Philippine Elections 2010

May 10, 2010 marked a historical event for the Philippines as it went through their first automated elections. Filipinos all over the world gathered in their respective voting precincts and cast their votes for their leaders of their choice.

Senator Benigno "Nonoy" Aquino is leading the Presidential race with more than 12 million votes, while former President Joseph Estrada is following with more than 8 million. As of now, there have been no proclamations yet as there are still some areas who have yet to submit their ballots and/or have declared failure of elections due to the violence that occurred in those areas.

Compared to previous elections, this has been the fastest and probably the safest, considering that there were only a few reported incidents of violence during Elections day. Granted that there were still some who resorted to violence, ending the lives of people who were only doing their duties, in order to cheat and therefore win this position or that.

Speaking of cheating, because voting has been turned into an automated one, it has discouraged would-be-cheaters from actually cheating while the canvassing of votes is being done. Which is a success on the part of the COMELEC, Commission of Elections.

As a citizen of the Philippines, I did my civil duty and voted for my chosen candidates. I based my vote on their platforms, their sincerity, background,
intelligence, their ability to do the actual work and their determination. So naturally, I voted for Former Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro. :)

The man has everything that a voter would want for a President, he's got the skills, the know-how. He even has the wife that Filipinas would be proud to idolize and adore. So basically, he has the works!

Unfortunately, many have said that his timing was off, that it was the time for Noynoy to shine. What with the death of our beloved former President Corazon Aquino, the people needed him as a symbol of their salvation from the "oppression" they have felt from the present administration.

In Facebook, there is now a group that is calling for Teodoro to run again, but as a Senator, in the 2013 elections. No word on whether he will do it or not, but I am hoping that he would. All that intelligence, will, determination would go to waste if he were to remain as a private citizen.

Speaking of candidates who lost, I still cannot get over that there were no Muslim candidates on the top 12 Senatorial list. Instead of voting for a major change, people still voted for the same people as their Senators.

I for one am disturbed that these people voted for actors as their senators. Its a shame really, that people still vote for actors as their representatives in the political arena. Whereas these people are not even competent to do so, the only thing that puts them in their places now are their popularity and their false sense of "sincerity" when it comes to the needs of ordinary masses.

It has been 10 years since there have been a Muslim Senator, and people keep nagging about the situation in Mindanao where they are the ones who had the opportunity to make a change and they wasted it on celebrities who only sit and sleep in the Senate floor.

The Filipino people yell and demand for change, and yet they wasted it on celebrity politicians. Somebody posted that the Philippines does not need a separation between the Church and the State (another matter to be discussed soon), but a separation from State and Showbiz!

Too true.