"Only stupid voters will choose ______". Fill in the blanks if you wish. Some, sounding high and mighty, would even tell others "You are whom you vote". Others make fun of the "lutang" and "lugaw" of the other candidate. And some even had the gall to call one candidate, "Boguk". These are the familiar scenes and posts of some of my friends in FB.
Fallacious as they were, but to their minds, they cannot comprehend why people would bring back to power the son of the former President who is known in History to be the most corrupt, brutal and had stolen billions of pesos from the country. I have thought of the same. Why are some of my friends and family members voting for him? Are they stupid voters as well? I must be too full of myself if I judge them based on whom they choose.
I tried to ask some of them. The older ones mentioned the highlights of Marcos era wherein prices were low and that most of the large companies were owned by the government. Some said that they did not feel any threat during Martial Law period. Many infrastructures still standing today were built during that era.
The younger ones could not give concrete answers. "Basta". Some would even say that "Wala kasing nagawa mga Dilawan".
The not so young would say that 36 years should have been enough to convict the Marcoses and recover the funds. That failure, they assume, could mean that the Marcoses were not really guilty at all. I think these are the same lines propagated by Marcos apologists. I heard my brother in law murmuring, and trying to convince her elder sister that the Marcoses had been unfairly treated by the mainstream media.
Why not Leni? I voted for her in the last elections' VP race. She thrived despite being bullied and not given any chance to shine. I think she's good. I am glad people are supporting her. But am I voting for her?
A friend posted in his FB page:"Yes friend, I am stupid! Well, that's what you said in your post about people who vote for the candidate I choose, right?" He must be have been annoyed by the political posts of some in his circle. That couldn't be me because I had no post for the longest time. We even joked around our political choices when we met up for dinner.
I cannot say that my highly intellectual Professor was stupid because,
years ago, he chose a known corrupt official for President. "If it's
good for the economy, why not" I remembered him saying. That statement,
I really could not fathom.
Vote wisely, is a cliche. Some churches and groups, had prepared
guidelines on whom to choose without necessarily endorsing someone. But
members rarely follow. Yet there are groups, or alleged cults, whose
leaders endorsed the Jr., had bigger influence on their members. They think they're stupid if they won't follow their leader.
Throughout my voting history in the Presidential election, except for PNoy, all of my preferred candidates lost badly. But the Pnoy presidency was a bit of a disappointment. He could have done better. Or at least his men could have done better. Did I regret voting for him? Nope. The others could have done worse.
This 2022 election, I am voting for someone who I think is the best choice, and can run the country well if given the chance. Some may call me stupid for choosing this one and not their preferred candidate. Maybe I am.
