Your vote is your future

By Leo Udtohan

Your vote. Your choice. Your future.

Every election, you have one vote. But that one vote can define the future of our country.

As we vote tomorrow, May 9, we will decide who will run our province for the next three years.  

Your vote is your dignity and respect.

While reading this little corner, read carefully the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV)’s 10 commandments for Responsible Voting:

1. Vote according to the dictates of your conscience.

2. Respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates.

3. Seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities, and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote for.

4. Strive to understand the issues, platform, and programs of candidates and parties campaigning for your vote.

5. Do not sell your vote.

6. Do not vote for candidates using guns, goons, gold, and glitter.

7. Do not vote for candidates tainted with graft and corruption.

8. Do not vote for candidates simply because of “utang na loob” (debt of gratitude), popularity, good looks, or “pakikisama” (peer pressure).

9. Do not vote for candidates living an immoral life.

10. Always put the welfare of the country as top priority in choosing the candidate you will vote for.

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Speaking of #5:  Just save your P20 coin.

In Bohol province, where vote-buying and vote-selling still rampant, P20 coin is useless until election period is over.

It was just a usual gathering of at least seven neighbors-mostly women-on Thursday morning in a village in Tagbilaran City. 

Their topic: Uwan-uwan (showers) or "inangayan" (shares) and how much would get they get from candidates.

"Mag-uwan gyud og kuwarta basta panahon sa election. Mao sab ni time nga powerful ang leader (It will always rain with money during elections. This is also the time the leader is powerful)," said Jinky, a resident of Tagbilaran. 

Regardless of the area, the modus is still the same: ward leader lists down the names of registered voters in the purok (sub-village). Payouts were usually done from early morning until noon.

Most of them received P50 last May 1 from  some candidates running for councilors. 

They were thankful that this year's elections offer a higher "rate" from local candidates. 

"Mapugos sila og hatag og P50 kay dili naman mai-stapleran ang P20 (The candidates are forced to give P50 because they can't staple the P20 coin)," Divina (family name withheld) was referring to Philippine twenty-peso coin.

Divina, 49, said she was not selling her vote but she is receiving her "share". 

“Blessing man gud ang uwan-uwan. Karun ra gani mi makadawat sa among bahin. Botar lang ko kinsay ganahan nako botaran (It's a blessing. It’s only during elections that we can receive this amount. I will just vote whom I like),” she justified. 

But some candidates for councilors in Tagbilaran managed to find P20 bill and distributed it.

Paul said that while he wondered by candidates would still bother to give P20 when not much could be bought, he still accepted it. 

“It is better than nothing,” he said.

Not everyone gave cash.

A mayoral candidate gave a health card, while mayoral candidates gave papers with a QR code. 

Aside from P50, a mayoral candidate attached a claim stab of 3 kilos of rice to its sample ballot. 

Some voters received P100 from a vice mayoral candidate last Wednesday. Another P100 for the second round from the same candidate on Thursday. 

"Lipay ko kay ikaduha mi gitagaan (We are happy, we received money twice)," said Hilda, a resident. 

In Panglao town, a mayoral candidate gave P1,000, while another candidate P300. But the amount goes higher two or a day of the election. 

In Tubigon town, some residents already received their money last week.  P200 from a gubernatorial candidate, P500 from a mayoral candidate, while P50 or P100 some councilors.  

In Bilar, P1, 000 to vote straight. It's P4,500 for three voters in some areas like Sevilla. 

In Carmen town, P1,700 for the whole slate including the provincial slate. However, voters should get their money from a barangay captain. 

In Dimiao, P500 were given from a congressional candidate. 

In Loboc town, it's P2,500 each voter. 

A number of residents in Bohol said they were expecting a second wave after receiving cash from the candidates, many as early as May 1.

"We are expecting second wave on Sunday evening or early Monday,” said Cesar, a resident of Dauis. 

The rate for local positions is P50 to P1,000 per voter.  Sometimes it’s a “package deal” for a whole family or household for as much as P3,000 to P20,000 depending on how close the contest is perceived in a particular area.

Dr. Jerome Magallen, a Bohol-based psychologist, said vote buying in the province perceived as normal Bohol because they were used to it.

"It is a sad reality today that every election they are expecting money," he said.

He, however, said there were a handful voters who would not sell their votes.

"This has a big impact to the society. It seems money becomes a barometer for a candidate to win instead of their capacity and qualification. Another thing there is a possibility that if ever they win that is when corruption begins," he said. 

Magallen said voters should think of their future and the community when casting their votes.

"Vote according to your conscience," he said. 

In the past weeks, the Dioceses of Tagbilaran and Talibon in Bohol have discouraged vote-buying and vote-selling. 

The Comelec said it is illegal to buy and sell votes and violators could face prison terms of one to six years and disqualification from holding public office.

VRS wants to hear from you. Tell me what you thought about the election! You can e-mail me at leoudtohan@yahoo.com.

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