For some voters like me, this coming election is not a
search for the best candidates but a difficult reflection on who is the lesser
evil to whom I shall entrust the next number of years of my life—at least my
social life. Of course, there are also some candidates who have advertised
themselves so good enough to merit hopes that they are the few good remaining
candidates, and I am voting for them, but in greater cases, I am left with the choice of among lesser evil. Politics just got so
messed up that running candidates are like recycled foods: good for micro
wave packs that one has to stomach when cooking good and new foods is just so
out of reach. Then you realized that some of these foods are stale and you got
f**ked up. And sh*t happens. This is
what I call—pakshet. And because I am talking about politics, let us call it
pakshet politics.
In this case, I will talk about the pakshet politics in my
own yard, the Partido District. I am caught between Wimpy Fuentebella and Aga
Muhlach.
Fuentebella is of course a well-known name in Partido
politics. If you are from our district and you don’t know that name, you must
be a Martian who just landed there last night. Fuentebella’s have served the
district for over 100 hundred years already. Imagine that! With those long—no! very, very long!— years, Partido district must have been the most prosperous
place in Camarines Sur already. Given the rich natural resources of our land,
this dream must have not been difficult.
Last national elections, the Fuentebella’s claimed that
under their rule, Partido district has seen formidable developments: road
constructions and concreting, water way systems among other. But hey, isn’t
that just so pakshet? After 100 years, it was like only 10 years ago that we
had a descent water way system? Road concreting? Well of course! You served for
100 years.
For this election, there are 3 Fuentebella’s running for an
elected position: Arnie for Mayor in Tigaon; Nanay Belen for Mayor in Sagñay;
and Wimpy for Congressman. Guess the 100 years of ruling are not yet over.
The other candidate for Congressman is Aga Muhlach. Months
before the campaign period, travelling to Partido is like watching his face
competing against the beautiful sceneries. His face sprawling along the
highways with tarpaulins greeting me “Marhay na Aga,” my mind just go ballistic
with two conceptual corruptions: first, the Good (Marhay) as now belonging to
Aga so that you can translate it as Good Aga or Aga is Good, and second: Aga
(morning) which is no longer that hopeful morning greeting me but Aga as the
face to reckon with this coming elections. And of course, his wife, Charlene,
started greeting everyone from Partido in The Buzz with hard pressed Bikol just
confirms the anomaly of the greetings Marhay na Aga!
But of course, the real issue is that how good can my
mornings get when Aga wins a seat in Congress? Aga Muhlach is like a long lost
prophet of this district. He was no show in this kingdom and suddenly, because
Partido district seems not to have a good savior of its future, here he comes
announcing that the way to salvation is near! Pakshet! Aga is like someone who
was hit by a lightning and suddenly realizing he is from Partido all through
out his life!
Another issue with Aga is his political experience. Surely,
politics is, in a large extent, like showbiz and undoubtedly, he is one of the
good actors of my generation. I cried so many times because of his drama movies
especially the one with Vilma Santos. But politics too is not showbiz! We need
someone who will craft laws for our common good, who will think of the
political and social life of coming generations of the children Partido!
But of course, that Aga has no experience bears no great
weight for an argument anymore. In fact we have lots of the inexperienced
personalities who are now occupying high positions in the land. But forgive me,
I still require experience. Aga’s dimples are cute and sexy, but they may not
write for me the common good that Partido thirsts for.
And so I am caught in this pakshet situation: to choose
between (1) someone who comes from a 100-year dysnaty rule and for God’s sake,
we from Partido need a fresh air and (2) someone who suddenly becomes
enlightened to help his District and that help means running a seat in
Congress.
And with this pakshet situation, I think I only have to cast
my pakshet vote. A pakshet vote means rubbish for rubbish; no choice or a lesser
evil choice. I will cast my pakshet vote if only to show that I am one of those
who are forced to vote not because of any ideological fight but because I have
to choose a cleaner trash.
On May 13, I will cast my pakshet vote that honors pakshet
politics.
(photos are from google)
