Change is coming - from you, from me, from us
Many a relationship was undeniably severed in the last elections. The struggle for recovering the ties that used to bind those who are now in conflict moves at a slow pace. They are still at odds, even if the politicians they supported have conceded their defeat.
A septuagenarian father and his 30-year- old daughter became instant enemies just because they supported different presidential candidates. Siblings exchanged barbs in defense of their own bets. Two male best buddies who used to drink beer together are now spewing venom at each other because of political labeling that led to bickering. The casualties are clear: broken ties.
There was a copious amount of love and hate on social media recently. Many showed love for their candidate by expressing hatred to the opponent. As a result, people were divided. Painfully divided.
I was engaged many times on FB by friends who had different political views from mine. I did not become a fence sitter by not dignifying their private messages to me. I looked beyond them. Election Day is just like that — day. One day. And one day is definitely not enough to ruin my decades of friendship with them. I respect opinions because concomitantly, I want mine to be revered, too.
Yes, the political can be personal, too, but I make it a rule to value friendship. For instance, my very good friend in the barrio Lito Monterola, a staunch supporter of the presidential candidate I did not support, was kind enough to shake my hand at the voting precinct. We talked for a while and promised each other that the heat of the election would not affect the friendship that we share — even if we displayed two different tarpaulins of presidential candidates on the gates of our neighboring homes. The air of tension surrounding us was heavy during the campaign. But we never let ourselves drown in it. He was free to choose his candidate. I was also free to choose mine. That’s democracy. And democracy saw our beautiful friendship through.
*** Democracy played a lively tune in
the last elections. This democracy was not present 30 years ago. The social media served as a good platform to express democracy. People were free to vent, praise and castigate.
I pity Sofia Romualdez, the 16-yearold daughter of former sexy star turned Tacloban Mayor Christina Gonzales and Alfred Romualdez. In her exercise of democracy, she tweeted an unsavory message against leading vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo. That earned Sofia the ire of the netizens. She apologized, took down her tweet, and deactivated her Twitter account. But the mob is unrelenting, unforgiving. I can’t blame her if she cries foul for the bullying she gets now. But who do we blame — if we blame at all? The nature of the girl? The nurturing of her parents? Or the mob?
Sofia’s relative, Sandro Marcos, son of vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos got the flak for two reasons. 1. He allegedly asked for an extra ballot because he committed a mistake in shading. 2. He tweeted #DayaangMatuwid when he found out that the number of votes of the winning presidential candidate was not the same as the number of votes of the leading vice presidential candidate.
Sandro is young. Maybe he did not know what “dayaan” meant during the time of his lolo. What irony it is that the young Marcos is screaming “cheating” when during the time of the late dictator, 32 tabulators manning the Comelec’s quick count computer terminals walked out of the PICC Plenary Hall in protest of the cheating they were being made to be party to.
“Dayaan” is an unfair word in the ears of Comelec people who worked hard enough to ensure that the results of the elections would be known ASAP. Gone were the days when we would wait for kingdom come to know the results of the elections. The automated polls are a boon to the society. I only have my two hands clapping for the Comelec as a sign of my gratitude for making sure that my vote, your vote, our votes are counted. Time to give each individual at the Comelec a pat on his or her shoulder. Kudos, too, to the teachers, cops, students and ordinary citizens who made sure that the elections
would be fair, orderly and peaceful.
My heart bled for Leni Robredo when a netizen remarked “Napakaevil mo. Sana ikaw na lang yung nasa eroplanong bumagsak, hindi yung
asawa mo.” Leni did not dignify it but later on said on TV that, indeed, the wish of the disgruntled netizen was her prayer during those days after Jesse, her husband, died in a plane crash in August 2012.
Even the “sexual repression” of a nation — intended to be a comedic relief — became a hot topic when #RP69fanfic hit the Interweb right after the elections.
The freedom of people on social media is apparent. But democracy is its own antidote. You become responsible for your thoughts. You attack principles. Get ready for a counter-attack.
*** Change is coming. Let’s embrace it. Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte promised it in his campaign. Leading vice presidential bet Leni Robredo promised also that she would effect change to the lives of the many who are in the “seams of society.”
Whether or not we supported the winning candidates in the elections that past, we owe it to ourselves to support them all the more now. A good government is not only about leaders who want to effect change in our lives. It’s also about us who have our stake at making it a good government.
To be a good citizen in your community is already a big contribution to the peace and order of the country. Our kindergarten teacher taught us that to live a good life we have to follow basic rules: don’t hurt each other, clean your mess, don’t touch other’s properties, hold hands when we cross the street. You can add to this list.
We take politics in this country seriously — so serious that we become righteous and blinded by our own stand. The elections are over, the people have spoken, new leaders are elected. But the supporters are still divided. Moving on may be far-fetched for others. But somehow we need to start to heal.
Change is coming — from you, from me, from us.