A COUPLE of days from today, Certificates of Candidacy for the 2025 mid term elections throughout the country shall have already been filed.
For the national level, twelve senators are to be elected.
In the provincial level, a governor, vice-governor, and ten provincial board members are to be elected.
And, in the municipalities throughout the country, a mayor, vice-mayor, and eight councilors are due to be selected.
These respective candidates are to be selected on the May 12, 2025 elections.
Discussing about elections, it is believed that everybody is truly aware of the evils of this political exercise. Including Short Cuts, he is knowledgeable of the ills surrounding these events be it in the national or local level.
He has been to it when he was only twenty two (22) years old.
Short Cuts began his politics at age 22 when he ran for Municipal Councilor (now Municipal Kagawad) in his town. Truth to tell, there was no vote buying yet during those days. But, majority of male electorates could easily pronounce the following sentence to almost all candidates: “Doy, (referring to the then young Dionisio D. Balite) taga-i ko ug usa ka baso (referring to a glass of tuba), bi”!
Hoping for a vote on election day, the young Dionisio D. Balite had to give in to the request.
Viewing the given scenario as against the present condition, was Short Cuts’ act vote buying? Or just a very simple act of kindness given to a friend or a neighbor?
Be it vote buying or not, ‘the fact remains that Short Cuts’ kindness was just demonstrated to an interested and thirsty neighbor.
In the following elections, however, when Short Cuts ran for higher office, the electoral scenario drastically changed. Sample ballots have to be distributed to the electorates days before election day.
And, of course, the corresponding fees have to be given to the “errand”.
Otherwise, the sample ballots remain on the table of the candidate.
Vote buying? Or, just a simple way of paying for services rendered?
But, how about those candidates who give bills in exchange of a name to be encircled on the ballot?
