A view from a distance

Let me acknowledge, with most profound gratitude, the many who have continued to send their thoughts on issues that I take up in this corner every now and then. Some of them even engaged me to a friendly banter either on the phone or in person while others swarmed me with text messages. If I have kept silent on the notes of most of those who wrote in (or texted, is there such a word?), or did not send them replies, it has been my way of looking at the issues with utmost objectivity and with less influence from my intelligent readers.

This may be just the second time in my very short life as a writer to make this recognition publicly but, I am sure that all of you who have taken time to write to me are only motivated by an honest hope to improve our race that you may not actually expect a pat on your back. After all, our heroes offered their lives in the altar of sacrifice without thinking that at a later period, we venerate their names in our human hall of fame.

Today, let me be off tangent. I will yield my space to Mr. Eli C. Perez. I can wager, if allowed, that he is a gentleman who, I must admit, is far more optimistic than my own parameters of incorrigible optimism. By pointing out that there is still hope in our country, he was, in fact, reacting to my column on the chance of my packing and leaving this country on account of utter hopelessness. May the tribe of Mr. Perez increase exponentially.

Here is his letter in is entirety:

“Yes, it is unfortunate that our election process has become no longer a choice between the best qualified candidates but who has the most money to buy votes. I however disagree that all is lost for our country. There is still hope, slim as it may seem but a chance nevertheless.

“It is a fact that seldom can we find candidates nowadays seeking a post for the noble purpose of serving the community. Oh, they may claim that in speeches but once elected, the real reason would emerge. As your column exposed, positions are now being bought instead of voted on. The higher the post, the more expensive to win. The political process has now become an investment where the investor expects to recover expenses plus profits. Thus we see congressmen and senators spending hundreds of millions of pesos to win and in return pocketing several folds more as profit.

“The solution is simple: overhaul the election process. Have the government spend for the whole election process while disallowing any amount of expenditure from candidates. Political rallies and propaganda, including candidate paid posters and banners, will be banned. In their stead, the government will sponsor radio and TV debates between candidates and post posters where all candidates will have equal exposure. Town hall type debates will be held so that voters without access to radio and TV can listen and make educated choices. Sample ballots will be banned and people milling around voting places will be driven away. Without any expenses to recover, they are deprived of a reason to steal and might just work for the betterment of our country instead.

 “The cost to the government will be but a small fraction of the billions that our current political leaders are stealing to recoup their expenses plus more. The problem is: will our politicians support this change and deprive themselves of a means of enriching themselves even more. That is for the people to force to make happen and for columnists like you to push into reality.

Eli C. Perez

Columbia, Mo.”

There is great merit in the positive views, made from a distance, of Mr. Perez. I just hope he comes back to the Philippines and helps us in concretizing this aspiration.