SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

Thanks to Atty. Glenn Chong and Prof. Edmundo Toti Casiño, we have been made aware of the problems with Smartmatic and Comelec. We would be remiss not to remember, there is another way of being elected – vote buying.

A few months ago, Robert F Posadas made this comment.

"Politics as Good Business: the realities at ground zero.

During the campaign period:

1. The mayor obtains the most recent listing of voters from the local Comelec Office.

2. The mayor then calls for all Barangay Chairmen and the members of his council. In this meeting, they are given a copy of voters list.

3. The Chairmen are then instructed to bring all the voters in their particular barangay to the mayor’s house on a given date for the voters to receive 1000 pesos each and sign for it in a prepared ledger book for their barangay.

4. The Barangay Chaimen are then given their allowances for the period of campaign and to report weekly on the progress or problems.

5. The Mayor will also tell the Barangay Chairmen that if the barangay is able to give the mayor an overwhelming vote, the barangay will receive a bonus ranging from 50K to 500K, and 1M if the opponent gets zero vote.

6. The mayor will recover his expenses from moneyed candidates for Congressman and Senators, VPs or even Presidents. The mayor who is given financial support by national candidates ends up recovering his expenses and perhaps goes happily all the way to his bank.

7. When the mayor is asked who will be their Congressional and senatorial candidate, the mayor will tell them to copy the sample ballot to be released by the mayor the night prior to election day.

Under this template you can extrapolate the result of a local election and perhaps even its effect on national results for Congressmen and Senators.

It looks as though we are on an uphill journey given the well-knit organization that is called - well-oiled machinery! But do not despair, like Du30, the unexpected can happen. I wish you well and I will do my part to educate voters – whoever is willing to listen.”