DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 28 October) – The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections will be held on Monday, October 30. By this time, one must have seen their barangay littered with tarpaulins and flyers of faces, of incumbents and newcomers sporting their flashiest smiles. By this time, one may hear campaign jingles, sometimes played at the unholiest time of siesta or early morning sleep, which is minus votes for them.
It is a wonder that in this election for the most basic unit of local governance, one gets to vote for people who may happen to be your neighbor, your relative, the barrio store owner who has given you a long credit line, or the tambay who suddenly becomes relevant.
And when you know these people, I guess it is not slogans or smiles that will win them your vote, but rather it is your honest unfiltered Facebook posts about these candidates, flavored Bisaya humor, the bugal-bugal type or the brutal honesty and wit, that wins.
Here are some of these posts I found on my Facebook wall in the past two weeks which may even guide you whom to vote:
“Mudagan ug SK kay kuno “BUOTAN, MASALIGAN ug KUGIHAN”
DILI MAN GANI KABALO MANGHIPOS UG HIGDAANAN!!!”
“Puro nalang masaligan, maduolan, wala jud dha mautangan?”
“Andam muserbisyo sa katawhan
MASUKO MAN GANI PALABHON SA ASAWA!!!”
“Ka yawa sa mga nidagan SK ang achievements kay puro daog sa beaucon (beauty contest). Te, di man siguro SK inyo gidaganan, Ms Universe man siguro. HAHAHAHAHA.”
“Taasa biya ninyog standards sa modagan sa SK. Nailad raman gani mos tag 20 kilo sa bugas.”
“Na usab na gyud ang dagan sa pulitika:
Sauna lumbaanayg panagan karon lumbaanayg pangamang
…daghan pamag nabuhat ang mga brgy. tanod kesa sa mga nanagan og kagawad.”
“NAUNSA DIAY NA INYONG BARANGAY, NGANUNG GUSTO MAN GYUD NINYO BAG-UHON?”
“Nag ask ko sa SK Kagawad unsa ilang platform kay wa ko kaattend sa ilang pag campaign.
Giingnan rako nga “Wala mi platform, ayha na maka lingkod”
Hoy HAHAHAHAHAHAHA Is this a joke?
Ana ko unsaon namo pag vote sa inyoha nga wa mi kabalo unsay plano ninyo sa barangay?
Ana ra pud sya nga “mailhan ra man na”
“Kanang manghatag og KIBOT (kwarta, imnunon, bugas, odong, tinapa)
Unya naay gibutang na vote wisely. Wa ra bay himasa ang kurimaw.”
“Mangutana ko kanang mangamang pagkagabii (special ops sa eleksyon) unya mapaakan og iro. Kita bay mobayad ana? O pwede ra si Mary Se!”
“For the good role model ang mga fersons karun. Ayaw mog kompyansa kay naka promo rana kutob rana October 30.”
(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. Tyrone A. Velez is a freelance journalist and writer.)