The other message of the Boto Mo, Ipatrol Mo campaign

I don’t think there can be any dispute that elections, if they must be held, ought to be honest. Otherwise, it becomes a futile exercise. But the same message for vigilance to ensure “honest elections” has another, if more subtle message. When it warns against cheating it is being partisan against government candidates.

The call to honest elections, whether intended or not, works in favor of opposition candidates. More so if they are the anointed ones of powerful media outfits that have consistently used their clout to influence elections. One need only look at previous elections in the Philippines to see how this “campaign for honest elections” has been worked to favor opposition candidates. Unwary citizens will be hard put to recognize this perspective unless it is seen more comprehensively and not seen solely as a campaign for ‘honest elections.’

It is more true to say that it is a power struggle among competing interests in democratic elections. The Philippines is not the only country that has had to deal with honesty in elections or to cope with various players who are in election contests for the spoils of victory.

A more damning factor is the presence of external factors in the campaign. The collusion between local and foreign players works against the development of democratic institutions in the Philippines in the long run. It may be time to take another look at this campaign before succumbing to its pontifications.

To repeat — the cry to ‘honesty’ by private groups can be as partisan. They are in a contest to make sure their candidates win. A campaign that tars government candidates with “dishonesty” is as reprehensible as government functionaries who miscount the votes. Even before the votes are counted, the public mind is being poisoned against administration candidates through a hidden but potent message that they can only win by cheating.

But what if there are Filipinos who want to support government candidates? Supposing Filipinos would rather that the incumbent government continue with its programs and infrastructure building before engaging in wasteful elections of hardly qualified candidates? There are other relevant questions being drowned out by the call to “honesty.”

If we must defend the freedom of choice and the freedom of speech it should be for everyone including those who want a new political structure through Charter change that would push for continuity through the elections of programs instead of personalities. Or is the campaign for honest elections reserved only for self-proclaimed goody-goodies who use their media reach and influence to make sure only opposition candidates win.

This is still part of the campaign that has bedeviled the Philippines since its independence each time Charter change is proposed. In this sense the call to “honest elections” is a farce and anti-democratic.

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Maria Ronson, an old time friend who has risen to the highest rungs of international journalism (from Independent Television and I think, in AP now) travels widely. Although she is a competent journalist they have tapped her talents for selling information services to different news agencies around the world. Occasionally, she pops up in Manila and we reminisce when we were in London (she as ITN reporter and I as an exile). Recently she came home to tell the story of “the holiday of a lifetime for a world traveler.”

“Just came back from a holiday in the islands. The timing may have been a bit off — there were two reported areas of low pressure in the Philippines so it rained every day. But the four days spent there were nevertheless everything and more that a citygirl like me could ever have hoped for a great holiday.”  

The travel involved taking a bus ride to Batangas Pier, a Sea Cat sailing to Calapan, a ride in a van to Pinamalayan and the final journey, a small ferry trip to Concepcion, Romblon known as Sibale, where my father was born. 

It is in an island like this that the true essence of the Filipino and what the Philippines offers comes out. 

My initial trepidation to travel in the middle of the night on my own to reach Sibale was cast aside by the warmth, hospitality and good humor shown to me all throughout my journey. My father had left me and my brother a plot of land to inherit — which many moons ago, we thought we would never revisit because of the challenging journey to get there. But the simplicity of life in Sibale, shorn of all the distractions that a city life offers, is quite appealing. The electricity supply only runs for eight hours (they have received approval to extend to 12 but are still waiting for the electrical generator to be delivered) which means there is very little blaring dance music to annoy throughout the day. The only means of transport is a motorcycle — and you can go around the island in an hour. If you time your journey at sunset — the views are simply breathtaking and would have to be the best value motorcycle ride you can ever embark on. The waters around the island are pristine — and you can be swimming in a beach with interesting topography and vegetation — all on your own. Being a small island, most of the residents are related to our family somehow. The mayor, Lemuel Cipriano, is a nephew who is passionate about preserving the island’s environment and making the best of the mangroves that sit opposite the town centre. He is now on a tree-planting project to make sure that the island’s water supply is ample and protected for future generations. 

The ride back to Manila was a great adventure. Anxious to catch a flight back to Hong Kong, I agreed to charter a small boat with bamboo outriggers for a bumpy ride back after receiving an assurance from the local coastguard that the storm had passed. The waves were frothy and I couldn’t help but yelp each time the boat navigated a huge swell. My crew of three were unimpressed by the size of the waves, having traveled more dramatic seascapes in their jobs but it was a tad more than what my adventurous soul could take. Be that as it may, I would highly recommend a visit. With an open heart and an open mind, you could have the holiday of a lifetime.”