{"id":13866,"date":"2025-02-09T04:48:17","date_gmt":"2025-02-09T04:48:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866"},"modified":"2025-02-17T06:50:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T06:50:10","slug":"beyond-the-ballot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866","title":{"rendered":"<i>Beyond the Ballot<\/i>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"465\" src=\"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/fromwhereIstand4-1024x465.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-13134\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/fromwhereIstand4-1024x465.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/fromwhereIstand4-300x136.jpg 300w, https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/fromwhereIstand4-768x349.jpg 768w, https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/fromwhereIstand4-1536x698.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/fromwhereIstand4-1170x532.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/fromwhereIstand4.jpg 1650w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">SCROLLING on Facebook, reading the updates, and watching videos of election-related content (whether about national ongoings or Dumaguete happenings), all I can muster is a huge, continuous \u201csigh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Like those before it, I anticipate that the forthcoming elections will present a spectacle of vibrant rallies, impassioned speeches, and millions casting votes plus violence (I\u2019m still hoping there won\u2019t be any). Then I tell myself, accept it, you\u2019re in a democracy, and all these can happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Yet, beneath the surface of this democratic fa\u00e7ade, I am aware there lies a complex web of influence, where the power of the ballot box is often overshadowed by the machinations of powerful families, business tycoons, and shadowy forces operating beyond public scrutiny.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I am not questioning the legitimacy of the electoral process itself, but rather about acknowledging the systemic issues that distort its intended outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Our country, our province, and our city have a long history of political dynasties, families who have held power for generations, often leveraging their wealth and influence to maintain their grip.&nbsp; These dynasties aren&#8217;t merely political players; they are often intertwined with vast business empires, creating a potent blend of economic and political power.&nbsp; Their influence extends far beyond campaign donations; they control media narratives, shape public perception, and even manipulate the legal system to their advantage.&nbsp; The sheer scale of their resources allows them to effectively drown out dissenting voices and marginalize alternative candidates.&nbsp;<br>This isn&#8217;t a conspiracy theory; it&#8217;s a well-documented reality reflected in the consistent presence of these families in positions of power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Beyond the established dynasties, business tycoons wield immense influence, often operating through opaque networks and shell corporations.&nbsp; Their financial contributions to political campaigns are often significant, but their influence goes far beyond mere funding.&nbsp; They control access to vital resources, influence policy decisions that benefit their businesses, and often cultivate close relationships with key political figures.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">This symbiotic relationship between business and politics creates a system where the interests of the elite are prioritized over the needs of the general population.&nbsp; The lack of transparency surrounding these relationships further obscures the true extent of their power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Then there are the &#8220;hidden hands,&#8221; the shadowy forces that operate outside the formal structures of power.&nbsp; These could include powerful religious organizations wielding significant influence over the electorate, or even criminal syndicates who use their resources to support favored candidates.&nbsp; These actors often work in the background, manipulating events and influencing outcomes without ever directly participating in the electoral process.&nbsp; Their actions, while difficult to trace, can have a profound impact on the political landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The playing field is far from level, with the wealthy and well-connected possessing an unfair advantage.&nbsp; This leads to a cycle of corruption, where political power is used to accumulate wealth, and wealth is used to consolidate political power.&nbsp; The consequences are far-reaching, impacting everything from infrastructure development to social welfare programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">I believe, that addressing these issues requires a multi-pronged approach.&nbsp; Strengthening transparency laws, promoting media literacy to combat misinformation, and implementing stricter campaign finance regulations are crucial first steps.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">But ultimately, a genuine shift in the political culture is needed \u2013 one that prioritizes public service over self-interest and accountability over impunity.&nbsp; Only then can our country, our province, and our city truly move beyond the ballot box and toward a more equitable and representative democracy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">The fight for a truly democratic Philippines isn&#8217;t just about who gets elected; it&#8217;s about dismantling the systems that perpetuate inequality and distort the will of the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Let\u2019s do our part as voters and as citizens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SCROLLING on Facebook, reading the updates, and watching videos of election-related content (whether about national ongoings or Dumaguete happenings), all I can muster is a huge, continuous \u201csigh.\u201d Like those before it, I anticipate that the forthcoming elections will present a spectacle of vibrant rallies, impassioned speeches, and millions casting<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8454,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fromwhereistand","category-opinion",""],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Beyond the Ballot - The Bohol Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beyond the Ballot - The Bohol Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"SCROLLING on Facebook, reading the updates, and watching videos of election-related content (whether about national ongoings or Dumaguete happenings), all I can muster is a huge, continuous \u201csigh.