AS THE midterm election is coming closer, massive vote-buying is reported everywhere in the country. But while there are reports in the past that violators had been held, no one so far was reported penalized. This is the reason, perhaps, why the mal-practice of vote-buying proliferates in Lanao del Sur and elsewhere.
But never had there been an expose of 'vote-buying and selling' when some sectors had gone to asking President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to declare election in Lanao del Sur a failure for alleged massive vote-buying, even resorting through media platforms.
On the one hand, the expose of massive vote-buying is laudable. Vote buying in Lanao del Sur is as old as electoral history. And keen observers believe with the present system, there is no way to stop it except to have no election at all in a locality full of corruption.
Vote buying promotes corruption, which is a reality.
If Lanao del Sur has been a consistent Philippine Number One poor country, corruption plays a major role, a menace sustained by vote buying that makes political leaders vulnerable to corruption and become incompetent to uplift the condition of the province.
On the other hand, knowing at who is behind the present move to declare a failure of election in Lanao del Sur, we can only say it is another "dirty politics" employed by local politicians in their ambition to grab the powers.
It is not easy to topple the traditional politicians (Trapos) who already had rooted their powerful connections like giant trees. In the case of provincial levels, the easy way to topple the trapos is to replace them and it is said the president can do that for his trusted men if there is no election.
But there must be valid reasons to declare 'no election' and a strong legal basis to replace the incumbents. Even then, one must have very close ties with the chief executive, if he is allowed by law, in order to be appointed or designated to his aspired political post.
This is the very point why the orchestrated expose on massive vote buying and move to declare a failure of election in Lanao del Sur suddenly cropped up in the media.
Some contenders in the provincial race are behind this move. They know even if they have money to buy votes, they could not defeat the incumbents. They have weak machinery and their past record cannot help them convince the electors that they could make any difference for the better.
Not so many know perhaps that the so-called ‘foremost’ religious leaders and the retired officers who publicly asked President Duterte through the media to declare a failure of elections in Lanao del Sur allegedly due to massive vote-buying are but supporters of these contenders.
And assuming elections in Lanao del Sur failed, will President Duterte, if empowered by law, approve these political climbers the helm of the provincial government? We don’t think so. Having known already who the political climbers are, it is presumed the president has someone other than them in mind. (RSP)