Let’s Recruit Voters

It’s quite natural for candidate supporters to invite relatives to go to campaign meetings or caucuses. I guess, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about that. But, why do they ask for signatures of same forms in multiple copies? What are all those for? I guess, it’s normal to sign up for attendance. Maybe, that helps the organizers to know the number of attendance. But, why do they have to have around three of that? Maybe, they’re just too lazy to photocopy one sheet. This reminds me of something. I have signed forms similar to these. These are like payroll sheets from some government office. Who are getting paid?

So, when is the campaign sortie? Will it be at the barangay covered court tonight? Is it tomorrow night? Next week? Not sure? Why all the uncertainty? Don’t they have a fixed date on which they got permission to use the venue, wherever it is? The coordinator (for lack of an official term) just tells the invites to just wait. Well, okay, but I might be somewhere else, doing something important wen the date comes around. They say, they’ll just be picking up the invites when it’s time. A day before, coordinator reminds the invites to get ready, that they would be going to the town center for this campaign activity. Then later, the venue was changed to the capital town. That’s quite a distance. Why there? This is starting to sound like a human trafficking trap. But, what could happen? They’re with cousin, uncles, aunts and neighbors. This should be safe.

One more time, there was a change of venue. It was going to be at this some social hall at the next town. That’s nearer, but, the question remains, “why there?”. Don’t voters get to listen to campaign speeches in the nearest plaza? Why do they have to be transported to the venue in vans and jeeps?

It’s finally here. Our barangay covered court is bigger than this small hall, but I guess, the candidates think this place is better. Why do we have to deposit our phones on the entrance? They say, they would be given back before we go. But, everyone else who happen to be neighbors, uncles, aunts and cousins seem to be willingly doing it, so it’s probably safe.

Then, the speeches start. Oh, what have we gotten ourselves into? Am I being too idealistic or naïve in expecting that campaigning should be presentations of platforms of government? It was a barrage and bombardment of disparagement, denigration and detraction of political opponents. Yes, I get it that the candidate talking on the microphone and standing on the stage, was spitting all the slander he could muster to this other candidate. After all, he is running against him. But, why does he have to attack this other candidate who is running for a different position? Maybe, that’s his way of supporting the candidate on their political party. Why does he have to verbally attack the outgoing congressman who is running for vice mayor? As far as I know, this outgoing representative is not running against any candidate who is a member of their coalition. He’s now running for a relatively lower position. Is he a political threat? He should be out of the line of fire already. It seems for this candidate spitting slurs onstage, everyone on the other side is a target. None of them is safe. I’m even struggling to make sense of the logic of his criticisms. He says, this particular opposing candidate should not be elected because he had been very strict with the quarantine regulations during the pandemic, which was a big inconvenience for the people. Should people feel bad about that? Yes, it was inconvenient. But, it was all for everyone’s good.

Now, here’s the icing on the cake. This candidate onstage bombards the audience with green jokes which for him, were amusing, but were actually annoying. Why does this sound familiar? Oh, these jokes are similar to those on the videos that went viral a couple of months ago. Does he actually think that this brand of humor makes him look good? I guess, some people enjoy this sort of stuff. Now, I know why they took our phones.

It was indirectly perceptible that barangay leaders exerted some effort invite large number of attendees. Maybe, they have to keep some good standing. I’m not sure if they get a higher commission for a large number of downline recruits.

Did I mention that each individual got a couple of thousand pesos for being there?

“A bribe blinds the clear-sighted and corrupts the words of the righteous.” Exodus 23:8