\u201d Like those before it, I anticipate that the forthcoming elections will present a spectacle of vibrant rallies, impassioned speeches, and millions casting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Bohol Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-02-09T04:48:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-02-17T06:50:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"The BoholTimes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"The BoholTimes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"The BoholTimes\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9540111114dea755c90d5e1da170291e\"},\"headline\":\"Beyond the Ballot\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-09T04:48:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-17T06:50:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866\"},\"wordCount\":624,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/Opinion2-min.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"FromWhereIStand\",\"Opinion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866\",\"name\":\"Beyond the Ballot - The Bohol Times\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/Opinion2-min.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-02-09T04:48:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-02-17T06:50:10+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/Opinion2-min.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/11\\\/Opinion2-min.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":500},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?p=13866#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Beyond the Ballot\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Bohol Times\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"The Bohol Times\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/01\\\/logo.png\",\"width\":355,\"height\":142,\"caption\":\"The Bohol Times\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9540111114dea755c90d5e1da170291e\",\"name\":\"The BoholTimes\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a46dfd22ee6ecbb59568ec091dd2180e3c619e406d77ccd8ce56412cddb028c7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a46dfd22ee6ecbb59568ec091dd2180e3c619e406d77ccd8ce56412cddb028c7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/a46dfd22ee6ecbb59568ec091dd2180e3c619e406d77ccd8ce56412cddb028c7?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"The BoholTimes\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/theboholtimes.com\\\/?author=2\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Beyond the Ballot - The Bohol Times","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Beyond the Ballot - The Bohol Times","og_description":"SCROLLING on Facebook, reading the updates, and watching videos of election-related content (whether about national ongoings or Dumaguete happenings), all I can muster is a huge, continuous \u201csigh.\u201d Like those before it, I anticipate that the forthcoming elections will present a spectacle of vibrant rallies, impassioned speeches, and millions casting","og_url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866","og_site_name":"The Bohol Times","article_published_time":"2025-02-09T04:48:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-02-17T06:50:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"The BoholTimes","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"The BoholTimes","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866"},"author":{"name":"The BoholTimes","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9540111114dea755c90d5e1da170291e"},"headline":"Beyond the Ballot","datePublished":"2025-02-09T04:48:17+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-17T06:50:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866"},"wordCount":624,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg","articleSection":["FromWhereIStand","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866","url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866","name":"Beyond the Ballot - The Bohol Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg","datePublished":"2025-02-09T04:48:17+00:00","dateModified":"2025-02-17T06:50:10+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg","width":800,"height":500},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?p=13866#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Beyond the Ballot"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/","name":"The Bohol Times","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#organization","name":"The Bohol Times","url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/logo.png","width":355,"height":142,"caption":"The Bohol Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9540111114dea755c90d5e1da170291e","name":"The BoholTimes","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a46dfd22ee6ecbb59568ec091dd2180e3c619e406d77ccd8ce56412cddb028c7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a46dfd22ee6ecbb59568ec091dd2180e3c619e406d77ccd8ce56412cddb028c7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a46dfd22ee6ecbb59568ec091dd2180e3c619e406d77ccd8ce56412cddb028c7?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"The BoholTimes"},"url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?author=2"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min-300x188.jpg",300,188,true],"large":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",640,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"ultp_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"ultp_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"ultp_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min-600x500.jpg",600,500,true],"ultp_layout_square":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min-600x500.jpg",600,500,true],"engage-mag-carousel-img":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min-783x450.jpg",783,450,true],"engage-mag-carousel-img-landscape":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min-783x225.jpg",783,225,true],"engage-mag-carousel-large-img":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"engage-mag-carousel-large-img-landscape":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min-800x287.jpg",800,287,true],"engage-mag-large-thumb":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",800,500,false],"engage-mag-small-thumb":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min-350x220.jpg",350,220,true],"psacp-medium":["https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Opinion2-min.jpg",500,313,false]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"The BoholTimes","author_link":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?author=2"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?cat=21\" rel=\"category\">FromWhereIStand<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/?cat=10\" rel=\"category\">Opinion<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"SCROLLING on Facebook, reading the updates, and watching videos of election-related content (whether about national ongoings or Dumaguete happenings), all I can muster is a huge, continuous \u201csigh.\u201d Like those before it, I anticipate that the forthcoming elections will present a spectacle of vibrant rallies, impassioned speeches, and millions casting","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13866"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13885,"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13866\/revisions\/13885"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theboholtimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}