IT WAS a Friday night in a city mall but unusually so. Viewers packed movie theaters showing “Avengers: Endgame.” Featuring superheroes trying to save the world and avenging colleagues slain by a super villain, the movie—boosted by cinemas showing the film nonstop for 24 hours for five days—resulted in flare-ups at parking spaces, ticketing queues and toilet lines.
On social media, Netizens erupted over spoilers posted by those eager to review the movie. Two weeks ago, when the eighth and last season of the HBO hit, “Game of Thrones (GoT),” finally aired on television, a similar clash broke out among irate fans who were unable to watch the first two of the final six episodes and those who didn’t hold back on the “GoT” spoilers.
Like “Endgame,” “GoT” has a plot that aired first in 2011 and will end in May 2019, pitting good versus evil. In place of a super villain named Thanos, who holed up amid the terraced rice paddies of the Philippines at the end of the “Avengers” movie preceding “Endgame,” the fallible but heroic mortals of “GoT” have put aside their rivalries to team up against armies of the undead seeking to impose a permanent winter in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, as well as other parts of The Known World created by novelist George R. R. Martin.
The “end of the world” scenario, well-recognized by audiences and exploited in pop culture and urban myths, touches an atavistic vein of human insecurities: what threatens my survival? What will secure my future?
If so, why isn’t the “mass” hysteria over pop phenomena like “GoT” and “Avengers” spilling over to citizens preparing for the May 13, 2019 election, which holds greater consequences for the country?
Open for contestation in the midterm election are 12 seats in the Senate, all seats in the House of Representatives, all regional elected positions in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and all elected positions at the provincial, city, and municipal levels.
Those who will be elected for these positions have terms starting on June 30, 2019 and ending on June 30, 2022 (except for elected senators whose terms will end on June 30, 2025).
These elected officials will serve midway in the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, a crux in the nation’s historic struggle between those supporting this administration and those clamoring for changes.
While political experts analyze a midterm election as often resulting in the election of officials that support or favor the incumbent administration, many citizens are focused on electing those with a track record for integrity and public service in issues affecting the public’s welfare.
Economic security remains the foremost concern of all Filipinos burdened by the rising prices of basic commodities, lack of local job opportunities, violations of labor laws and hazards and perils affecting overseas workers and their families.
Yet, other issues as crucial for the nation will also be on the block when Filipinos cast their votes on May 13. Peace and order and respect for the rule of law are jeopardized by extrajudicial killings, violations of human rights and the culture of impunity denying justice to victims of summary killings and their families.
One’s stance on the curtailment of civil liberties, such as the freedom of expression and the right to dissent, as well as respect for the rights of women, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and indigenous communities should be included in evaluating those seeking public office.
The relations of the country with China, its Asean neighbors and other nations should concern the electorate. Prosperity, co-existence, and peace rest on leaders who will not hostage the resources and independence of Filipinos for foreign agenda and politicians’ vested interests.
Our future: shouldn’t we all work as hard to prepare for and prevent spoiling the outcome of the May 13 election?