So, the 2016 Philippine Presidential Elections is fast approaching, and the candidates are appealing to the masses for their votes. They are reaching out to the Filipino People in order to be seated in the highest position in the Philippine Government, the Presidency.
It somehow fascinates me that the Candidates would place themselves in a position which would somehow lower their dignity just so they could be appealing to the masses. The Campaign Jingles, Campaign Commercials, as well as the various Interviews which depicts a status lower than that which they have been used to their whole lives are resorted to by those candidates. They seem to not mind if people view them as rubbish, well not really rubbish but I used that for lack of a better term.
One example of going down to the level of the masses in order to garner votes is the Commercial of Binay which calls him NOGNOG. The term itself is derogatory for most Filipinos since it is used in order to tease or belittle a person because of his skin color. But Binay somehow accedes to the derogatory meaning of the word just so he would be viewed by the masses as an equal, as someone they could relate with, as someone whom they could trust and vote for. Still, it amazes me that a person with that status and that much wealth would welcome that belittling. In my view, The President should exude a position of grace and high stature. The president would be dealing with foreign dignitaries. How we view our President should be the same high view and respect that the foreign countries have for him.
The exchange of taunts between Duterte and Roxas also amazes me. It somehow lowers their level of maturity. I cannot fathom the highest representative of my country speaking in such terms as the two have when dealing with other countries. I just could not see how, in case a possibility of war between two countries arises, war could be stopped by taunting the other party to engage in a slapping match. Again, I am amazed.
I cannot grasp the concept of a non-Filipino, or someone who does not follow or disregards the strict rules of election, becoming a representative of my nation. I will not agree to be under the rule of such a person. Although Poe states the she is Natural Born and has obtained the required residency for the validity of her candidacy, it remains to be seen that she has not. There are rumors that she is the daughter of the late President Marcos, but still that remains to be a mystery.
The mental capacity of a person should be stable in order to run a Country, and I believe that Defensor-Santiago lacks that characteristic. Yes she can function well, but running a country is a different matter. I am not passing a definitive judgement on her capabilities, in fact I am one of her admirers when it comes to her work and her achievements. But make no mistake, I am not confident that she could run the Philippines as President in a sound manner.
There are other unsung candidates, but that is their fault. Elections in the Philippines relies heavily on name recall, and if you fall behind the others in that aspect, then do not expect to be seated a President.
I am still on the fence on who to vote for the highest position in the country. Right now I am enjoying watching them joust it out in the Philippine Battlefield. Yes I do not agree with most of their methods for campaigning, but that is the only way that people could be apprised of their name. As for I, I will still rely on their capabilities, achievements, and platforms in order to choose whom I would be voting for.
It saddens me that the majority of the votes will still be based on name recall, and such recall would be based on worthless gimmicks, funny puns, and a play on the intellectual capacity of a Filipino. I cannot control the mindset of the Filipino people, but at the least, I am thinking for my own. I will vote for my Country, my Countrymen, and Myself. And as I do this, whatever the outcome may be, I would at least know that I voted for the right reasons. If the President fails in some areas, I would at least have the right to voice out my opinions. Mabuhay Pilipinas!
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