YESTERDAY, I managed to extricate myself from a business lunch meeting so that I can cast my vote. I arrived at the Philippine Embassy (Singapore) at around 2:15 p.m., only to be told that I was not on the list of overseas absentee voters (OAVs) with returned ballots.
I registered as an OAV in 2005, and my name was on the 2005 OAV list, I told the poor, hapless embassy staff, who had to endure the wrath of a number of OAVs like me because they were miraculously “deleted” by the Commission on Elections from the master list. I told her in no uncertain terms that I am here to do my duty for my country and I will not leave until I cast my vote, so please be kind enough to give me a ballot quick!
While she went off to find a ballot for me, most of the OAVs that were waiting outside were lamenting our situation. One woman said the government is getting worse, and as usual things are topsy-turvy. We were all in agreement that something must be done to save the Philippines from this present administration, whose cheating tactics has crossed foreign shores.
The “mailing of ballots” system that they implemented was mired with discrepancies. I do not understand which list the Comelec used when they sent out the ballots to OAVs in Singapore. They certainly never used the 2005 list, because I never got my voter’s kit.
After a while, the embassy staff managed to give me a kit that was destined for a seafarer (I work as a journalist here in Singapore). Immediately I sat down to write my choices. Halfway through writing my choices, I noticed that the embassy actually dispensed of the “shields” that provided privacy for the voters, and that some voters actually sat together in one or two tables and dictated their choices to one another.
In short, nagkokopyahan!
And I have to be blunt; the choices are mostly from the GO. For that brief moment, I realized that marami na palang OFW na mulat na sa mga nangyayari sa bansa, and that in their own way, they took time out from their work just to vote (kahit wala sa listahan), because they care for the future of the country.
Sana mabasa ito ng mga mananalo sa halalan, at sana ma-realize nila that malaki ang utang nila sa taong bayan, at obligasyon nilang bayaran ang utang na ito… with interest.
May 18th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
isa rin ako sa mga maraming OFW. hindi na ako nag aksayang bomoto (OAV) dahil alam kung wala rin mangyayari. cguradong hindi rin mabibilang ang gusto kung iboto dahil babaguhin din lang ng mga empleado sa embassy. nasabi ko ito dahil sila ay mga appointee ng gobyerno, which means susundin nila ang gusto ng nag appoint sa kanila otherwise baka matangal sila sa trabaho…
May 16th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
oh our beloved Philippines! our country is just soooooo unique!!!! why can’t our leaders feel the concern that we feel for our country? how can they become sooooo greedy and selfish???
To our new elected leaders, please wake up! we love this country so much! if you don’t love it, just get out and live your life in some other place in the world or in other planet.
May 16th, 2007 at 9:56 am
casting or not casting our votes it doesn’t matter at all. what we need is self conversion, i’m not talking about religion here or anything…what im trying to say if we want change then lets start that within ourselves no matter where we are in the world and what we do if wanted things to change in this beloved country The Philippines then lets examine ourselves what have we done and the things that we have been doing if it contributes to and for the betterment of this country or not. I once was an OFW but things didn’t work out well in the family and in my children so i decided to comeback and opt to be with them and my children ’till they will have the values in them and become good citizens in this country. It may not be in our time today (the working force in this country) that we see this nation mature, but lets make it a point that before we go we will leave a footprint heading to the right path.
May 16th, 2007 at 1:42 am
well, dito rin ako ngayon sa singapore at isa ako sa mga di na nag-abala na bumoto, at least sigurado ako na di ako nadaya ng direkta. Palagay ko ang eleksyon ang pinakahuli na kelangan natin sa ngayon, sa dami ng nagugutom na pinoy, buti na nga lang at nandito tayo sa labas ng bansa kahit papano marami rin tayo napapakain na mga naiwan don. Panahon na para ipakita natin sa ating mga makakapal ang mukhang politiko at mga hunyango ng ating corrupt na gobyerno na wala na tayong interes sa kanila. tayo dito, gusto lang natin desenteng buhay na galing sa ating pinagsikapan. Kunsabagay, naipakita nating mga OFW yan ngayong eleksyon na ito considering na 15% lang bumuto satin (OFW around the world yan) at di ko naman na masisisi ang 15% na yan na mangarap pa ng milagro galing sa eleksyon, pero sigurado ako sa susunod na eleksyon babagsak pa yan kung walang pagbabago sa Pinas. Panahon na para bawasan ang eleksyon…trabaho na lang tayo ng mahusay, di ba??
May 15th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Got shocked if people would normally vote for the party and not for the competency of each candidate. I wasn’t able to vote though, but I’m quite sure people learned their lessons from the past elections.
I hope for those who could make it esp. the senatoriables would actually do their job. Stop the corruption! Give what is due to the people such as allocating projects to every region thus increasing the employment.