Vote Buying sa Eleksiyon, Paano?

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

Ayon sa Political Operator na kausap ko, ang isang tumatakbong Congressman na bibili ng boto sa mga botante para manalo ay kailangan lamang niya ng 85% ng registered voters sa isang distrito.

 Halimbawa: Kung ang botante sa isang Congressional District ay may 266,894 voters - from the 85% of 313,994 voters, kung tig P1,000 ang pakurong (o gapangan in the eve of the May 9, 2022 National and Local Election) ang isang congressional candidate na gaya ng sitwasyon ko sa itaas ay kailangan gumastos ng P266, 894,000 o P133,447,000 pag ang bigayan ay P500 kada tao.

Usually 80% to 85% lang ang bumuto, ani ng source ko na isang Congressman.

“Except sa isang disrict, karamihan sa mga districts ay isang wave lang ang bilihan ng boto,” ika niya noong sinabi ko na sa isang siyudad sa Pangasinan isang buwan bago mag election namimigay na ng isang sakong premium na bigas na 25 kilos, 30 canned goods kung saan 10 ang corned beef, noodles, mga 3-in-1 na kape, at iba pa.

Isang linggo mag election ang nasabing kandidato ay ni meeting ang mga taga barangays at kasama ang congressional candidate, vice mayor bet niya at sila ay namigay ng tag P300, P500, P500, respectively na naka sobre kasama ang mga decals o papelitos nila sa mga tuwang tuwang na bobotante at mga professional voters.

Noong bilihan na ang bigayan sa mga nakalista na voter ay P2,500. Ang kuwenta ko mga halos P5,000 ang ginastos ng tumatakbong mayor na ito o half-a billion sa 85% na mga registered voters sa puwesto na nagbibigay lamang ng more or less P150,000 anak ng bakang dalaga kada buwan sa tatlong taong term of office.

Ang kalaban niya ay libo-libo rin ang ginastos kaya sobrang tuwa ng mga tao na iyong iba na nakaregister sa ibang bayan na meron ding bahay sa siyudad na ito ay nagpapa register na ngayong taon bago maabutan ng six months’ prohibition ng Commission on Election (Comelec).

THOUSANDS of pesos surreptitiously exchange hands a day before the election in the Philippines. Vote buying is endemic in almost all provinces in the third world country in South East Asia. Photo credit: FAQ.Ph

“Ala ey kadaming pera naman ere saan galing ang mga iyan?” tanong ng kaibigan kung Batangueno.

Wika ko sa kanya ang iba may mga milyon at bilyon na yaman na, iyong ibang kandidato – na karamihan sa mga tumakbo - galing sa dugas at nakaw sa kaban ng bayan ang pinagtutustos sa election.

Kaya pag ikaw ay incumbent na Congressman o Mayor at ikaw ay natalo sa eleksiyon – Diyos ko po, nakakahiya!

 Bakit? Iyong kalaban mo kung sa boxing pa ay challenger iyong pinamumudmod niyang pera ay galing sa bulsa niya. Ikaw na incumbent ang ginagamit mo ay ang perang binahagi ng gobyerno sa mga social services at public relation offices mo hindi pa kasali diyan iyong 20 percent na tong -pats o S.O.P mo na dahilan na tinawag kang Korean ng mga contractors ng government projects.

“Magkano Korean este ko riyan,? Tanong ng isang nakaupong elective official sa contractor na gumagawa ng substandard at baku- bakong kalsada sa isang congressional distrit sa Central Pangasinan.

“Maganda dito libo-libo ang makakuha mo sa dalawang kandidato hinde gaya sa bayan namin timba at may lamang isang kilong karne galing sa mga mapera na tumatakbong Councilor at isang libo lang sa tumatakbong mayor,” sabi ng kilala ko.

“Iba kasi ang waves sa siyudad maliit ang area madaling e mobilize ang tao. Sa congressional district malawak kasi marami siyang sakop na bayan may siyudad pa,” ika ng Operator na nagsasabi na typical one wave lang ang vote buying na puwede sa congresisonal election.

***

Sa May 2022 election dito natin malalaman kung ang talino at performances ay wala ng silbe dahil karamihan sa mga Filipino ang iboboto ay ang mga galanteng nagbibigay ng maraming datung.

