Frustrations and well-wishes from a citizen who's a non-voter.

The title speaks for itself. First of all, I'm a non-voter in this year's election well because I was unable to register for the elections this year since I got into the Filipino culture of "doing things at the last minute" and the fact I intend to register at a district which is one of the largest in the country. Well, it was entirely my fault for not coming in to register early for the election. But I just have to vent out some of the things I want to say from this year's election. For a non-voter in this year's election, these things do matter even if people will usually come up and say "Why did you not vote? or why did you let yourself slip up to miss the chance to vote?". Well that's what happened with me that's why I wasn't able to exercise my right to vote as a citizen of this country I love. It was indeed a lesson learned.

But anyway, let's get to the point of this one, Honestly, I'm frustrated with the outcome of this year's elections. All of the four senatoriables which I admittedly don't like a lot made it through to the Top 12 of the senatorial race and only 1 out of the my 5 senatoriables made it through, worse part my Top 3 picks didn't made it through. 

Though the counts are partial and unofficial, it was still an eyesore for me to see these four in a position to win a seat in the Senate. These four were UNA's Nancy Binay, LP's Bam Aquino, NP's Cynthia Villar and independent candidate Grace Poe. Well for starters, these "last names" ring a bell in Filipino politics. One is the daughter of our Vice President, another is a cousin of our President, one is the wife of an outgoing Senator and the last one is the daughter of a late former presidentiable. I admit, I didn't like them from the start. It was like 2010 all over again when I overwhemingly and whole-heartedly did not root for Noynoy Aquino to win the presidency which didn't happen especially coming off the death of his mother former President Cory Aquino. All these guys right here won not primarily by their platforms and their plans, but by their names that ring a bell to the masses. Nancy Binay, Bam Aquino and Grace Poe despite their well-documented lack of experience in politics and public service still are in a great position to win seats in the Senate. As well as Cynthia Villar who's husband's controversies are also well-documented is hanging on to a seat in the Senate.

Well like I said I rooted for five senatoriables namely UNA's Dick Gordon, independent Ed Hagedorn, UNA's Migz Zubiri, LP's Jun Magsaysay and LDP's Sonny Angara. Of these five, only Angara made it through to the Top 12. The other four are right outside of the Top 12 with Gordon at 13th, Zubiri at 14th, Magsaysay at 16th and Hagedorn at 18th. Obviously as a future tourism professional, I supported Gordon and Hagedorn as they are champions in tourism at the same time they are really good in what they do in their respective fields. Gordon was a former DOT secretary and the head of the Philippine Red Cross while Hagedorn helped in the development of tourism as Mayor of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. As for Angara, Zubiri and Magsaysay Jr., though they belong in political families. I admire their intelligence and their platforms which will be of great use for our country. Like I said before, it would be a travesty if these people were not elected to a Senate seat.

Even though others who are also good like Loren Legarda and Alan Peter Cayetano are winning. Well, it's not enough to bent on emy frustration for the outcome of this election. Even on the local level with Joseph "Erap" Estrada winning in Manila (though I'm a bit half-hearted about that), Aga Muhlach winning in Camarines Sur, Lucy Torres-Gomez winning in Leyte, and the worst one for me Herbert Bautista winning in my hometown of Quezon City (though it looks like he doesn't have an opponnt even with the two candidates going up against him) as well as others which slipped out of my mind as I write this one. Still that is my opinion, you may agree or disagree with what I may say but I at least I was able to vent out my frustrations with this entry right now.

Unfortunately as I realize over the course of the past couple of months, there is clearly a lack of voter education here in the Philippines and I hate to admit it, but I'm a part of a smaller minority in this country. Makes me think that if I had able to vote this year, my vote won't matter still and my bets will still not win.

Then again like I said in 2010 to PNoy. To those who won and/or winning whom I don't like a lot. I only got one thing to say to them. 

PROVE ME WRONG!

We'll give you a chance to prove yourselves worthy of the people's vote. I hope that you'll do what's right for our country and serve the people well. I just hope that the trust the people gave to you will not go down to waste.

Come the next election though, I'll get myself registered early and exercise my right to suffrage no matter what happens and I will come out supporting those who really deserve the best for our beloved country which I don't intend of leaving to get a job. Sure, I'll travel the world, but there is no other place worth serving for than our country the Philippines.

God bless our nation.
K-Smoove

Hard lesson learned about voter's registration in the city.

Yesterday, I woke up as early as 3:30 am. I prepared the things I need, then at around 5:00 am, I left home. The destination: Quezon City Hall. Reason: To register for the upcoming 2013 Elections.

I arrived at City Hall and already, thousands of people have already settled in lining up for the voter's registration which will begin at 8:00 am. I also heard from fellow registrants that some people came in lined up as early as 11:00 pm, the previous night. So I settled in for the long wait. Well, I belong in what is at the moment is the largest congressional district in the country. The second district of Quezon City which has a population of 1.5 million people. However in the upcoming elections, the 2nd district will be split into three separate districts. Batasan Hills (where I belong), Commonwealth, Holy Spirit, Payatas and Bagong Silangan will remain in District 2 with the population reduced by 60% to around 600,000+, while the Fairview and Novaliches areas will become District 5, and the Tandang Sora area becomes District 6. Both districts will have over 400,000+ residents each. So there were a lot of people who lined up in our district unlike the other districts in the city because their voting populations are relatively smaller than in District 2, and the fact the lines for these districts are not too long as we had.

I was able to meet people who were there also taking a shot on getting registered for the upcoming elections. A few hours after I lined up, we were able to get close enough and had a view of the district office. I though I'll be able to register.

Then the worst happened. The security guard at the asked all of us to "GO HOME". We would not be able to register today. There is a quota per district of only 600 registrants per day. Judging by the population of the district, it was too small as the voting population is four times greater than the other districts in the city. I never lost hope. I was still hoping to get the opportunity to register. But then, something happened that made me more pissed about registering on that day.

The whole system was really poor! The people in the COMELEC office were very rude in dealing with the people, not minding the people's causes. They could have told us to leave earlier if they knew that we were not going to make it through the line and we've not met the quota. They could have given us spots or numbers to register on a later date. Instead, they asked the people who did not make it through to simply GO HOME! and try your luck until the last day on the 31st.

Well it could also be a fault on my part, for not registering early when the lines were not long and when I had time in the summer. It's just for most of the registration period after the summer, I was in school working through the everyday struggles of school life in and out of the university. I did not have plenty of spare time for other commitments outside of school work. It was unfortunate on my part, to register in a very huge district population-wise and not knew about the thousands of people were coming in for their registration.

Disappointed, well I can't do anything to resolve it anymore. So afterwards, I went back to my high school Alma Mater. Claret School of Quezon City to take a glimpse of the campus. Took time to visit the church next door, and went out around Matalino Street and check on the different spots. A lot has changed there from the last time I was roaming this street.

For now, I won't be able to vote next year in the upcoming elections. I'm not going back on the last day tomorrow to push my luck to get registered, because I know a lot of people will come in the most inconvenient times of the day. Though, the upcoming election is not for a new president as only the senators and the local elections from representative to the city councilor will be elected next year. It was a hard and tough lesson learned for me. Despite that, I'd still have my voice to be heard about the upcoming elections. So, in the next election in 2016. I would come in to register as early as possible. I hope by that time, the COMELEC offices for the newly formed districts will be up so that the lines would not be as long as this year.

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME!
K-Smoove