The Filipino’s political immaturity

The recently concluded barangay elections were no different from the elections for national and local positions.

People killed others over positions in a village.

Candidates bribed voters in order to get elected.

As in national and local elections, by and large, those who couldn’t afford to buy votes were not elected.

That’s democracy in the grassroots for you.

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Why would one kill one’s own blood relatives over a minor position of barangay captain?

In Barangay Manapao, Pontevedra town, Capiz province, the outgoing barangay chief, Manuel Arcenas, shot and killed his brother Ramon, and sisters Jennifer and Evelyn, after Ramon won as village chief.

Manuel, whose term as barangay captain expired after three terms, ran for village councilor but lost.

Manuel’s daughter, Isabel, 19, whom he fielded to run for barangay chief in his place, lost to brother Ramon.

Apparently, sisters Jennifer and Evelyn supported Ramon.

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In Barangay Banawang, Bagac town, Bataan province, incumbent barangay captain Carlito Bautista fired five shots at six persons who were supporters of his opponent.

Luckily, Bautista was a poor shot, and missed his targets.

Bautista lost his cool when the election tally showed his opponent was leading.

When the counting was finished, Bautista won by a small margin over his opponent.

But why wasn’t he arrested by the police for attempted homicide and violation of the gun ban?

Sources in the village said he is very influential with the town mayor.

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Barangay elections are a microcosm of the elections for national and local positions.

The Filipino’s bad side—violent, greedy for power and seller of  his vote—rears its ugly head in all elections.

We’re still far from being political mature.

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Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Chair Rene Villa has been linked to alleged pork barrel queen Janet Lim-Napoles, making him the highest official in the executive branch to be linked to the P10-billion scam.

But Villa said he was only a lawyer of Napoles and was not involved in stealing from the government in the four years he served under her.

“I am a lawyer and she was my client. I had to earn a living because I was out of government then. I gave her advice on purely private, financial matters, nothing on government or political matters. Mine was a limited engagement which, if I recall correctly, started in 2006. I quit when I rejoined government, which is also what I did with my other clients,” Villa said.

The key words are “I gave her advice on purely private, financial matters, nothing on government or political matters.”

One wonders what those “private and financial matters” were all about.

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Lt. Gen. Catalino G. dela Cruz, Air Force chief, studied for the priesthood before he entered the Philippine Military Academy (PMA).

No wonder his heart bleeds for the downtrodden.

Dela Cruz wants all the available resources of the Air Force, however limited, used in helping the victims of the earthquake in Bohol and Cebu.