The Philippine Online Chronicles

We've already realized the depth of our foolishness, when we fell for the empty promises of Erap and his simplistic “rich vs poor” mentality.

We thought there would be hope in replacing him with a leader with impressive economic credentials. We thought it was about time to have a leader with brains after Erap's brawn and braggadocio.

Nine years later in her long graft-ridden reign, we've had enough of her brains all right – her brains in manipulating votes, in plundering the nation's wealth through overpriced and self-serving transactions, in breeding political supporters and tolerating a culture of political immunity, and in escaping the fallout.

The past decade is a story then of how our nation replaced an incompetent  with one who is absolutely competent at getting away with anything, including clinging to power beyond 2010. We've always known that politicians engage in shady dealings from time to time. We know that politics is dirty. We thought it was okay as long as these are not done openly and in an in-your-face manner. Well, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) tried her best to hide her hideous machinations but somehow or other, thankfully, we managed to uncover most of them. We have grown appalled – and continue to be appalled – at the schemes that she concocted, and continues to concoct. So much so that we are beginning to seriously re-think our notion of what is truly acceptable and what is not.

When before we were said to be quick at forgetting, we seem to be finally getting good at remembering. Filipinos have such high tolerance for suffering, but there comes a time when we finally have enough of it. The past decade's story of too much incompetence giving way to too much greed is fresh in our minds this coming election. We are presented with an opportunity to once again make things right, and to vote with our intelligence instead of our emotions.

Since knowledge is the key to power, these are the things we should know:

1. Know your beliefs. It's about time we all stand up for something. If you don't have an opinion on some of the critical issues that we face, get the facts through research. Being informed is always the start of our political maturity.
2. Know our candidates well – their complete profile, their political history, their business dealings, etc. How they achieve their present status can show us how competently they will be able to perform as our national leader.
3. Know their platform of government. This will be a tool to help our economy grow. Don't be swayed by popularity surveys, by their showbiz supporters, or by their promises alone. The truth can be warped. Keep in mind that the election is not about popularity, it's about performance and delivery.

We still have three months to go before that fateful May 10 E-day. This period can be very short if we decide to become indolent and indifferent, or it can be very long and productive if we put full effort into listening, studying, engaging with, and sifting through our numerous candidates. It's still too early to be fixated on just one, since a lot can still change, and many facets of personality can still be revealed. Once we are able to see and hear with crystal-clear minds, once we are convinced by intellect and not by emotions, that is the time when we will be truly able to perform this familiar clamor: “VOTE WISELY!”

Modern mom to four kids, Megan takes pride and finds joy in being a stay-at-home mom. She is a graduate of Communication Arts with a post-grad degree in Bachelor of Laws, but has put her career in government service temporarily on hold to personally take care of her growing children. Megan blogs at  Over A Cup of Coffee.

Photo by Noemi Lardizabal-Dado. Some Rights Reserved

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