I was very excited the first time I voted. I was compelled to do something for my country and that was to vote the perfect Presidents and government officials. I thought making my candidates win would make our country better. But I was wronged.

Cheating was so rampant. And political butterflies were everywhere. I was so sickened by it. My idealism was almost lost. I hated when people vote for candidates who’d give them a can of sardines or a kilo of rice so they would exchange their future for a one good meal. I hated when candidates during their campaigns promise heavens to people when they can only offer hell. I abhor those officials who would change positions all the time so that they could be assured of their seat in the congress. I could not believe it when people vote for the same people who have made their lives more miserable. Every project that a politician does, entitles him to own the project, to name it after him as if it is his money that he spends. I hope there’s a law that would ban politicians to write their names after those projects: coconut seeds named after a governor; medicine for free named after a mayor; a basketball court named after a congressman; a waiting shed after a councillor and village captain’s names. It’s the people’s taxes not their own money. What is wrong with them? They make me vomit.

Who am I going to vote now? A candidate whose projects are all infrastructure so that 85% if the budget go to his pocket? Or a man of people who also protects his brothers on illegal drugs and illegal gambling? Or a person who follows everything that his superior tells him to do and is never critical of the situation? A convicted rapist? A political butterfly? A gambling lord? Who is the lesser evil of these political archetypes or shall I say TRAPO (traditional politicians)? One thing that is clear is that all of them are campaigning and running so that they can protect their own interest. I have yet to see a candidate who is pro-people, pro-country and pro-environment. Most of them are blabbers and they hardly do anything. And those who really work for the people and for the country would hardly want to be associated with politics and politicians. Could you blame me if I don’t exercise my right to vote? What is my right to vote when all the candidates are the wrong/ed people? Oh yeah, why would I be blamed if my registered name was “lost” during the elections and was changed to names of a long dead people? In my country, dead people can still vote. In my country P500 or $10usd is the price of 1 vote for urban areas. In my country, a can of sardines and a kilo of rice are enough to buy the whole family of an indigenous tribe. In my country, my poor country, elections are in season again.

NB:
Trapo literally means a very dirty rug