In All Fairness

Disclaimer: On the whole, I am not a very political creature. But as elections only occur every 6 years in this country, I figure I will chime in, possibly just this once.

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Sometimes, the results of a victory are not as important as what the battle represents. This country has long yearned for change in governance, and so far, it seems that is what we will receive. Everyone really did their part to make sure the elections were fair, and the results pretty much speak for themselves.

At least, as far as the presidential and vice-presidential races are concerned. Everything is performing as pre-election polling indicated they would. Sen. Aquino, the leading presidential candidate as of this writing, at the very least inspires some degree of confidence, and he has a very good chance of restoring unity and cooperation in the Philippines (needless to say, we will see exactly how he measures up to the task in the coming years).

On the other hand, it’s looking like his supporting-cast-to-be leaves a lot to be desired. Mar Roxas and Jojo Binay are neck and neck right now, so it’s still a bit too early to talk about the VP. As far as senatorial candidates, well, it can’t be helped. The people have spoken, and the numbers support the results, so that much is acceptable.

However, polls for local positions tend to be less visible. Consequently, anomalous results are easier to wave off. For example, world-renowned boxer Manny Pacquiao and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, either of which are dubious choices at best, have both won posts in the House of Representatives. But stranger still are the results in District II of Pampanga, where President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also won a seat. That’s right–our president is now a representative (or soon will be, technically speaking).

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Alright, quick aside.

Imagine, if you will, a president who, through hard work and due diligence, racked up a staggering -32 approval rating. Yet apparently, in the place of her birth, citizens remained so proud of her that when she decided to run for Congress, nearly everybody decided to vote for her. And so, she won by a landslide. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen–amidst mounting pressure from the rest of the country for genuine change in governance, the District II’ers, as it turns out, simply said “Sod you wankers!” and decided to keep their most famous daughter in the government anyway.

If that’s not Twilight Zone material, I don’t know what is.

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Indeed, such results are rather troubling. But then, if something is amiss, then we will root it out. Surely these… anomalies will be investigated, and the truth will prevail. That is the system, and that’s how it works.

In an ideal world, at least.