Wednesday, April 11, 2007 Editorials: Violence during elections
WEEKS before the May 14 elections, the evil of political violence has reared its ugly head.
Political violence that occurred in Abra some weeks ago and in Kalinga-Apayao a few days ago proves the deliberateness rather than the accident of bloodshed breaking out during political campaigns.
The case in Abra, for instance, involved the province’s lone lawmaker who earlier expressed his plan to run for governor.
Even before he could start his campaign, Rep. Luis Bersamin was done in.
Weeks later, Kalinga Vice Gov. Rommel Diasen, who filed his certificate of candidacy for governor under the Lakas-CMD party, was shot dead while delivering a campaign speech.
Suspects in both cases were political rivals.
In the former case, a hired killer reportedly did it while in the latter the suspect was an incumbent congressman who wanted to run for governor.
Not new
But political bloodshed has never been a stranger in post-war politics of our republic.
Right from the day elections were held again in the country in 1946, it immediately became the bedfellow of many a politician.
During the presidential elections of 1949, Cebu almost became a political no-man’s land as the so-called terrorist “bungotons” roamed the province.
Fresh from the hard life of war, civilian survivors became aware of the need to contain their material deprivation, seeking the power to satisfy a longing for the good life.
Hope
Because our politicians have shown a possessive attitude toward their political turfs, it is not difficult to speculate that more intense political rivalries will happen.
The political configuration of the on-going campaign, though, offers us hope.
Unlike in past elections where rivalries were mostly waged by political parties, with the candidates dependent on the party for their victory, the reverse is true today.
It is the party now that has become dependent on their affiliated candidates to win the elections.
Party concern
Candidates carry the party name and strive to win the elections.
Their political success has become a matter of personal diligence, individual integrity, track record and honor in the eyes of the electorate, and no longer a matter of the political strength and prestige of the party.
Hopefully, the occurrence of violence will be lesser this time.
