MAY 18,2010
IT IS TRUE THAT I ONCE SAID TH/\T THIS WOULD HAVE TO BE MY TOUGHEST FIGHT
EVER FOR THE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTIONS IN ISABELA.
I GOT 271,319,
HE GOT 274,757.
I AM ACTUALLY SURPRISED THAT I EVEN HAD THIS MANY VOTES. DURING THE
CAMPAIGN, I HAD THE FEELlN~7THAT I ~OULD NOT MAKE IT THIS TIME BECAUSE
WHO COULD WIN AGAINST TH61/c
BLACK PROPAGANDA
INTIMIDATION/THREATS?
FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE DO~E TO ENSURE VICTORY IN THE ELECTIONS,
IT WAS VERY CLEAR TO EVER1(ONE THtT THE DY'S AND THE ALBANO'S WOULD
NOT HAVE IT ANY OTHER WA V BUT WI~. KAHIT BAUGTARIN NILA ANG MUNDO,
HINDI SILA MAGPAPATALO.
THEY WERE GIVING OUT Md)N~EY TO EOPLE A FULL TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE
ELECTIONS - IN BROAD DAirti.IGHT, I THE HOUSES OF THEIR ALLY MAYORS
AND/OR BARANGAY CAPTAlr-.J1)AND, IN SEVERAL INSTANCES PERSONALLY BYI
ABOUT IT. THEY ASK FOR AFFIDAVITS. THEY ASK FOR FORMAL COMPLAINTS. THEY
EXPECT PEOPLE TO RECEIVE MONEY AND THEN COMPLAIN? AS EARLY AS
DURING THE FIRSTDAYS OF THE CAMPAIGN, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HOARDED IN
TRUCKS AND BROUGHT TO BODEGAS, RESORTSOR PLACES IN ORDER TO BE
GIVEN P200-P300 PESOS, HAD THEIR PHOTOS TAKEN, GIVEN ID'S AND INSTRUCTED
TO PRESENTTHESE LATER FOR THE SUCCEEDING INSTALLMENTS. ON ELECTION
DAY. MANY OF THESEID'S SURFACED (SPECIALLY IN REMOTE BARANGAYS WHERE
WATCHERS OF OTHER PARTIES WERE PREVENTED FROM ENTERING THE POLLING
PLACES) AND PRESENTEDTO THE:WATCHERS OF THE DYNASTIES. THEY WERE TOLD
THESEID'S WERE NEEDED F01:~THEM TO BE ALLOWED TO VOTE. THE "BOUGHT"
VOTERS CAME WITH COLORLCODED SAMPLE BALLOTS. THE BETTER FOR THE
DYNASTY WATCHERS TO SEE W THEY DID AS INSTRUCTED. IN MANY BARANGA YS,
PEOPLE RECEIVED MONEY Nor .JUSTONCE OR TWICE BUTTHRICE.
IN OUR MAY 1,2010 DEBATE OVER BOMBO RADYO.I DIRECTLY ASKED BOJIE DY
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SOME THREEWEEKS BEFORE THI: ELECTIONS. MAY 10,2010 COULD HARDLY HAVE
BEEN EXPECTED TO BE THE DAY f=OR FREE,iORDERLY AND PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN
ISABELA.
THE STAGE WAS SETFOR THE ELECTIONS TO BE IN THE CONTROL OF THE DYNASTIES
t
AS EARLY AS THE TIME WHEN DILG SECRETARY RONALDO PUNO AND PNP CHIEF
JESUS VERZOSA NEVER GAVE IMPORTANCE TO OUR REPEATED CALLS OF
CONCERN ON THE ASSIGNMHH OF COL JIMMY RIVERA AS PNP PROVINCIAL
DIRECTOR OF ISABELA. I CAN EVEN SAY tHAT RIVERA'S PRESENCE IN ISABELA IS
;
TO WIN THE ELECTIONS. I'VE SAID IT BEF<DREAND I' LL SAY IT AGAIN, AS FAR AS
ISABELA IS CONCERNED PNP GENERAL VERZOSA'S OPLAN HHOPE" FOR HONEST,
ORDERLY AND PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IS A LOT OF BULL.
AND FOR ALL THESE THINGSI THAT THE DYNASTIES HAVE DONE TO MAKE A
SHAMELESS MOCKERY OF OU~~DEMOCIRATIC PROCESSES, BOJIE DY CAN ONLY
WIN OVER ME BY 3A38.
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VOTE BUT NO, I GOT 49.46 % OF THETOTAIl VOTES, HE GOT 50% ANLJ A NUI~ANLt
CANDIDATE GOT .04%.
,
I STILLFEELLIKE A BIG, BIG WIINNER. IMAGINE, 271,319 ISABELlNOS VOTED FOR
ME EVEN IF THEY WERE TERRORIZI:D, EVEN!IF THEIRTRUSTIN ME WAS SHAKEN WITH
ALL THE LIESSAID AGAINST ME, EVEN IF MIf.NY OF THEM ADMITIED TO RECEIVING
. THE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF PESOS OR KILOS OF RICE THAT THE DYNASTY
PEOPLE GAVE TO THEM.
