Filipino voters, here’s a tip: if someone says he or she is not going to run for office in the next elections, DON’T YOU BELIEVE IT.
Hindi pa ba tayo natututo sa ginawang drama ng mga Duterte noong 2016? Hindi ba laging sinasabi noon ni Rodrigo Duterte na hindi siya tatakbo sa pagka-pangulo noong panahong iyon? Look at what happened next: the Duterte camp apparently took advantage of loopholes in the rules for substitute candidates – rules that, creditably, the Commission on Election (Comelec) tightened for the 2025 elections.
Now we’ve been hearing about some wannabe politicians in the province of Laguna who were apparently playing “pakipot” by denying swirling rumors about running for office – when all the time their social media feeds are full of “pahiwatigs” and cryptic language that seem to imply that they are, indeed, planning a showdown in 2025.
Ilang beses pa ba tayong mahuhulog sa ganyang klaseng mga drama?
The only time we should really believe those “pahagings” is when the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) finally close (according to the Comelec timeline, on October 8, 2024).
And since the Comelec has, as I said earlier, tightened its rules on substitution of candidates, that means wala nang atrasan o bawian kapag nag-file na ng COC.
Doon na talaga magkakaalaman kung sino ang maglalaban-laban sa 2025!
-o0o-
Posted by a major newspaper on their social media feed: "Hinihiritan ka bang manlibre ng tanghalian ng mga kasamahan mong datihan at matagal na dahil sumweldo ka na at isang tradisyon sa kompanya na kapag bagong salta, kailangang mag-treat sa lahat?"
You know, sa Pilipinas lang yata ako nakakita na yung celebrant pa ang siyang inaasahang magbayad para sa lahat. As in. Kapag pa-birthday, o na-promote sa trabaho, o may mahalagang okasyon, ang laging pahaging sa celebrant, ang laging ikakantyaw, "Palibre ka naman!"
Hello! Para nga sa kanya ang okasyon, tapos siya pa ang magbubuhat ng gastusin? Hindi ba nakakawalang-gana na mag-celebrate?
On the same vein, bakit mo aasahang manlibre ang isang entry-level employee na tiyak na marami pang kailangang i-shoulder bago niya tuluyang ma-enjoy ang thrill ng unang sweldo?
The problem with that kind of attitude is that instead of pitching in their own share, some Filipinos now tend to expect na ililibre lagi siya sa mga event o kung sa anumang okasyon na may handaan.
Sure, we could brush this off as “sa hirap ng buhay ngayon, kailangan na nating dumiskarte,” but aren't we actually encouraging Filipinos to become “parasites” by expecting to be fed for free at all times?
Also, has anybody noticed (especially in the context of the upcoming elections) that some who attend meeting de avances or election sorties were probably only there “kasi may libreng pakain si Mayor”?
That kind of mindset perverts the real reason why sorties and election rallies exist: to give voters a glimpse on the candidates’ political agenda, prospective programs and projects, and his or her view of the pressing issues of the day.
No wonder patronage politics and “dole-out” mentality continues to be alive and well here in the Philippines!
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonColumn #ColumnbyJamesVeloso #UnCommonSense