Vote-buying still rules

First the bad news.

It came as no surprise that last Monday’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections were marred by vote-buying.

The practice is so culturally ingrained that the Pangasinan language actually has a word for it: Pakurong. Language, indeed, is one of the most earnest reflections of a people’s way of life.

Nonetheless, while reports from the provincial Commission on Election (Comelec) office about loads of complaints of vote-buying may not have come as a shock, it still makes for very sad, bad news.

The pakurong last week was no different from the kind of vote-buying that takes place during national and local elections such as in the local elections last May.

Cash was doled out, albeit P50 bills were accepted by the compromising voters, an amount that would have most likely been frowned upon at the municipal and city level polls.  Still, complaints verbally lodged before the Comelec also indicate rates went as high as P500. Goodies were also generously distributed. Early in the lone week of campaigning, voters in some barangays nonchalantly walked home carrying plastic bags containing rice, sardines, instant noodles and other grocery items after coming from the campaign sorties of candidates.

Freebies, in any form, are always welcomed by majority of the people – and the candidates take advantage of this cultural weakness to their ends.

Then there’s the good news.

There were no reports of election-related violence despite the citing of several areas such as San Carlos City and San Fabian town as hotspots prior to October 29.

Not only that no guns were fired, there were also no major news of brutality or other commotions.

But all things considered, the next three years, as the new barangay and SK officials serve their term, would be a good deliberation time for the rest of the nation to mull over propositions to alter the existing barangay political system.

Governance in a democratic setting is dynamic and ever evolving. There is always the possibility to change the way things are. We pray the needed reforms will come soon.

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