Noong 2016 election nangyari iyan sa isang kandidato, hundreds of millions ang ginastos niya isang taon bago mag election. Isang linggo bago mag botohan nagipit na siya ng pera. Ang kalaban na beterano - na patawatawa lang habang nagtatapon ng datung kaliwa’t kanan ang  unang kalaban -  ay gumastos sa bilihan ng boto a week bago mag election. Nanalo siya.

“Tama iyan. Ang mga botante kasi matatandaan ka nila kung binigyan mo sila kahapon o noong makalawa. Kahit P300 lang ibinigay mo at iyong kalaban mo nagbigay ng P500 noong nakaraang buwan ikaw na P300 ang iboboto nila,” isang beteranong mayor – na maraming kabit - sa Pangasinan ang nagsabi sa akin sa art of vote buying kung saan umiiral ang retentive memory ng voter sa giver.

READ MY OTHER BLOG:

How Mayor, Guv, Solon Steal to Fund Their Election

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MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.

Gen. Recalls PMA Days when an Incoming Cadet Seeks his Advice

 

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan - A former General and an incumbent Mayor reminisced the day when he would be joining the plebehood in the Philippines Military Academy when an eighteen year old constituent appeared in his office for advice before the former report on Saturday at the premier military institution in the country on Saturday.

“I was just like him so young and thin when I joined the PMA ,” Leopoldo Bataoil chuckled but waxing sentiment when he told recently this Writer when the latter dropped by at the mayor’s office of this No. 6 most populated town in the four cities forty four towns’ Pangasinan.

In a public letter addressed to Avril Michael de Guzman, 18, he posted at the Writer’s blog Talk Radio 101 in Facebook, the General said he wasso proud of the feat of the young man.

CADET RECEPTION. Physical and mental toughness of plebes are tested during the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) reception rites at the Borromeo Field. Plebehood strips them of their civilian life as they transform into professional and effective military leaders. Plebe is dubbed as the lowest life of a cadet as he wiggles out for acceptance in the academy. (Photo by Jean Nicole Cortes)

“Let me share with you my story. I am 5th in a family of 7, my father was a teacher and my mother was a homemaker. To support us all in college was very difficult for parents like them but they really find ways and means to see us thru, no matter. So, when I passed the PMA entrance exam, I took it upon myself to grab the opportunity to avail of the cadetship program as a government scholar, all free; Tuition, uniform, food and with salary which is higher than a Master Sergeant and lower than a Second Lieutenant,” excerpt of the letter.

Bataoil is a retired three-star police general, a nine years former Congressman of the Second District, and Chief Executive of this burgeoning capital town of Pangasinan.

De Guzman is one of the more or less 300 cream of the crops from the 20,000 examinees who took the PMA Entrance Examination held in the various testing centers all over the country in August 30 last year.

He was taking Bachelor of Science in Accountancy at Kingfisher College in Dagupan City when he passed the tough military college's entrance examination.

“Only 1,000 hurdled the examination but only 300 passed the stringent physical and psychological examinations at V-Luna (Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center in Quezon City- Author),” de Guzman, who is of the same age with Bataoil when the latter joined the PMA, disclosed to this Writer in the vernacular.

The mother, a housewife, of the incoming cadet is the childhood neighbor of the former General in Barangay Libsong here.

“He’s like my kin thus I was happy that he hurdled the PMA exam. Nobody from my family and relatives joined the PMA”.

The General saw at De Guzman the lineage to continue the fine tradition of professional soldiery, where he considers the boy as his extended member of the family.

“ (C)onsidering your mother Athena and your Aunt Badet like my own sisters. I hope we can meet and talk again so I can guide you more on your future plans,” excerpt of the letter of Bataoil to the incoming cadet.

The former Congressman told this newspaper that many friends have been discouraging the young man to join the military school in Baguio City because of the adverse opinions of several gory incidents that ensued there.

“I told him to ignore them because he will be joining the most prestigious school in the country”.

At the young age of 18 Bataoil advice the son of his former neighbor that it will be an advantaged to be part of the Long Gray Line.

“While the older classmates or mistah niya will be retiring he will be the last man standing. He has the chance to be promoted to even Chief -of -Staff later.

When asked by this newspaper what branch of service he will prefer after he graduate at the Academy, he retorted: Air Force, Sir!

BELOW IS THE WHOLE COPY OF THE LETTER:

"Mortz thank you for this post. Here’s my open letter/ pep talk to Avril Mike, fyi-

“Dear Mike, I know you have mixed feelings and hesitation about joining the PMA so forgive my intervention at this time.

I want you to know that I am so proud of you and yes it’s a major decision that you must make at this young stage of your life.

