One-Horse Town's Voters Bought at P5,200 Each

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

I had a tête-à-tête with an exiting mayor in the central part of the province who lost in the recent election. He continues to smile despite blaming the bloc voting Iglesia ni Kristo (InC) and the superior wherewithal of the rival during the pakurong (vote buying in the eve of the election. Damn, This Pangasinan word is superior. It represents eight words in English) as the culprits.

He cited how the new provincial government will give him a piece of the action on its construction binge while his rival – a former mayor and a contractor likes him – will be deprived of the same privilege because his patron the outgoing governor was defeated in the poll.

VOTE BUYING in the May 2022 election in the congressional, gubernatorial, and mayoral levels in the Philippines deteriorated that political pundits say the succeeding victories of candidates will be gauged through superiority of funds and no longer through performances.

“Pati sa quarry wala na siya sa action,” he quipped as digs on his nemesis.

Even the betting number game business will be given to the losing hizzoner.

“After my rival beat me, two of his former trusted men in jueteng met with the ally of the incoming occupant of the Capitol. But they were rebuffed. The instruction: That concern will be given to me,” the defeated mayor said.

Why the generosity of the incoming dispensation? Because it wants to help and buttress the political stocks of the allies who lost so they can regain their former position from their rivals in the 2025 mayorship poll.

***

While I was engaged blogging and column writing about the necessity of the administration of Governor-elect Ramon “Monmon” Guico, III to raid the ranks of Governor Amado Espino, III friendlt members of the provincial lawmakers to transform his four loyal Board Members to eight and becomes a majority, some of the mayors who were supporters of Governor Espino, III and his father and namesake – the former governor and the real McCoy of the nitty gritty of the Pangasinan politics for 15 years - have been deserting them.

Two of them were a mayor of a huge landlocked local government unit and a first class town.

The six years Hizzoner of the first class town showed to the Guv his dream to beautify the tourism come-on of his coastal town and other laudable projects. His Man Friday told me the Governor lauded him and assured him that the provincial government will collaborate with his projects.

The landlocked mayor –who got the goat of a losing governorship bet in the 2016 election but won the 2022 congressional race – was brought in Binalonan by individuals known in the province to be expert on the Small Town Lottery (STL).

***

It’s ironical how a one-horse town mayoral rivals spent P5,200 to just woo the votes of her more than 20,000 registered voters in the last election.

The Hizzoner who on conditioned of anonymity told me how his opponent underestimated him after he (opponent) allegedly sold himself by three million pesos (other says P8 million) to abandon the incumbent governor and the sitting congressman in favor of a moneyed congressional candidate.

“P2,500 ang bilihan nila ng boto. Mabuti na lang may kamag anak akong nagpahiram ng mahigit P40 million”.

Because of the fresh financial chest to be used in the eve of vote buying, he won the election by few hundreds of votes.

His comparative advantage in the surreptitious business in sneaking bills: He added two hundred pesos to make it P2,700 per electorate.

Many lost the mayoralty election in the Philippines because their rival spikes with a few hundred pesos the sums they give to the vulnerable voters.

Electorates nowadays are ungrateful and stupid. They could not appreciate how the sitting chief executive improved the municipalities in his three years’ stint. They become susceptible to the more superior funds of the other camp.

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

Modern Western Weaponry V. Poorly Armed Russian Army

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.