Budoy’s list

Surely, the writer has a list. But you will not read it here. You will have to talk to him personally if you wish to know who he is endorsing. This time around, he will do better than the Philippine churches who have joined the fray by endorsing their list of candidates for the coming polls. They have the constitutional right to do so. Moral right is of course entirely something else.

But on the other hand, there is something inescapably subjective about morality. Many believe it to be a purely rational act. But there will be those who argue that the capacity to decide between right and wrong is not at all rational in the truly objective or disinterested sense. Humans do try to justify it to themselves as that but there is something also to the argument that all these things are predetermined inside us, inside our psyche, perhaps even in our genes. They derive from over two million years of human evolution.

But where these have to do with making political choices that would affect our lives nothing is absolutely or universally predetermined. Nothing is absolutely correct. And especially where you apply it into the choice of mortals as perfectly imperfect as our choices of candidates in the coming polls, we might as well rely on chance. That and our own personal ignorance with these candidates’ real backgrounds. We know them only by what we read in the papers or see on TV. And much of that are really paid advertisements.

Which is not to say that there is a shortage of dramatic narratives coming out in media. Like you, he cannot help following the unfolding story of recent fugitive Cezar Mancao, used-to-be witness to the Dacer-Corbito kidnapping and murder. The story has a texture of fiction reminding us of the Bourne series of novels turned cinema.

But beyond the cinematic drama of all these, there is a disturbing feeling that gnaws at the conscience, one’s sense of right and wrong. There is an obvious discordance that affects especially our aesthetic sense as we confront the overall political picture. Why are ex-convicts still running for office? And what of those who were directly complicit to Marcos’ martial law. Why are they still there very much in power? Or running for positions in government. How do they get away with it?

These questions are of course only rhetorical. In the end, one returns to the premise that democracy, especially Philippine democracy has to be like that at least for the time being. Democracy is only a game of numbers. It is a game of chance, probability and statistics.

What are the chances our electorate will choose the best people for the job of leading the country? Less than the chances they will elect the same old candidates we have grown used to, the scions of old political dynasties, old familiar names. Only by a twisted bias do these names come out better than the names of movie actors, media icons and athletes; Or former soldiers who might or might not have participated in torture only a few decades ago. Back when things were different. And now, we must have to research if these names come out in the lists of the religious institutions of our country. Does our compliance decide if we are good Christians or not?

Who really cares anymore? Better to go by more unlikely lists. They will probably be more credible and less enveloped in traditional politics. Better to ask: What is Budoy’s list? What is Russ Ligtas’ list? Who is Chai Fonacier voting for if she is voting at all?

And then you might quickly retort, “Oh, but those are only your friends.” And then the writer might reply, “That is precisely what I am saying! Rather than rely on some institution’s list you would be better guided by your closest friends.” That is the better practice of democracy. Consult those closest to you, your family and friends.

And since the two candidates for governor to the provincial government are this writer’s friends, then he would now have to declare: Who he is voting for is his personal secret. However, he is happy we have a better choice of candidates now than we had the last time around.