TWO GENERALS AND AN INCOMING PMA CADET. This blog author (extreme right) posing recently at the office of the mayor in Lingayen, Pangasinan with two retired Philippine Generals Lingayen Mayor Leopoldo Bataoil (PMA' 76)(extreme left) Municipal Adminstrator Robert Sylim (PMA '74) (2nd from right). Avril Michael de Guzman - an incoming cadet of the Philippine Military Academy - is at second from left.

Let me share with you my story. I am 5th in a family of 7, my father was a teacher and my mother was a homemaker. To support us all in college was very difficult for parents like them but they really find ways and means to see us thru, no matter. So, when I passed the PMA entrance exams, I took it upon myself to grab the opportunity to avail of the cadetship program as a government scholar, all free; tuition, uniform, food and with salary which is higher than a Master Sergeant and lower than a 2Lt.

As a cadet, you are expected to study for 4 years, train to be a leader as an officer and gentleman. Upon graduation, you will be conferred a BS Degree and serve either in the Army, Navy or Air Force. As years go by, you can later on pursue higher studies. If the AFP sees in you a high leadership potential and you keep your service reputation clean, the institution will invest in your career development.

In my case, I was sent to Australia in 1986 by the AFP to study their officers and soldiers training programs; and USA in 1988 for my military officers advance course. When I joined the PNP, I was sent to UK Bramshill in 1992 for my Command Course equivalent to OSEC/ GSC; UK Yorkshire for my Crisis Mgt Course, among others.

As I gathered, you want to be like your brother to specialize on accountancy. The AFP can likewise help you specialize on that field thru inservice trainings, where you can serve as the military comptroller in the future. Civilian schoolings can also be availed of at certain point while in service. In my case, while I served in Mindanao, Visayas and Luzon, I took advantage of the proximity of colleges and universities where I was able to pursue and graduate as MBA at St. Paul University of Tuguegarao City in 1980s later on as Doctor of Peace and Security Administration at the Bicol University in 1990s.

You will have more opportunities as a military officer after PMA and even after retirement. Some of our PMAyers are recruited or pirated to serve big private corporations even while on active service and more of them were offered positions in govt after retirement.

A case in point is our Municipal Administrator, MGen Roberto G Sylim AFP (Ret) himself is an alumnus, a member of PMA’74. We were batchmates of Class 1970 at PPHS now PNHS (Pangasinan National Highschool - Author), a valedictorian who joined the Phil Air Force after PMA graduation. He was a member of the prestigious Blue Eagles jet fighter pilot, held various high positions like military attaché in USA and Canada and retired as The Commanding General of AFP Logistics Command. He is a graduate of two masteral degrees; the prestigious AIM (Asia Institute of Management) the best management school in Asia, and another masteral degree in UK, among others. I mentioned all these because you said you prefer the Air Force and I feel that you needed role models to firm up your decision to join the PMA.

Again, in my case I opted to join politics where I served as your congressman for three terms and now as your first term mayor of our beloved hometown, Lingayen.

I hope I can talk to you more. I wanted someone in our family to follow my footsteps. My nephews tried but failed, except for one who followed my footsteps at the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) where I had a year of cadetship training prior to PMA. Then I saw it in you the lineage to continue the fine tradition of professional soldiery, you whom I consider my extended family in our neighborhood, considering your mother Athena and your Aunt Badet like my own sisters. I hope we can meet and talk again so I can guide you more on your future plans.

Mike, this is your chance of a lifetime, a rare opportunity to serve God, Country and People, one of them noblest ways that I know. Take it and be the best you can be”.

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MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

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I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials's idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.

Superior Funds Key to Electoral Victory

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

The general rule in the Philippine election: The one who has the gold wins.

The exception to the rule: When a mayoralty wannabe in central Pangasinan duked it out with the missus of the long reigning hizzoner, the spouse in early 2010s spent P500 to vote buy while the young amiable village chief spent only P200 to ingratiate with the voter. El Kapitan susmariosep won with a staggering lead votes!

GMA-7 TV evening news likewise quoted recently the wife of slain Batuan, Masbate Vice Mayor that despite the tens if not hundreds of millions of pesos spent by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Board of Director Sandra Cam for her son’s vice mayoralty bid against Vice Mayor Charlie Yuson III in the 2019 election, the son – despite her wherewithal allegedly derived from her powerful post – still lost the poll.

