vote buying has always been an issue in every election in Anahawan for as long as I can remember. The sad thing is that, whether true or not, these issues are causing divisions among Anahawnons, even among friends and relatives. The worst effect that these issues could result to is that supporters of losing candidates may not recognize the winners as their leaders and officials. If true, vote buying and selling must be stopped. If not true, people should stop this rumor.
On my last note, I would still stick to my own personal rule of not judging people and focus instead on the actions. The act of leaders giving money to people in exchange for their support is a sign of weak and unsustainable form of leadership. The act of selling one's vote is similar to the acts of prostitutes selling their dignity away, or perhaps an act resulting from unawareness. The act of acknowledging defeat is no less than honorable and deserves the respect of even the most powerful king in this world. The leader who upholds unity even among enemies is a leader that deserves the respect and support of all his people.
