Yesterday was my first time to vote as a member of INC. It was a major adjustment on my part because it was my first time to vote with a sample ballot—that sample ballot contained the list of candidates that our church decided to endorse.

During the past elections, it was my father who decides who to endorse. We had some disagreements in the past with regard to his choice of candidates and we, as his children, felt compelled to accept his choices. My father did not mention any candidate of his choice a day before the election but he borrowed my sample ballot and did not make any harsh comments on it.

It was the first automated election in Philippine history. I was there at the precint at 6:20 AM. The teachers were somewhat tensed, some members of the media were checking every details. The clustered precints resulted to a long queue of voters. I was lucky because I was early; I finished early.

I saw familiar faces at the precint. They recognized me, too and teased me that I gained weight. I saw the old library where I used to make my assignments. I saw the school grounds where we held our Girl Scout-related activities. I saw the big old trees where we used to play. I saw the major changes in my school.

Mesmerized as I was walking through the school grounds, I remembered what I went home for: the election. I was hoping that I would not see those familiar faces—faces that correlate with POLITICS. I may be of zero political value to some but of big political value to those who view INC endorsement as a sure ball way to win the election.

Nakatanggap ako ng text message mula sa isang kababayan.

“Malaki daw bigayan ngayon, boboto ka ba?”

Boboto daw ba ako? Malaki daw ang bigayan?

Teka, kelan ba ako nakatikim ng malaking lagay? Sa murang edad na 18 noon, 300 pesos lang ang natanggap ko mula sa lider ng isang kandidato. Tuwang-tuwa pa ako noon. Malaking bagay ang 300 pesos sa isang estudyanteng pakainin ng magulang.

Ilan pa kayang gaya ko noon ang nalagyan at sinulat ang pangalan ng kandidatong “naglagay” sa kanya. Sa mura kong edad, namulat ako sa isang lipunan na marumi. A, pwede naman palang bilhin ang pagkatao ko sa halagang 300 piso. Noon yon! Bata pa ako noon. Lahat naman tayo’y natututo sa mga pagkakamali.

Boboto ba ako ngayon dahil malaki ang lagay ng kandidato? A, mahal mamuhunan ang kandidato ngayon. Wala marahil tiwala sa sariling kakayahan. Wala marahil garantya na gusto rin sya ng mga kababayan. Papaano kung sabihin ko sa kanila na “bakit kailangan pa ng lagay eh kayo talaga ang nasa isip ko?” Bibigyan kaya ako ng pabuya dahil sa tuwa nila?

Ano ba meron sa pulitika para bumili ng boto? At paano naman nila babawiin ang ipinuhunang pamimili ng boto? Mahiwaga. Kailangan nila ng paliwanag.