Kung-kung and Our Vote

IN the whirl of all the political and election-related news, it is easy to overlook what we call in journalism parlance as “color stories”.

Stories like the “Kung-kung saves the day” in our last issue. While this is a rather charming tale of the use of a simple and indigenous tool to avert the stealing of cattle, it also draws attention to a big and important matter: people power.

Here we see how the people’s vigilance can make a difference that impacts directly on the lives of the people. In this case, saving a very valuable commodity for a largely agricultural community.

Real power is on the ground, not in the high offices of our national government.

Our wily President recognizes this. Didn’t she spend the last week courting local government officials by attending get-togethers of their groupings and inviting them to generously-catered dinners in Malacañang? Sure she is trying to keep her promise to distance herself from the election by not too visibly campaigning for the administration’s candidates – which by the way is well and good because we can’t really trust her with election matters, can we? –  but she spared no subtlety by asking the local officers to “take care” of TEAM Unity’s bets.

Vicente Piccio, president of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines, which has a significant membership, guaranteed full support to TEAM Unity and even pledged to host campaign sorties for the President’s anointed senatoriables.

Should our local officials serve as babysitters of our would-be national leaders? Then the President goes on to remind her audience that they can look forward to soon receiving an extra P15 billion fund for their internal revenue allotment, thanks to the higher income that her administration has collected.

Why should that be a reward, which is obviously implied in the context of the announcement, to the local officials when in the first place, the government’s income rightfully belong to the people. Taxes are from the people. Its benefits should redound to the people.

And that brings us back to the kung-kung. This native gong made from bamboo could very well stand for our vote – our instrument for sounding the changes that we want to see in government. Whom we vote for represents the direction that our country will eventually tread. We don’t want patronizing local government officials. We want leaders who can help us go the way of real development, the kind of progress that people on the ground can actually feel.

The people of barangays Darawey and Macayocayo, which has so far listed the most number of stolen cattle recovered hereabouts, are exemplary heroes. They are not only creative, but more importantly, they are involved, they are vigilant.

        Now if only we can all extend the same kind of involvement and vigilance to our vote in the May election. After all, our very future fundamentally depends on it.

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