Forget the surveys.
Forget the white or black propaganda.
Forget the sympathy of fanatics, followers, and supporters.
Forget the campaign.
Let us focus on the silent majority whose only concern is their families, friends, and themselves and what they are worrying about.
Just last Sunday (Good Shepherd Sunday); our parish priest has mentioned in his homily about the importance of the active participation of the faithful—that their concern must not be limited to the family or the community. He told our community that there are some “na ang tanging inaalala ay ang pamilya [o ang komunidad]…. Minsa’y iniisip: ‘May pakialam at pag-aalala ako sa buhay ng pamilya ko; pero ang [Inang] Pilipinas, bahala na siya sa buhay niya!’ [sic].” A very regretful reality that this country is facing; There is a hypothesis that no one in this social group has dared to participate, either in words or in actions, on discussions of political and national concern on work, at school, or even at the dining table at home; we cannot blame the kids for their unwillingness to politics for they do not even know what it is. I would be playing devil’s advocate as I tell you, based on what I observe, the reasons why they don’t want to “waste their time” on such “worthless” matter, and what are their palusots just to have a different topic. By the way, apathy means lack of enthusiasm or energy; in this case, unwilling to be concerned about politics. What you would see are some thoughts in my head when I fill the shoes, sandals, and slippers of a certain group of ordinary Filipinos. I have to remember you, dear reader, that these are NOT subject to support any candidate nor would it destroy the image of the common tao. THIS IS SIMPLY AN EXHORTATION OF WHAT MAY BE THE THOUGHT OF THESE PEOPLE INDEFINITELY BEFORE, DURING, AND INDEFINITELY AFTER THE VOTING, THE COUNTING, AND THE YODDA-YODDA STUFF ARE THROUGH:
-[philosopher-politicians] “These politicians are not different to the humblest child for he is a mere human being only bestowed by temporal power; what, then, is his right to boss around his fellow human beings like they are slaves? “
-[economists] “Could these people know the needs of each and every one? Of course not! Maybe they do not even know why they are elected by the people who fell into their empty promises. “
-[if the person speaking is a family man/woman] “Why would I even care of that? I have children to feed and raise to become NORMAL people whose only desire is to make money and nothing more!”
-[marginalized people] “For years, we are hoping for a brighter future; but it turned out dark and empty! We cannot trust anyone anymore because what they give is perishable and it is not what we want!”
-[students] “Do I even care? I have to focus on my grades!”
-[out-of-school youth] “What a joke if they forced me to graduate high school or college just to have a job!”
-[the average working man] “I’m busy doing my job! I have no time for that!”
-[drivers, barkers, and maglalakos] “would they give me a very decent job to get out of this un-noble, informal work?”
-[garbage men] “Would they feed us; or feed themselves?”
-[tambays and lasenggeros] “They are not even street-smarts!”
-[teenage gangs] “We are up to other things than that.”
-[very closed religious and spiritual people] “I believe that there are no other rulers than the Supreme Being.”
-[anarchists] “It is better to have no rulers than bad ones.”
See?
There are really some who, even though recognizing authority, do not want to be involved to what they see as a “dirty job.” Let’s face it, there are really people who just wanted to live their lives and not be manipulated by what they percept as “not helpful” to society and to their situation. As a student who should be specializing on communication, aside from the ‘first impressions last’ proverb, I believe that there are two factors that made them apathetic in a way or another: exposure and self-actualization.
The first, and less verifiable proof, is exposure to mediated situation. As they watch, hear, and read news, it is always involved by people in the government, from the worst scandals, catastrophes, and bloodsheds to the simplest robbery cases. What they see is a message that they are an organization of prime importance in all agenda of all media organizations. But in the more verifiable proof—self-actualization—they would apply what they saw and heard to their environment. Applying the famous medium-is-message thought, the source of information is actually a trigger that would make them think that the government always has the wrong decision. This gives them the thought to oppose all decisions the government makes, whether it is right or wrong. What happens is an idea of egoism and dismay that they just wanted to live their lives and nothing else. Somehow akin to Rizal’s quotation that the Filipinos would “only trust in God and not anymore in the [Spanish] government” [sic].
In the end, we would all be facing the same problems and the same calamities as one nation. If we really are those who believe in God, we should “love one another” as the Lord loves us (cf. Jn. 13:34)—not only ourselves, the constituents, but also our leaders; and if ever they made a terrible mistake, we should condemn their fault, but not themselves—their whole being—to hate the sin but love the sinner, for all of us would face judgment at the end of our lives. Let us not focus too much in the personal in choosing our mandate on the Tenth of May. To be indifferent and fair, I pray that all of us would understand each other, that every voter and every candidate may have a mutual understanding and follow Christ’s example.
