CANDIDATES are surely getting restless now with the elections just two days away. Just like in any other competition, most of them will be confident of a win. Without that confidence nobody will join a joust. Why compete when you think you lose. That is also the reason why, in the Philippines at least, the outcome of an election is doubted. When candidates lose, the losing one always claim he or she got cheated.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has launched a campaign against vote buying, said to be the bane of computerized polls. Because other forms of cheating related to the counting of votes is difficult to execute, the buying of votes has become the number one option.

But isn’t the effect of vote buying somewhat exaggerated? My thinking is this: vote buying only matters in a close contest. When you are really being preferred by voters, buying votes is a waste of resources. I say many of the voters you buy will support you anyway. But there is this thinking by leading candidates that they need to buy votes for insurance. Basig mobali unya ang supporters.

As to voter preference, I am not shy in saying I do wish my cousin Noel Wenceslao will make it to the Cebu City Council. It’s not only because he is a relative, like another candidate who is in the other camp, Bryan Repollo, who is a Jaca (the clan where my wife belongs). I prefer them because I know they are capable. As for Noel, I was saddened that he didn’t make it to the council the last time around.

Which reminds me. Why are Sisinio Andales and Alvin Arcilla acting like they haven’t been considered non-candidates by Comelec? Theirs would be a waste of votes that should go to the more deserving bets. But that should be subject for another column really.

I think it pays to remind my readers to choose their officials well come Monday. Elections are meant to reinvigorate democracy and spur growth, not only economically but in the other aspects as well, like morally and spiritually. We owe that not only to ourselves but to the country as well.