Philippine currency One Thousand Peso bills - the magic wands that win the bid of a politician in the Philippines for an elective post. Despite the low pay of a public office, moneyed Filipinos spend millions of pesos to win it because they considered the position as badge of prestige.

Cam is now hunted by the cops with warrant of arrest after she, her son Marco Martin Cam, then acting Batuan Mayor Nelson Cambaya, and alleged gunmen Junel Gomez, Bradford Solis, Juanito De Luna, and Rigor Dela Cruz were implicated to the assassination of Yuson.

The spouses in Pangasinan had traumatic experienced with the down-to-earth Kapitan when the latter buried in a landslide votes the mayoralty aspiring wife.

A supporter explained to this writer that the political and economic equation in 2013 was far different to the present stocks of El Kapitan cum El Hizzoner.

 “He significantly transformed from a shoe-string budgeted ABC President to a big time contractor,” he cited.  

Kap is a beneficiary of hundreds of millions of pesos of government projects from congressional and provincial officials who were his allies. 

The source cited how cash strapped was the wet behind the ear mayoralty bet in the 2013 poll where a rich politician went to his succor.

“The politician had beef to grind against the spouses,  loaned her  house and lot to help shore up the Kapitan campaign chest because she could not stomach anymore how the spouses reigned the town,” the source explained to me.

“Pati mga kamag anak ko abroad nag ambag ambag para makatulong sa kampanya ko,” the Mayor now told me.

The supporter cited that even with a superior wherewithal of the hated spouses by most of the electors since one of them was the incumbent mayor, the voters still gravitated to their bet in 2013 where they voted him overwhelmingly.

“I won in a landslide in that election. I won in all the villages except one where I lost 24 votes,” the Mayor stressed to me.

The voters who milled around him in the barangays told him not to worry about the superiority of funds of the spouses since they despised the family.

xxx

I was in San Fabian yesterday and my source told me how can mayoralty aspirants BARMM Regional Director Juvenal B. Azurin and Board Member Liberato Villegas win against the party’s juggernaut of Mayor Danny Agbayani when almost all of the villages officials of the 34 barangays have been treated with foods, dole-outs, and raffle contests’ proceeds with prices ranging up to P2000 to each of the recipient whenever the Mayor and spouse Marlyn - who is groomed to be the heir apparent of the last term hizzoner.

“Mayor Danny and Major Efren Fajardo – a village Kap - were too generous they give P500 to P2000 for each of the recipients in the raffle during the party given to the village officials,” a source told me.

The officials were the barangay chairman, the nine members of the Barangay Council (Sangguniang Barangay), Tanod, barangay health workers (BHW) have been each given the dough.

“Magkano sa Kapitan?” I asked.

“Secret. Pero sa Kagawad (Council Member) P1,000 each and the rest P500 each”.

The Mayor and Fajardo spent up to P100,000 sometimes in some of these villages for the bacchanalian feast, susmariosep, more than a year before the May 9, 2022.

“Paano iyong dalawang kalaban?”

“Si Lebi brought his dump trucks and fill-up with soils some shallow areas of the barangays. He treated too the masa with arroz caldo”.

“Hanggang lugaw lang ang kaya,” the source said about Villegas who is known as stingy according to him.

Azurin, the source said, is roving too this early the villages.

My source said that the Agbayanis have a huge financial chest complements of their moneyed patron above.

“We have now 60,000 voters but only 45,000 voted last 2019 election,” he told me to correct my 2018 Commission on Election’s data quoted on my past news article that there were 52, 334  in the first class coastal town.

xxx

Not to be outdone on the generosity game, my source said that former Congresswoman Gina de Venecia would be meeting the former Barangay Kapitans of San Fabian so either Vice Governor Mark Lambino or spouse Lawyer Melanie Lambino – the rumored rival of her son Congressman Toff – will be deprived of the leader and influence comes the D-Day in May 2022.

The Lambinos including their patriarch Secretary and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority Administrator Raul Lambino will be dealing with the likewise politically well oiled de Venecia family that includes former five - time House Speaker Joe de Venecia.

Mayor Agbayani and the De Venecia are politically allies where they have the support of the 32 of the 34 village chiefs of the coastal town in Central Pangasinan.

My source said too that former mayor Jaming Libunao left Agbayani and joined the camp of Raul Lambino and Board Member Libe Villegas. Libunao will try to regain his post in the provincial board (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) after failing poorly to regain the mayorship in a series of bids against his godson Danny.