IN the 2016 presidential elections, PRRD rode on the crest of popularity on the issue of drugs.
Drugs was hot issue back then and the people wanted a candidate with a clear, firm and strong hand against drugs.
That was PRRD.
And so popular was PRRD that time that he easily trounced his opponents who were leading on initial surveys by a very wide margin.
He was repeatedly hit on issues involving human rights violation, womanizing, foul mouth, and of course the dreaded DDS issue or the vigilante group reportedly controlled by PRRD.
But the masa did not listen to the atake and batikos.
They wanted him so bad that many of his supporters were willing to shell out personal money to help his campaign. His ballers, shirts and other campaign paraphernalia were like hot cakes. Giilogan gyod.
Supply was always a problem back then because many people wanted to get involved. I remember a businessman who regularly asked me to help him get his supplies of PRRD ballers and shirts, which he also distributed to his friends and neighbors.
It seemed like a source of pride for anyone who got in possession of something from PRRD.
Swerteha nimo oy, dis-a man ka ana kay mopalit pod ko. Dali ra kaayo nahurot akoa kay gipangayo sa ako mga amigo.
These were the most common stories among my friends.
No wonder the batikos left and right did not work.
And so PRRD won by a very wide margin, the highest in Philippine election history.
* * *
This time around, what is the most burning issue?
There are several hot issues actually like the economy, the high price of fuel, the issue of peace and order, livelihood, environment, shortage/high prices of food and basic commodities, graft and corruption and of course, the COVID pandemic.
Which of these issues occupy the highest in the echelon of priorities?
* * *
The issue of economy is a constant. Meaning, every election period, the issue always surfaces or is included among other issues.
Why?
Because economy is always linked to poverty. Unless this is addressed, then the majority of the populace will always be poor. So the candidates always spend time trying to come up with solutions to reduce poverty incidence.
Getting low in poverty incidence is always the target. And so far, the target is missed.
Nothing has changed because the mantra is always the same – the rich becomes richer, the poor becomes poorer.
Of course, it’s totally wrong to blame it all to the government or government authorities because in most cases, there are also contributory factors on the part of poor people.
Mao nay giingon nga mao pay pobre, mao na hinuon ang kusog mosugal, mag-bisyo og magtinapolan.
* * *
Of course, there is some connect to the culture among the electorates when majority are poor and uneducated.
Kay pobre man ang kadaghanan, dali ra masilaw sa kwarta. Kon kinsay makahatag og dako, maoy botohan, bahala og ngil-ad og kinaiya o kaha, kurakot.
So for moneyed candidates, it really pays when the majority of the voters are poor and uneducated because money is their best asset. The more money, the more asset for the candidate.
In other words, the power of control is always there when majority of the electorates are poor and uneducated.
Lisod kontrolahon ang mga tawo nga dili pobre unya dunay nakamaohan. Makamao man sila motimbang-timbang and every move is deliberated upon, dili kay tira-pasagad lang.
* * *
There is wide disparity among the presidential candidates who are “moneyed” and those who are not.
The moneyed ones always flaunt on the number of attendees to political rallies, coupled with a flurry of pictures and stories in the social media (socmed).
Kon maglawod-lawod gani ang motungha sa rally, gamhanan gyod na nga kandidato. Meaning, kwartahan.
Why?
Because holding a mammoth rally requires plenty of cash. Yes, no cash, no big crowd, period.
You need to transport the crowd back and forth, you need to feed them, you need to cloth them with shirts and cap, you need to provide them with campaign materials that they can bring home.
All these require money, plenty of it.
That’s why, they say, kon wa kay kwarta, katug na lang.
Wa pa ko maghisgot sa binayran nga mga rallyists ha, I’m just talking about the basic expense.
* * *
Those who are not moneyed would rather hold sorties and visits, no big political rallies for that matter.
Mas maayo kuno moderetso og storya sa mga tawo pero ang tinuod nga hinungdan, dili sila makagasto sa mga dako nga rally.
* * *
Anyway, this partly explains why it is “relevant” for national leaders that majority of the people should be poor.
Why?
Because they are easily manipulated, and controlled.
* * *
But this does not apply to populist leaders like PRRD.
Why?
Because a lot of people wanted him to be their leader. They wanted him and no other.
He was the called one. He was the chosen one and this explains why many people were willing to spend their own money to help in the PRRD campaign.
Mangutana ko.
Kinsa sa mga kandidato pagka-presidente karon ang makita nato nga susama kang PRRD unya willing ang mga tawo nga mogasto sa ilang kaugalingon nga kwarta aron lang modaog?
Duna ba?
* * *
Kon mangingilad ka, mogawas ra gyod nang imong pagka-mangingilad bisan unsaon nimo og tago.
Dunay kandidato nga nangugat og sinulti nga taga diha lagi kuno siya sa maong lugar.
Wa siya matawo or magdako diha pero ang iyang asawa taga dinha man, so ergo, taga diha na pod siya. Bahala na lang og dugay ra sila nagbuwag sa iyang asawa unya “civil” na lang sila karon.
Mao nay gitawag og residence by legal fiction.
Pero ang pangutana.
Kanus-a man siya nahimong taga-diha, sa dihang naminyo na siya sa iyang asawa o sa dihang mikandidato na siya?
Gikan sa iyang pagminyo, hangtod nakasulod siya og trabaho sa gobierno, wa gyod na siya moangkon nga taga diha. Mokabat pod na og pipila ka tuig. Bugnaw ang iyang simod kon pangutan-on og taga-asa gyod siya kay didto man siya sa Manila nagpuyo most of the time.
Bisan gani iyang mga anak, mag-tinagalog man mosulti. Bisan gani siya, mag-tinagalog pod. Gani, yungit siya hangtod karon sa lokal nga pinulongan.
Pero sa dihang mikandidato na siya, susko, abtik pas kilat nga miangkon nga taga diha gyod lagi kuno siya.
Mi-file siya og residency unya mona-mona niyang hangyo nga di lang unta babagan ang iyang gihimo.
Tungod kay mangingilad mang dako, bisan unsaon mogawas gyod ang pagka-mangingilad.
Mo-amen kunohay aron ingnon nga taga dinha pero di mao ug sayop ang pag-Amen oy.
Gibastos niya ang tinuod nga pamatasan sa lugar tungod lang sa iyang pamolitika.
