CAMPAIGN season for local political candidates is waving. Much like, “Hi, hello, you've been running circles in my head.”
The local political arena is more essential than the national jungle because it’s the mayor, governor, or congressman that the Pinoy can easily approach, that is, if his gauge for approachability is proximity.
But if his gauge for approachability is the local politician’s approachability, there’s going to be some challenges, like an obstacle course, if the politician is a snob or has a team that screens the people allowed to be with him.
It’s only during the campaign season that political candidates are always approachable. They smile often, shake the hands of everyone they meet and may even dispense hugs, kiss babies and grandmothers, tell the madlang pehpohl about their love for God, Pinas, and the Pinoy. You know, blah blah blah.
Once they win and are occupying the precious seats waiting for them, they may begin to forget how to smile unless they’re facing the camera. But if they’re facing the camera for a mugshot, that’s another story. “Strike a pose/Strike a pose/Vogue/Vogue/Look around, everywhere you turn is heartache/It’s everywhere that you go (look around)/You try everything you can to escape/The pain of life that you know.”
Kanta na lang ta oi! And that’s exactly what the political candidates will do in their campaign sorties. And the guys should learn how to sing and dance a la Elias if they’re campaigning in Mindanao.
Elias who? Go to Facebook and search for Elias J. Tv. That’s who.
There’s that other Elias, the son of John Lloyd Cruz and Ellen Adana. But that’s also another story.
And political candidates do love to tell stories, especially promises that are made to be broken. The price of rice, for example, has not gone down to the promised P20 per kilogram.
The more unbelievable the promise, the better for campaign spiels, though. The important thing is for it to land as breaking, er, banner news, above the fold, paving the way for the presidential candidate’s sprint to Malacanang.
There’s one presidential hopeful whose sprint to Malacanang is morphing from Speedy Gonzales to Slowpoke Rodriguez as she’s about to face an impeachment trial. Conspiracy theorists claim that the current Malacanang occupant doesn’t want her to be his successor, thus, the impeachment.
The presidential election will be in 2028. With three years left for strategic planning and the possibility of being convicted and not allowed to run for public office in the future, will any of her brothers run instead? Abangan.
For now, the Cagayanon’s focus is on local candidates, that is, if he still cares about who will be giving the higher bribe before the election. Oops! I mean, if he still cares about who will give an additional bribe after he has voted for them. Oops! I mean, if he still cares about who will not be asking commissions from contractors.
Such commissions may result to incomplete projects, poor-quality materials, errors, mistakes, quarrels, and all that jazz.
So, vote wisely. And there’s the wise-a** asking, Who’s Wisely?
