An Advocacy for Nationalism & Service

This thought occupied me while watching one priest announced by COMELEC as the elected Governor of Pampanga: Fr. Ed "Among" Panlilio. The announcer was saying in the following words not necessarily verbatim: With a vote of ...over so and so's votes of ...the newly elected Governor of Pampanga is Fr. Ed "Among" Panlilio...

Oh, so what was happening did take place: the surge of grassroot support for Among as well as the negative propaganda right on the day before the elections which I read on the popers! I've heard a Kapampangan tell me "Father, it's a choice between this type of candidate over that type of candidate. Since both alternatives do not speak well of us, so we Kapampangans want to have a better identity. We shun what's wrong, we choose a better alternative. Or else, what will people say about us? If we are left choosing between the two only, then we shall have given our yes to their activities."

I am writing these thoughts here as a responsible member of the community, particularly as a Counselor. If my views about the matter can be clarified through this blog, then it should belong here. Counselors also are called to have some advocacies, and I believe this is one area I'd like to advocate for a better, guilt-free and forward-looking electoral action as a responsible person for the common good.

I used to hear whenever elections get over in some other country that after announcing the number of votes, the fact of election gets to have a stronger push with the words "We have a new Governor..." The whole electoral exercise we all did together as an action of all legitimate constituents for the good of their country or locality: to choose someone who can do the task of governance. Each one counts in the whole process, and when everyone's voice who came to say it through the ballot has been accounted and heard, the acknowledgment of having a new Governor or any official for that matter through the elections is an affirmation of our unity as a people. Unfortunately, we don't get to have that feeling when the number of those who chose this or that candidate gets more emphasized over the fact that we came together and chose who was thought better for the task that can give us a better identity. No wonder, we keep on saying we have no unity. The numbers, no matter how higher than the next candidate's votes only speak of the diversity of opinions. Since we are a democracy, the majority vote speaks, representing the better side of the whole. This commitment to the majority indeed raises the whole exercise into choosing for ourselves someone to lead us. The numbers thus only get to emphasize the division, not the communal action for the common good. So maybe, as soon as the votes speak, the announcer may need to say without fear and gladly: "We have a new President..." In this way, even those who voted for the other candidate gets to understand that now they must subdue their wills before the will of the majority.

This latter process becomes difficult with the thought of vote buying and coercion before or during the voting, and even during the canvassing! When the number of votes gets priority over the communal action of choosing our leaders, vote buying and coercion becomes a necessary medium. But if the emphasis is on our communal action for the common welfare, vote buying and coercion become really unacceptable behaviors, and we rise to a better feeling of belonging and responsibility.

We are no longer children with childish mentality or mind sets. We are responsible adults. A new way of thinking may be necessary in the process so that we can get the feeling of having achieved what we deeply long for inside us. God bless