I DID not VOTE

Yes. I'm sure people would get angry at me. But this is the very first time I DID not VOTE. Well, actually I wanted to vote in Santa Rosa, Laguna but I was in Batangas City thus the "unfortunate" choice of not voting. Plus I have to be with Lil Bro who is recuperating in my house in Batangas (Lord: "O second excuse na yan ah...")

But under normal circumstances, I would have done this:

1. Go to my assigned precinct in our barangay.

2. Put an X to the ballot (or vote for KAPATIRAN candidates); Kung nasa Pamapanga ako I could have voted for Fr. Ed Panlilio.

3. Submit the ballot to the electoral staff.

4. Have my finger "indelibly-inked"

5. Then bumili ng sa malamig na gulamat gata sa kanto ng school.

Frankly, I don't know whom to vote. I didn't even know who the candidates in my town are except that one of the mayoralty candidates is my Lolo (hehe) - well he is the cousin of my grand Dada. His triple heart bypass will surely knock him off once he assumes office.

Though I have just learned that more and more people have opted to not use their right to vote in the recent elections. Why? I have asked my "reliable" and "brave" (hehe) friends to tell their side of the story.

1. BOY ANGST: Ang administrasyon ni Madam ay magchi-heat massively, so why bother? Ang gobyerno gagawa at gagawa ng paraan para makapandaya. 12-0, pano naman mangyayare yun?

2. NINI BUNINI: The candidates have allotted so much financial interest beyond what we have expected of them in their media sorties. Miliions have been spent. Question is where the hell does these millions come from? And bakit di nalang sa mga tao naibigay ang mga milyones na ito?

3. TOTOY TAMBAY: Kung iboboto ko ba sila me mahihita ako? Sigurado ako ala.

4. HI-FLYER MISTER: Ang focus ngayon ng mga pulitiko ay asarin at kritikuhin ang kapwa nila pulitiko. There are many social issues in the country that needs more attention than political bickerings. Buti na lang politics and economic advantage do not go along with each other these days, otherwise we will definitely be slumped even more sa putikan.

5. CONIO PAKITO: I didn't bother to register because I haven't seen any concrete platforms from the candidates on uplifting the health benefits of the marginalized poor and the average-income individuals. Also, the wages of the average-working individuals should be given more interest by the government for they are the frameworks of our society.

These are but some of the simple yet striking statements that my friends have addressed. Valid or invalid, we cannot blame them. People have choices and these are what they want to point out. I just hope that eventually in the process, the young voters would understand the value of voting. YES. I still believe that voting should be valued. It is a right that our forefathers have tremendously fought for.

Although, it is understandable to be pissed off with the candidates this year, hopefully in the next coming years, voting will be not be tainted with zero assurance of good governance and continuous slams of cheat and slanderous phone calls.

Yep, our country is in crisis. With massive street rallies and protest actions, it’s a continuation of a chronic crisis that’s simmered through the years, often going into a turbulent boil as more people become disenchanted with our pseudo-magic kingdom. The danger is that instead of boiling over, our democratic system might just dry up.

Our votes are our investments, our way of showing that despite the abated national reputation (thanks to the President and Mr Garci), we still have enough faith in the system to vote for leaders who can hold the fort, keep democracy going until 2010 and beyond.