Bankruptcy of this Political Family

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A kin mulls to be elected for a lawmaking seat of a first class town in the next year’s election. I told him to prepare two to three million pesos for day to day expenses  and for the purchase of votes from the voters in the eve of election if he wants to win the derby.

Photo credit: Groww

Was my advice dissolute or immoral since the Right of Suffrage is revered by people in a democratic society like the Philippines?

The solemnity of an election is only a platitude espoused by experts on the annotations of political science books and the Constitution and jurisprudences.

In reality, one needs a lots of money be it in a presidential, senatorial, congressional and local elections despite they run against the limitation on the campaign expenses mandated by the Omnibus Election Code in the rambunctious country's Philippines.

One needs a lot of doughs for a regular television advertisement on the national elections that run up to a billion of pesos for a one year to six months’ preparation but one needs to buy the vote –from P50 to P,1000 – directly to each of the mostly ignorant masa to win an electoral seat that gives a pittance based on the monthly remuneration for a three years’ term of a politico.

Elective positions are preoccupations entered by the people who have monies to burn. I smirked seeing those candidates, for example in the top village post, mortgaging a property for a million of pesos or selling their house and lot so they can buy votes just to win a post that gives a P15,000 monthly pay for a two or three years’ term.

These candidates mired themselves with debts just to massage their ego as the most respected leader in their barangay when they get elected. Imagine, there is an adjective of “Honorable” appended before their rank and name. I found this practice and goal insane!

Almost everybody pays obeisance to the “Kapitan” and “Kagawad” in the barrio.

Ito iyong mga kulang sa accomplishment sa buhay at diyan na nagsusugal sa pagiging pulitiko kahit na malubog sila sa utang dahil kailangan nila ng prestige or respeto.

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One example of this inanity was a former mayor and his father who borrowed tens of millions of pesos just to win the 2019 mayorship election. Debtors were freaking out because even during the mayor’s failed reelection in the 2022 poll they couldn't pay their debts they used to buy votes in the 2019 contest. When their governor friend lost the last election, their burgeoning construction business with the provincial government disappeared in thin air that aggravated their fluidity to pay their debts to angry creditors.

Worse, even their cars have been sold if not pulled out by the car dealers because of their failure to pay the monthly amortization.

Both father and son swore that they would no longer dip their fingers on the acrimonious, expensive, and dirty world of politics.

They become insolvent if not a pauper.

How about you dear readers, do you know folks like those above?