AFTER several months of hibernation, we’re back.
We’ve been receiving repeated requests for the “comeback” of this column from our loyal readers/subscribers.
So here we go again.
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First on the agenda.
Let’s talk about the upcoming elections in May.
The usual halo-halo of issues is back. There are plenty to talk about – the candidates, their qualifications, their platform, their campaign strategies, their slogan, the feedbacks from the voters and many more.
There is practically an infinite source of issues to talk about.
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As usual, “money talks” is the bestseller.
Those who have plenty are already boasting of how much they are going to flood during the wee hours of the election time.
Magpabaha gyod lagi kuno kay kwarta ray katapat sa mga botante sa probinsiya. One mentioned of 10k per voter for straight voting from the provincial down to the municipal level candidates. If you reckon the winning number of votes in the province multiplied by 10k, the total would be atrociously huge.
Susmariosep.
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Matod pa, daghan kaayo og trabaho ang gobernador. Very stressful kaayo and if the provincial coffers is in deficit mode, mosamot kadako ang problema.
But why the scandalously huge capitalization to win the position that is burdened with huge problems?
Mabawi ba ang dakong puhunan sa kampanya?
The answer of course is obvious.
Galana-lana ug gapatong-patong nga kwarta ang makuha kon ma-gobernador na ka.
Sa sweldo?
Of course not.
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A retiree from government service has joined the list of mayoral candidates.
He is challenging a last-termer mayor.
He is taking the “independent” status so he could ride on the two sides of the provincial candidates. As in, namangka sa dalawang ilog.
Pikas-pikas lang ta para sure, unya di pod ta maawayan sa pikas-pikas, he joked.
He has no background in politics at all because his prime years were spent in government service. So pardon his naivete.
Back when he was still in government service, he tried to apply for a higher position. He tried to charm his way to a cabinet official when the latter visited the province.
But the curt reply of the cabinet official cut-short his attempt at higher position.
“Ah, kanang tawhana ang nag-apply, sus Ginoo, hilabihan ka-corrupt nang tawhana, di ko ana,” this is the literal translation of the response of the cabinet official when given the name of the applicant.
And this time, he wants to be the mayor.
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There was a congressman from way back when who was interviewed via phone-patch.
He was asked a simple question.
The question went this way – you are about to end your term as congressman, what did you accomplish so far as a legislator of the district?
Immediately, he did a long litany of visiting barangays, ensuring farm to market roads, multi-purpose buildings, waiting sheds and the like.
The interviewer patiently waited and barked out a follow-up.
That is not the job of a legislator, those are all executive functions, kindly tell us what specific bill or law that you authored as representative of the district.
And he stammered and he lost his poise, followed by a long silence as he scratched his brains for anything to answer.
And he answered after some time – ah, I co-authored a bill nationalizing a road somewhere north.
And the interviewer said – you only co-authored, meaning, you just signed the bill in support, who was the author?
And the then congressman mentioned the name of a fellow congressman.
Tell us then what bill did you file as principal author?
And there was long silence, dead silence actually.
So the interviewer shifted to another “easy” topic and wrapped up the interview.
What is the morale of the story?
One, challenging the interviewer to ask any question under the heat of the sun is iced with danger, especially when you have nothing to boast of. Doing so would only expose oneself to public ridicule and untold embarrassment. Remember, the interviewer has unlimited time to do research and there are records available on the Net.
Two, politicians heretofore should know the difference between executive functions and legislative functions, there is whale of difference between the two.
Three, a live interview is fraught with extreme danger. The situation demands outright answer. Either you give a wrong answer, incomplete answer or right answer. Stammering while answering a question indicates uncertainty, insecurity. The interviewer is prepared, while the interviewee does not know the next question.
Four, boasting in public does not pay. Especially when all you did was make and collect commissions from public works.
Amen.
