THE recent survey results from both Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia are no better when it comes to who among Senatorial candidates emerge within the Top 12, although there can be a slight chance it may change during the actual elections.
Most of these candidates are already seeking re-election, if not, politicians who have resurrected from short slumber because of semi-retirement or getting away jail time because of plunder acquittals.
We often hear of slogans, or even complaints by some friends, that it is about time to have a new face, a new brand of leadership – someone who would really get things done – that we would like to vote and be able to get an elective seat. But often we get to end up frustrated, because those who won are those the usual politicians who seem to be keep on promising but have done a little (you must have that one politician who have in mind).
And yet, we keep on hoping, but we should also be cautious. Because they may be “new,” but definitely not a newbie in politics.
They say, we need diversity, and one manifestation of realizing this is by voting Muslim candidates, especially in the Senate, and to be more ethnically appropriate – voting for a Moro candidate.
Freddie Aguilar may already have become a Muslim, because of his marriage to his wife, who was then below 18 years old, some years ago. But Aguilar is not a Moro, that’s different.
A quick FYI: everyone can be a Muslim – whether you are Ilocano, Ilonggo, Tagalog, or Bisaya (the same as everyone can be Christians). But you cannot be a Moro if you don’t belong to a Moro lineage – the ethnolinguistic groups of Mindanao – Tausug, Yakan, Meranaw, Maguindanao, Kalagan, among others.
Samira Gutoc Tomawis is Meranaw, she is running for a Senate seat under the opposition’s “Otso Direcho.” And there’s Zajid “Dong” Mangudadatu who is aligned with the PDP-Laban/Hugpong ng Pagbabago coalition.
There are other Moro or Muslim candidates seeking a Senate seat, too. But these two – seem to represent diversity, and yet they belong to a different standpoint of the political spectrum. One agrees, the other one objects.
Electing these candidates for the sake of diversity “for a change” is everyone’s right and choice. But diversity alone will not save a country, because we know that these people we are voting should deliver, and they should be held accountable to the public.
Better check their backgrounds, and better discern. Go read beyond the political memes on social media, and the swarming trolls and fake news.