“Sa palagay mo, pare, sino ang mananalo sa mid-term November elections sa Tate – Republicans o Democrats?” tanong ni Tandang Asyong sa mga kasamahan sa pulong-sulong ng mga oldies na nagkakape at muffins sa food court ng mall.
“Hindi ako mapalagay, pare,” sagot ni Ka Mentong. “Kahit sino pa ang winner sa halalan, wa epek sa akin. Hindi naman ako Amboy, ‘di ba?”
“Pero ang lakas na ng bangayan at mistulang away at siraan ng dalawang kampo,” dagdag ni Tandang Asyong.
“Maniwala ka ‘dun. Wala ‘yun. Ipinapakita lang naman ng mga pulitikong Kano sa mga “others” kung ano talaga ang uri at diwa ng demokrasyang ipinagtutulakan nilang gayahin ng mundo,” ani Ka Mentong.
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“Eh, ang eleksiyon sa bayan natin?” sabat ni Lolo Huse.
“Minsan ay may nagsabing ‘May bobo at gunggong na pulitiko dahil may mas bobo at mas gunggong na bumoboto’,” pasipyat ni Ka Mentong.
*****
The comment of Ka Mentong has some truth in it, no matter what part of the universe and earthly space an election takes place.
Mang Tunying has a different take: “Elections have turned into an ugly numbers game, winner-take-all.”
“Politicians will always maintain that they abide by the rule of law, but only the law they themselves crafted to suit their self interests and to satisfy their crave and greed for power,” he added.
*****
Spidey and a lot of silver screen characters have often said: With power comes great responsibility. But of course, these super heroes and their lot only re-echo what is written in a script, simply espousing that truth can sometimes be imaginary.
Candidates – and I pray only a few of them – perhaps are inclined to believe that “with power comes more control, lots of money and expanded territory.”
Yaiks! That reminded me of the bad, notorious and very ugly old days that sparked a world war.
Steve’s friendly and family-oriented game show pales in comparison; as we see more families and kin being torn apart in bitter political feuds.
Really? Do those who engage in politics lost moral and ethical sense; much more, horse sense?
As they say: Hope springs eternal.
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“Ka Mentong, boboto ka ba?” interjected Lolo Panyong.
“Of course. Nakaboto na nga ako sa advanced polls. At kung puwede lang mag-flying voter sa Tate at Pinas, boboto pa rin ako. Who knows?” replied Ka Mentong.
“We still dream of seeing a beautiful and long-lasting finale of The Game Of Throwns, don’t we?”
*****
“Ka Mentong, naniniwala ka ba sa mga party-party?” hugot ni Pareng Dindo.
“Oo ba. Ang favorite ko ay disco,” sagot ni Ka Mentong. “Katulad ng tinugtog at kinanta nina Mon Torralba at ng kanyang mga kasamahan sa Superband of the ‘70s concert nitong mga nakaraang linggo lamang.”
“Ka Mentong, libre ang refill ng kape.”
“Alam mo, Pareng Dindo, katulad din yan ng libreng pangarap – that you are not in the receiving end of a stray bullet that comes from loose guns, that you are not the one under a car driven by a reckless or impaired driver and that you won’t be kicked for airing a sentiment against abortion. Sana, libre din ang muffins.”
*****
In a few days, on October 22, voters from all over Toronto will elect the city mayor, city councilors and school board trustees; and quite indirectly very much later, the winning candidate’s relatives, friends, colleagues, peers, etc. etc. etc.
Get off the couch! You’ve been watching too much TV and eating too much junk food.
Take a healthy walk to your designated polling place in your designated Ward; but never allow anyone to direct you to a Psych Ward.
Exercise your democratic right to suffrage.
Make your X mark on the ballot matter.
Lastly, stop looking for a poll bet named Wisely!
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Back in the day in the Philippines where I was born, raised and lived in for five decades, cities and local government units used to celebrate Youth Week or Youth Month by letting high school students take over the reins of governance, from the mayor, the vice mayor and councilors to barangay or village officials.
That was to give the youngsters, most of them top graders and leaders in their respective schools, a feel of the political setting where their ideals and dreams could be harnessed and released.
Although a “guided take-over,” the acts of the student-politicians were deemed as official business.
Many students given this rare chance to lead later expressed gladness and talked of a whole lot of experiential learning. Some eventually joined politics and made good, for all the right reasons.
Well, that was eons ago; but we should congratulate local governments still doing the same in contemporary times, if there is even one in existence.
*****
A Filipino politician once joked that being brain dead was not exactly petrifying. At the least, such a condition confirms that one has a brain.
But staring at a mirror that reflects a headless image or tagging along a decapitated shadow may give one the creeps, since it may mean that one indeed has nothing from the neck up.
No matter how hard it may be, politicians at times give us a healthy hearty laugh.
A topic like death has been construed as an acceptable fact of life over the years. It does not even scare many of us anymore.
If you don’t think so, ask an agent of a life insurance firm.
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We talk and joke about death as if it were just one of those things.
This must be why Mr. Grim Reaper has changed his name to Mr. Grin Reaper and why St. Peter always chuckles when he busts his homecoming list and makes some corpse spring back to life, sending some grieving people smirking.
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On Nov. 1 and 2, those of Philippine origins like me will again commemorate All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Unfortunately, these are not legal holidays in Canada, unlike in the Philippines.
But why pout? While the only recourse, being away from the homeland, is to relive the good and happy times – and maybe, some grubby but enjoyable ones — we had with family members, relatives and friends who have reunited with Bathala in the Great Beyond, we have all our lifetime to do it.
*****
Ah, memories!
It seriously is amazing to see millions of Filipinos completing the yearly traditional trek to public and private burial grounds before, during and even a few days after All Saints Day and All Souls Day.
They converge there, invading the privacy of the dead; although the dead won’t mind anyway.
In the not-so distant past, everyone looked forward to that yearly trip to the cemetery, an occasion when family members felt wanted, dead or alive.
Like Christmas or when a kin was born or had died, All Saints Day and All Souls Day were causes for a clan reunion, a time when people somberly gathered around the grave of their dearly departed, lighting candles, offering flowers and whispering – some mumbling with their heads down – prayers for the deceased.
Following would be a short conversation about how good those lying six feet under were in their lifetime.
Then would come picnic time when all would partake of delicacies, sometimes set on top of the nitso.
In between burps, it would be joke-joke-joke hour until the sun sets and darkness covers the ground, something that the dead is so accustomed too.
Then everyone went home, oblivious to the fact that they just came from a place they would be heading to in due time.
*****
But before anything else, HAPPY HALLOWEEN! #####
