Letter To The Editor: Well where do we start?

The invasion of my island has already started, the political candidates, grinning, (as only political hopefuls can grin) seen only through the blacked out windows of their multi million peso foreign SUVs did arrive, showering the attendant and attentive masses with promises, snacks, 'pigs on sticks', parades, bands, jugglers, and attendant clowns in a show with everything but Yul Brynner, and if I may dare say it, probably 'considerations and a small token of their thanks in anticipation of electoral support'; and a statutory balloon of course.

The interpretation of those words is perhaps better left to imagination, I certainly don't want to get into libellous litigation by accusing the candidates of actually buying votes. as we all know, this simply doesn't happen in the Philippines, never did and never will. we have our nice political policemen from the Comelec poised with eagle eyes, ready at a moments notice to sweep down on naughty buyers and sellers alike. Oh yes, no doubt about that…

Nonetheless they came, they saw, they conquered, (or failed dismally of course; it is a possibility) and off they went, back to the gated ghettos of the rich and famous (or not so) in Cebu or wherever leaving our trees littered with their tacky posters (which are visible to all apart from the nice Political Policemen who, I suppose, are rather too busy at present to get out and police this sort of thing) as a threatening reminder.

I do hope the people who were sneaking around at night pasting this garbage everywhere will come back after the circus has left town and sneak around in the night again and remove them. Or will I be faced with a bunch of grinning losers (winners aside) every time I go out for the next year or so?

Meanwhile, many local islanders, came away at least the better off for a free snack, an inflatable and a vague concept of what the nice people who came all the way just to see them expect them to do and what they, the voters, can expect as a just reward; apart from the balloon.

On this topical question of the suitability of candidates running for high office and a proposal of psychological and medical evaluations for the aspirants, it makes sense. It may backfire on us of course and we may find that no one is capable of passing the test…

I was under the impression that our nice Political Policeman had, under current rules, approved all of them and found none 'wanting'. In law, as I understand it, all they have to be is over forty, well-fed and be able to read and write their own name. (The mathematics is clearly not important, as, once given the keys to the vault, it's quite simple to figure out the difference between fifty centavos and fifty million peso; for one thing it takes up a lot more room in the back of the Mercedes.

I do, however, support our dear, dear Governor and Senator Manny Villar when they say they are willing to have their collective heads examined and would look forward in anticipation of the publication of those results; which might make interesting reading…

Perhaps this examination ought to be statutory for all the voters, (being in the vast majority) as we do seem to keep making an awful 'pigs ear' of it year after year don't we.

Have to go now; I think my balloon just went 'pop!'… (Again)

Jeane D. Tayo

Bakiki Beach Purok Tindog

Guiwanon, Bantayan Island