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It's a sad commentary on the Philippines as the bastion of democracy in Asia to proclaim facetiously and with false pride held in check, that its last mid-term elections as "polls relatively peaceful".

Even a cursory scan of the papers the morning after - aside from pre-election killings and violence - revealed a spate of poll-related fatal incidents. For samplers, killings took place in Masbate (as usual), Abra, Basilan, Negros Occidental, Marawi, Butuan, and Batangas, aside from near-killings, like grenade throwing or bombing, in Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Bulacan, Maguindanao, Shariff Kabunsuan, Surigao del Norte, and Agusan del Sur.

In fact, there were several unreported life-threatening incidents in some towns in Cebu, and in Metro Cebu involving gun-toting partisans, vote-buying blatantly done, candidate junking in sample ballots, or just plain "lalis" on the verge of fisticuffs.

Echoing international observers on the May 14 elections, US Embassy press attaché Matthew Lussenhop expressed being "saddened" by several violent incidents that marred the election. As left-handed compliment, however, Canadian Embassy political officer Steven Rheault Kihara was impressed by Filipino volunteers to ensure fair and transparent elections.

As of election day, election killings had reached 118, not counting the wounded or injured in shootings, strafings, and ambuscades. Isn't this the same number of "tradpol" dynastic clans roosting over Philippine politics? Isn't this pol dynasty syndrome stoking the embers of politics of personality resulting in feuds just to grab and keep that power of governance?

Violence aside, the election shenanigans and scams are also getting worse. While political pundits opine that historically the May 14 exercise was less disorderly or messy, the truth stands out as events on the ground so telling. The phrase "relatively peaceful" could be a shock to foreign observers, albeit they didn't express candid observations, except in Cebu.

For instance, vote-buying from pay-off to a voter to the more sophisticated variations of the color of cash factor, has become endemic. Other forms of over-spending and vote-buying are undeniable. Just imagine, for a Senate seat that carries a P35T monthly emolument, some senatoriables had to spend overall multi-millions up to half a billion.

The lower house aspirants, the provincial, city, and even municipal wannabes were not also far behind in their election wastrel. It thus stands to reason that the victors have to "recoup" their "investments" once in office.

There's also the factor of election fraud and cheating, or such similar chicanery just to win by all means possible. Never mind the means, as long as the ends for attaining power are met. In fact, only in the Philippines that, like gambling, politics is not only a national pastime, but also a professional family career. Instead of aspiring to be a lawyer, doctor, teacher, or whatever, the Filipino youth may now aspire to become a politician.

What's amusing is that no election loser, except for a sprinkling few, like Cebu City's defeated Mary Ann de los Santos, ever graciously concedes in defeat, He's either a loser as a victim of cheating and fraud, or of vote-buying by his opponent. The pain left by a loss in any election, is never healed; the wound doesn't even develop into a scar, as it continues to fester regardless of the passage of time. Thus, the political feud stays to pester and languish, only to worsen come next election time. Such is the kind of Philippine politics now…

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