[Note : thank you in advance for use of the photos to MP Ginny Andersen of the Labour Party and MP Chris Bishop of the National Party, both overachieving Members of the NZ Parliament running for reelection in my barangay Lower Hutt, Wellington. And thanks guys for reading! ]
WHEN YOU’RE IN YOUR LATE TEENS, panay lakwatsa at bulakbol lang ang nasa isip mo (truancy and having a good time occupies most of your day). But my eldest brother Tim, one of the organizers of the neutral vote watchers group in Paco, Manila, said it was better than doing nothing while history unfolded. Besides, it was a good way to meet girls. Oo nga naman. So I joined and became a nonpartisan NAMFREL (National Movement for Free Elections) election watcher.
That was more than 30 years ago, and we were all young, carefree and idealistic. But elections back home hadn’t changed the last half century, and haven’t changed much since.
Besides us neutral NAMFREL watchers, there were watchers from both the incumbent and the opposition, and they questioned a ballot probably every five minutes. The teachers (deputized by the Commission on Elections) grew visibly annoyed and weary from the protests, but knew this was part of the process.
Everything was questioned, from the validity of the ballot , the way the ballot was filled up, to the spelling of the names of the candidates. Then the teachers would be filling up tons of paperwork and canvassing (counting), all in record time to be submitted to a COMELEC central office before the end of the day. All for a daily wage.
In the meantime, there was always the potential harassment and violence from after the ballot box is filled, I remember that because the teachers always asked the NAMFREL volunteers to stay with them, especially after dark. Electricity sometimes inexplicably failed, those were the days.
But it was an exciting time.
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FAST FORWARD THIRTY YEARS. New country, new job, new life, but still the same ideals. I don’t care as much, but I know they’ll always be part of life. Not just my life, but life in general.
It doesn’t matter than I’m nearly four decades older now, or that I work in a job and industry I never would have imagined working in, and that I’m in a country that, even in my dreams, wasn’t in the plan.
One person, one vote. A government freely elected, representing the people.
In a few countries it works, in others it remains a dream. How different is it been, in a few short words, from 1980s Philippines now that I’m in 2020 New Zealand?
candidates campaign on issues. It will always be personality oriented, but at least issues are a big part of the conversation. The glint in Jacinda Adern’s sparkly white teeth, or the perfectly-timed raising of Judith Collin’s eyebrow will always be part of campaign drama, but that’s it. You won’t see a budots dance from the most corrupt Philippine senator ever, or an obligatory song from almost any campaigner (but that’s Filipino candidates campaigning) who’s asked to entertain. Every candidate from a major party is expected to know something about housing, the economy, and funding priority, the basic issues.
every donation dollar is accounted for. There will always be grey areas, and the dodgy avoidance of keeping donations a dollar below the limit is done, but overall political parties and the public know how to keep elections and campaigns honest by knowing where the money goes and how it’s spent. From the donation source to where it’s eventually spent, money is traced and accounted for. Because you can’t have campaigns without funding, this is probably the most important way of keeping it clean. And on the whole, it’s done properly in New Zealand
Efficiency equals democracy. Online voting. Overseas voting. Early voting. And all those voting precincts you see in churches, schools, malls and anywhere the public goes or frequents. Everything is done to make voting easy, convenient and fast. And easy, convenient and fast means free and efficient voting.
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One day soon, in my home country in the Philippines, elections will be as they are in New Zealand : free, honest and efficient. Until that day comes I will keep alive the hope, fight the good fight, and help to maintain that proud tradition in my host country New Zealand. Come join me kabayan and friends on Election Day 17th October.
Thanks for reading, mabuhay!
