Mercedes B. Suleik l June 2, 2022 l Manila Bulletin
The 2022 elections have ended. And lo and behold, even before the day had ended, with some precincts adverting that they had still some people in line to vote, the claim was made that one candidate had overwhelmingly won. And that his lead over his opponent was uniformly over 50% in every precinct. Wow, even a freshman student would find that statistically astonishing.
It is surprising that the declared number of votes that went to his opponent, the former Vice President, was exactly the number of votes she got as a Vice President. With the huge rallies that indicated her popularity, it would seem reasonable that at least she would get a lot more than that in her attempt for presidency. Perhaps it was really a close fight, and it was necessary that the so-called “leading candidate” won. We asked for peaceful and honest elections – except for isolated instances, it was generally peaceful. But honest? From CNN it was learned that Sen. Koko Pimentel is mulling at having the Senate investigate his allegations of “massive” vote buying, including a supposed “computerized assisted fraud” during the May 9 polls (https://bit.ly/38yqw0L).
Fr. Orbos has been quoted as having said that “It is painful to lose in an election where you worked so hard and followed the righteous way to do it. The only consolation is that we did it in God’s way and there is no regret in that. As for those who lied, cheated, intimidated or even killed people just to win, well, God will also have his way with you, sooner or later. Divine justice is slow, but it will come, for sure.” Indeed, once again it is apparent our elections have been ruled by the three G’s – guns, goons, and gold.
Another issue to be concerned about is that the online Presidential Museum and Library where essential records of history and atrocities documented during the terms of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., can no longer be accessed. Former Presidential Communications and Strategic Planning Office and Undersecretary Manuel L. Quezon III raised the alarm on Twitter, saying that the website is no longer available. The Malacanang Palace website stores data essential to Philippine history especially during the Martial Law. Is it obvious that revisionism of history is going to happen?
In the meantime it is feared that foreign investment will decline, and indeed some foreigners who have established thriving businesses here are leaving the country. One of these, a German named HansJuergen Dittrich who owned a thriving resort for 10 years, posted a long letter describing his disillusions.Indeed a German newspaper commented with the following headline; ”Die GierigsteDynastie der Welt istzuruck” translated as “The Most Greedy Dynasty is Back”. How sad that this is the current perception about our country.
Despite the self-serving suggestions that the “defeated” candidate “concede”, as did the other defeated candidates (who were obviously so far behind anyway), while not “conceding”, had no combative words. Rather she encouraged everyone to recognize their feelings, but to continue the fight for what is right peacefully: our “paninindigan”, the raising of the conditions of those who are at the bottom, not choosing whom to help, to continue the union and volunteer network that was born during the campaign period, to continue the “radikal na pagmamahal.”
Quo Vadis, Philippines? We hope that the so-called coming administration will address the many problems of the country that has festered all these dozens of years – poverty, lagging behind other countries in education, corruption, sustainable development – credibly. We must at least get back to where we were in the 1960’s when we were touted to be on the verge of “take off” –at the time second only to Japan — a take off that got aborted.
Every Filipino who loves his country must embrace the moral and ethical social norms in every aspect of their lives whether they are poor, middle class, business persons, etc. And trust in the Lord. He who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, will lead us in accordance with his will. Not to worry! TRUTH WILL PREVAIL!
*** The opinion expressed herein does not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions and Manila Bulletin. Know more about #FINEXPhils through www.finex.org.ph.