Sumalinog has been going around his village, a megaphone on top of the barangay vehicle, urging people to support Dutertes bets and the mayor’s political party, Hugpong. Never mind that neither Duterte nor his daughter Sara, who is running for vice-mayor, has set foot in his barangay during the campaign period.
Third district residents need pharmacies, because the ones that are there, like this one, barely have anything on their shelves. (davaotoday.com photo by Cheryll Fiel)
One of Sumalinogs constituents admits to davaotoday.com that he had been a supporter of the Lopezes. But not this time around because “the kapitan (Sumalinog) says so.”
Lopez had good projects. But the problem now, is we who are mere functionaries, have to side with the administration. It’s hard to go against the village chief, Ligaya Makatuway, a barangay health worker of Datu Salumay, says. We are mere volunteers, it’s very difficult to be going against them.
As Al-ag better puts it: That’s the reality in the present setup of Philippine politics. If you are not close to those who have resources, you will have a problem.
Often, people choose their candidates not because they are capable of passing beneficial legislation. People vote for politicians they can easily turn to. And often, their problems are about money. The tendency is they vote for those who are able to give them some money, Al-ag explains.
There’s a politician here who is young and principled. But I think his chances are slim because he does not have money, Al-ag says, referring to Jeppie Ramada of Bayan Muna, who is running for councilor of the third district under Dutertes Hugpong.
Although the district has hospitals, like this one in Quibalang, Marilog, the existing ones are not enough. (davaotoday.com photo by Cheryll Fiel)
Gloria Ubas, a resident of Los Amigos in Tugbok District, shares Al-Ags view. Ubas has been living in the area since the 1980s and has been facing constant threats of demolition.
Ubas does not think that the elections can solve her problems and those of 50 other families who live and make a living in the area. But, she says, she will vote for the daughter-in-law of a politician who was able to assist them once in the past, when their homes were nearly demolished.
Residents of Siphon, in Crossing Bayabas, also in Toril, think the same way. Although they don’t think elections will solve their problems, supporting a candidate whom they know they can rely on is crucial.
These are the residents who would not hesitate to accept freebies being illegally given out by candidates. Why not accept it? Besides, they wouldn’t be able to know whether I really voted for them,” Ubas explains.
Joel Junsay, a councilor of Calinan Poblacion, thinks something is very, very wrong with this. Junsay believes that the politicians are just taking unfair advantage of the sorry state of the people.
They are exploiting the situation of the people. It’s a sad reality in the country’s situation. People tend to rely on the politicians for everything, from medicines to hospitalization, even the vehicle going to the hospital. And the politicos take advantage of this, Junsay says.
2007 Elections