ALL IS NOT LOST IN WHAT WE j1;EJ OUT T{)IDO IN ISABELA WHEN I FIRSTSTOOD UP
AGAINST THE DYNASTIES EVEN WITH M~ rOLlO-STRICKEN FEET.I AM PROUD OF
MANY OF MY APO ISABELlNOS WHO WITHSTOOD EVERYTHING TO STILLSHADE THE
SPACE BEFOREMY NAME AS THEIRCHOICE FOR GOVERNOR.
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LAST SATURDAY, MAY 15, A TRICil'CLE DRIVER SAW A TARPAULIN
CONGRATULATING BOJIE DjY AND I ~ODfTO ALBANO WINNERS IN THE
GUBERNATORIAL AND VICE-duBERNAT8RIAL ELECTIONS IN ISABELA. HE THEN
SAID TO A FOREIGNER WHO ~AS TAKING A PHOTO OF THE TARP THAT HE, TOO,
RECEIVED MONEY FROM DY A~J[) ALBA~O ..: BUTSTILLVOTED FOR GRACE PADACA
AS GOVERNOR. HE SAID, THE 9YNASTIESIQNLY WON BECAUSE THEY USED MONEY
TO BUY THE VOTES OF THE PEOA'LE.
FROM SHEDDING ONE MORE TEA.ROR Tf{O AS I WEEP FOR ISABELA. NINE YEARS
AGO, IN 2001, WHEN, AS ANIORDINA~i ISABELlNO, I FIRSTSET OUT TO DO MY
SHARE IN FREEING OUR PROV NCE FR 'Y' THE DYNASTIES, OUR PEOPLE COULD
ONLY QUIETLY WATCH ME WHILE I BOLDLY CAMPAIGNED AGAINST THE
DYNASTIES. I AM SURETHEY SAl ~ SILENT~RAYERS FOR ME BUT MANY WOULD NOT
DARE COME NEAR ME OR TALlq OF SUPfORTlNG ME FOR FEAR THAT SOMEBODY
MAY REPORTTHEM TO THE POWERS-THAT,DY.
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AND WORRIES ON THE FATE Of GI~ACE PAIDACA, GOVtl<NUI< ut-
i
I~A[jI:LA, 11'1r rtc
THE DYNASTIES ARE BACK INIISABELA'I ~OGETHER WITH MANY MORE MINI-
AJq BECAUSE OF AUTOMATED ELECTIONS
DYNASTIES IN VARIOUS MUNICIAJ'.A.LlTIES,
THAT ONLY FOCUSED ON THE ~=ASTING ~ND COUNTING OF VOTES NOT IN THE
OVER-ALL CONDUCT OF SANE ELECTIONS IN THE COUNTRY.
TO LISTEN THAT WE SHOULD NOT WAIT /YNTIL JUST THREE MONTHS BEFORE THE
ELECTIONS TO CRAM AND DO OUR 'VOTER'S EDUCATION, TO ENCOURAGE
I :
VOLUNTEERS, TO GATHER OUR YOUNG ~?LLEGE STUDENTSTO PARTICIPATE AND
NOT JUST LEAVE THE POLLWATOHING TCDjA HANDFUL OF SACRIFICING CWL OR
, I
LEGION OF MARY MEMBERS OR MOTHER BUTLERS AND LET ELECTIONS BE
. I i
DOMINATED BY THE WELL PAID MACHINERh' OF TRADITIONAL POLITICIANS.
OWN PERSONAL BELIEFSAND ~HAT IS THtT WE ELECT ONLY THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO
LEAD US.
KNOW THE RESULTSIN TWO, 1~1REEDA is TIME. HOWEVER, WHAT DID IT DO?
i
WHOLESALE, INSTANT, IIPROGR'l\MMED" IRECONFIGURED" IRREGULARITIES THAT
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EASILY DID AWAY WITH THE T~~lJEWILL <pF THE PEOPLE, NOT TO MENTION, THE
UNPRECEDENTED VOTE BUYING; INTIMID.4.fION AND BLACK PROPAGANDA THAT IT
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VICTORY SO THEY WILL ONCE AGAIN RULEPUR LANDS.
RIGHT NOW, EVEN IF IT'S DIFFICIULT,I HA1E TO BELIEVE IN MY OWN MESSAGE .....
THAT NOTHING IS EVER USELESS.WE SHOUIlD NOT GET TIRED DOING GOOD. WE
JUST HAVE TO GO ON. RESULTSMAY NOT COME SOON, RESULTSMAY NOT COME
WHEN WE THINK WE NEED THEM OR IN THE FORM WE WANT THEM, BUTTHEY WILL,
WHEN GOD SAYS IT IS THE RI(:;;HT TIME IFOR THEM, PRESSED DOWN, SHAKEN
TOGETHER, OVERFLOWING.
I W1LL CONTINUE TO HELP FIGHTFOR WHAT IS RIGHT BECAUSE LIKE WHEN I FIRST
RAN FOR THE ELECTIONS (EVEN IF I CA~ HARDLY WALK) TO HELP FREE OUR
PROVINCE ISABELA FROM THE DYNASTY, '[STILL DO NOT WANT TO BE JUSTONE OF
THOSE FEELING MAD ABOUT THE BAD TPfI'NGS HAPPENING IN SOCIETY BUT NOT
LIFTING A FINGER AT ALL TO STOP THEM.