Pelayo: Wound still fresh come 2022

“YES, there’s more,” said the handsome politician while carrying a child for a photo opportunity. “But you’ll have to vote for me first,” he added. To the unwise voter these slippery words meant remarkable happiness, as if it was a done deal, the receiving of a few notes were bound to take place, and the promise to which the fool had looked forward, for a couple of years it seemed, was, after a night’s gloom and a day’s light, within touch. Only, of course, in this story the traditional politician’s promise is never actually kept.

The horror of the pandemic has left lasting traumatic images that have been embedded in the memories of the affected -- the dark of a restless and sleepless nights and the feeling of a resilient but empty stomach as the community desires to get away from the dangers of the unknown.

Imagine, then, a village while waiting in the dark hoping for the pledges to knock at their front doors, but the moment of duskiness remained, and only a few to no help at all in the still deeper shadow cast by the walls that witnessed the abandonment. For when the new head came in followed by his Rasputin -- during this global crisis -- those who were asleep have been awakened realizing they messed up big time.

Ours is essentially a difficult era but the citizens refuse to accept it with tragic consequences. The people will remember the mistakes in the past after being left with nothing but little hopes with no clear path into the future. But no matter how many times the sky has fallen -- or better in Kapampangan -- agyang mekad pilan beses yang mituag ing sabo, the public will look for ways to go over the obstacles. And one way of correcting an error is by exercising the right to suffrage come the judgment day.

From the very beginning of the Covid-19 crisis, all eyes are on the steps taken by our elected leaders. More generally, the public shall easily discover if their official has what it takes to handle the situation or if he is just trying to dribble his way out through hypocrisy. Elected persons who attempt to express an agreement that is not supported by real conviction must never seat in a public office again.

The nation still bleeds at the moment. And no matter how much paid propaganda will be released by the uncompassionate ones, no number of staged acts or lip service could overcome the fact that real people, breathing human beings, have suffered because of incompetency. These are hard to forget -- no matter how much Tubbataha reefs printed notes issued there will be.

And for those who made a bad judgment after finalizing with their trigger finger, keep in mind that 2022 will be the year of retribution.

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Kuya J Pelayo IV is a Kapampangan broadcast journalist. For comments and suggestions, e-mail at 4th.pelayo@gmail.com