With just a few weeks before elections, when in Manila, political discourse on social media is at an all time high. Amidst the squabbling between supporters of different candidates, Facebook user Kensei Yonzon posts about the predicament that Filipinos are in:
“How frustrating it must be to be a Filipino. To know that this country deserves so much more yet carry upon our backs the yoke of an ignorant, badly educated, squabbling electorate. How frustrating it must be to yearn for someone great but be forced to support deeply-flawed and wanting candidates. This is our lot as a people, and it breaks us. It tears us apart.”
Full text:
How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Duterte. To be absolutely passionate for change, so desperate for extreme measures, but have to compromise on so many things with a PR disaster of a candidate. How frustrating it must be to be a woman who believes in the goodness of his heart but cannot stomach the reality of his misogyny. How frustrating it must be to desire so badly to break free of the shackles of an apathetic government and want to use a dirty, filthy hammer just to do it.Â
How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Roxas. To be utterly convinced that he’s the lesser evil but be saddled with the fact that he’s a charmless nincompoop who’s bungled too many important issues that it’s extremely easy to turn voters away from him. How frustrating it must be to have a candidate so closely tied with the utter failure of an administration so callous as to have allowed brazen misuse of funds in the most conspicuous places like the LTO and MRT. How frustrating it must be to have to defend mediocrity just to uphold the status quo.
How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Poe. To believe in the sincerity of a candidate whom people cannot trust to keep her word, to have to defend the promises of a woman who is capable of swearing an oath and turn her back to it; to have to convince others that one who can abuse the technicality of a basic legal requirement will actually uphold our laws. How frustrating it must be to try and convince others that inexperience jumping into ambition for the highest post in the land is completely well-meaning and not at all the machinations of the oligarchy. How frustrating it must be to try and believe that backing her isn’t just trading one set of masters for another.
How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Santiago. To know that she is the best, most capable candidate yet grapple with her dismally low popularity. How frustrating it must be to want to throw support for someone with a proven track record but with a completely uncertain future, someone whose heart doesn’t even seem to be in the race at all and who has shown questionable choices in allies.
How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Binay. To be convinced that a character so devoid of any redeeming qualities should be President, one must either be deeply misguided or completely naive. How frustrating it must be to live in either reality.
How frustrating it must be to be a Filipino. To know that this country deserves so much more yet carry upon our backs the yoke of an ignorant, badly educated, squabbling electorate. How frustrating it must be to yearn for someone great but be forced to support deeply-flawed and wanting candidates. This is our lot as a people, and it breaks us. It tears us apart.
Do you agree with him?
See Election infographic on Presidential candidates HERE; Vice Presidential candidates HERE
