Peaceful Elections?

May 21st, 2007 at 5:23 pm (National Politics, Election 2007)

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has hailed this year’s midterm elections as peaceful. And yet at least 126 election-related deaths have been reported all over the country. Right here in our own backyard, a mayoral candidate and his son were slain in their own home allegedly by a political rival.

126. That seems like a small number. If we look beyond the number, and realize that it represents 126 lives, 126 families, 126 human beings, the truth suddenly becomes clear. The 2007 Philippine Elections was not as peaceful as the COMELEC portrays it to be.

The sad reality is… a peaceful elections may be a distant dream for the Philippines. We cannot simply blame the corrupt and power-hungry politicians for such violence. Our culture, our society coddles and encourages such behavior. We easily forgive, and forget. We do not fight against what is in order for what should be to prevail. We accept abominable things because we don’t think we deserve better. We choose evil because we think we don’t have a choice. We continue to give second, third, fourth, fifth… ad infinitum chances because that’s the kind of people that we are.

When will we ever realize that we deserve better? When will be stop being nice and forgiving? It’s time to ask for more, because we deserve more. It’s time to expect and demand more.

126. That’s the number of lives sacrificed. Let us not forget this number and what they represent. Because if we do, if we force ourselves to believe the fantasy that this year’s elections was a peaceful one, then we will always get one like it, or may be worse. So let us not forget… 126.

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