Election day
Last semester, my groupmates and I wrote a script for our TV scriptwriting class - a documentary entitled Retold. The main premise of the show was to educate today's youth on the past and make Philippine history relevant to them by relating it to the present and how it affects them now.
May 10, 1897. The Philippine Republic, then known as the Republika ng Katagalugan (or more commonly known as the Katipunan), had a change in leadership through Andres Bonifacio's death. Bonifacio was executed on the mountains of Maragondon, Cavite by virtue of an execution order from Emilio Aguinaldo. Aguinaldo replaced Bonifacio thereafter.
May 10, 2010. The Philippine Republic will again have a change in leadership, this time through the first-ever partially automated elections.
Tomorrow is May 10, 2010. Tomorrow is election day.
We are all aware of all the election-related news that comes out every day. Whether these be political in nature, or about the automated system, the point is, the news on the radio, on TV, on the Internet, are all about the elections. In particular, there have been a lot of news - both good and bad, but I think it was mostly bad - that have come up within the past few weeks with regard to the automated election system. Personally, I could go on a litany on all these issues, but I won't. My point is, all these is enough to dishearten one and to discourage him/her from voting.
I admit, I am a pessimist, and all the news the past week brought scared me. But I am also a hard-core patriot. And I would still like to believe in the beauty of our institutions, aka I believe that the Comelec, having seen all the problems with the PCOS machines and whatnot, have come up with a proper contingency plan; that the PNP and AFP are ready to keep the peace and make sure there is no blood shed on election day; that the electorate have done their homework and will truly vote wisely tomorrow, not for any other reason but for the love of country.
I urge everyone to believe in the beauty of our country's democracy. Nine years under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may have tarnished it, but a bit of cleaning and polishing has not destroyed that beauty. It's still there. The cleaning and polishing will begin tomorrow, with your vote - your vote that reflects your faith in the people whom you believe have the political will and the ability to lead our country into the greatness it is destined for.
I am not writing this to campaign for any candidate. Go and vote for whomever you want to vote for. I only ask that you vote for the people you think are competent, who believe in what you believe in, who fight for what you fight for. Vote for the people whom you feel truly represent you.
Tomorrow, I will go out and vote, 100% confident in the people whose names will be beside the oval I will be shading. I hope all of you will do the same.
God bless the Philippines.
May 10, 1897. The Philippine Republic, then known as the Republika ng Katagalugan (or more commonly known as the Katipunan), had a change in leadership through Andres Bonifacio's death. Bonifacio was executed on the mountains of Maragondon, Cavite by virtue of an execution order from Emilio Aguinaldo. Aguinaldo replaced Bonifacio thereafter.
May 10, 2010. The Philippine Republic will again have a change in leadership, this time through the first-ever partially automated elections.
Tomorrow is May 10, 2010. Tomorrow is election day.
We are all aware of all the election-related news that comes out every day. Whether these be political in nature, or about the automated system, the point is, the news on the radio, on TV, on the Internet, are all about the elections. In particular, there have been a lot of news - both good and bad, but I think it was mostly bad - that have come up within the past few weeks with regard to the automated election system. Personally, I could go on a litany on all these issues, but I won't. My point is, all these is enough to dishearten one and to discourage him/her from voting.
I admit, I am a pessimist, and all the news the past week brought scared me. But I am also a hard-core patriot. And I would still like to believe in the beauty of our institutions, aka I believe that the Comelec, having seen all the problems with the PCOS machines and whatnot, have come up with a proper contingency plan; that the PNP and AFP are ready to keep the peace and make sure there is no blood shed on election day; that the electorate have done their homework and will truly vote wisely tomorrow, not for any other reason but for the love of country.
I urge everyone to believe in the beauty of our country's democracy. Nine years under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may have tarnished it, but a bit of cleaning and polishing has not destroyed that beauty. It's still there. The cleaning and polishing will begin tomorrow, with your vote - your vote that reflects your faith in the people whom you believe have the political will and the ability to lead our country into the greatness it is destined for.
I am not writing this to campaign for any candidate. Go and vote for whomever you want to vote for. I only ask that you vote for the people you think are competent, who believe in what you believe in, who fight for what you fight for. Vote for the people whom you feel truly represent you.
Tomorrow, I will go out and vote, 100% confident in the people whose names will be beside the oval I will be shading. I hope all of you will do the same.
God bless the Philippines.