May 9: Judgment Day

IN MY 75 years of challenging life, I have been privileged to witness events which have shown that the Filipinos belong to an honorable race. For example, there was Edsa I in February 1986, when the people decided they had had enough of the abuses of martial law under Ferdinand Marcos. And there was the Senate decision on Sept. 16, 1991, to ban American bases from Philippine territory.

On May 9, history will once more watch the Filipino people as they again go to the polls to elect their new president and vice president.

Competing for the presidency are a Wharton School of Economics graduate; a woman whose qualification to run for president is still in question despite a Supreme Court decision favoring her; a former mayor of Makati City and the incumbent vice president facing multiple charges of graft and corruption; the incumbent mayor of Davao City known for his use of foul language that did not exempt even Pope Francis; and a lady senator who openly confesses that she is afflicted with cancer and is now undergoing treatment.

But on May 9, 2016, both the candidates and the Filipino people will be judged. This means that while the people will judge the candidates’ worthiness to hold the position they aspire for, the people themselves will be judged by history as to their capacity to render independent judgment.

Always the nagging questions are whether we Filipinos have the integrity, honesty and wisdom to choose the leaders who can see us through to a promising future. Or shall we fall victims to the glowing false promises of winners as we go on to grovel in poverty in the margins of society? Under a supposedly “new” administration, shall we finally see a new dawn instead of dashed hopes and dreams that have been sold for 30 pieces of silver?

Let me share a Tagalog poem I composed to express my hopes and fears in connection with “Halalan 2016.” It is titled “Halalan na naman!”

I

Kung ako ang papipiliin,
Sa kasalukuyang mga pulitiko natin
Tunay mahirap na ito ay gawin
Parang naglilinang ginto sa buhangin.

II
Karamihan kasi mga “lingkod” bayan
Tunay na mahirap na pagtiwalaan
Ang mga motibo para sa lipunan
Kung ’to’y paglilingkod o pagpapayaman.

III
Madami kasi ang mga pulitikong
naka-tsamba lamang
At na “eat bulaga” itong taong bayan
Magaling sa drama at pagpapatawa,
Magaling mangopiya’t paiyak-iyak pa!

IV
Subali’t itong rekord dito sa Kongreso
Ay nakalulungkot dahil halos “zero”
At kung susuriin ang kaniyang nagawa sa kaniyang distrito
Ay maiiyak ka kasi madalang pa sa patak ng ulan kapag may El Niño.

V
Dapat na magisip itong taong bayan
Dito sa darating na namang
halalan.
Ang ating iboto yaong kandidato na may utak naman
Huwag ang kandidatong doon sa Kongreso’y palamuti lamang.

VI
Madaming ulit nang tayo’y nagkamali sa ating pagpili,
Mga pulitikong makapal ang mukha’t matabil ang labi
At nagpasilaw din sila sa salapi
At kinalimutan mga sumpa nila sa mga kalahi.

VII
Paloloko pa ba tayo, sa ganitong mga politiko?
Ilalagay pa ba natin bansa natin sa peligro?
Ibebenta pa ba natin itong ating boto
Tulad ng pagbenta ng lilong si Hudas kay Hesukristo?

VIII
Sana naman kaibigan, sa darating na halalan,
Kinang ng salapi di tayo pasilaw,
Maging gabay natin ang konsiensiyang taglay
At isiksik natin sa ating isipan,
“Bago ang sarili ay ang bayan
naman!”

—CARLOS D. ISLES,
[email protected]