Several accusations about cheating and vote buying during the May 14 national and local elections are regular “hors d'oeu-vres” of the day. I am never surprised about the ”dirt” and irregularities during and every Philippine election because they have always been the “mantra” and “menu” of almost all elections. But what consoles me in last Monday’s election is the fact that those “Hollywood” stars never got into the Senate and House of Representatives. The truth of the matter is, they don’t deserve to be in the “Hall of Legislation”. Some of them may have the intellectual capacity to legislate but they are better off in the movie industry. I’m sorry to hear about the catastrophic defeat of Manny Pacquiao but that should serve him a lesson.

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As I have promised, I will not come home to my hometown within the next three years in protest against Apostol’s winning the mayoralty race. I have so much regard for former Congressman Sergio Apostol, now legal adviser of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, but I abhor the leadership of his daughter, Anlie Go Apostol. During the campaign, talks about Anlie’s sexual affair with my cousin’s wife came out with the opposition talking boldly during rallies and “mitin de avance ”. Her sexual flirting with my cousin-in-law is a public knowledge and their promiscuity is evident within public eye. But again, it is surprising why she still won the election. I have said it before and I will say it again, I strongly support her sexual orientation but she must engage in a relationship with a single and unmarried woman. Even among heterosexual relationships, illicit affair is never accepted as a social norm. The social irony with Mayor Apostol’s relationship is that: First, the Philippine society (unlike the American) is not open to same sex union because of the Catholic Church’s paranoia on homosexuality. Although I do not agree with the conservatism of the Catholics but to contradict the Church is a sign of religious rebellion. What can I say? Second, she is having an affair with a married woman. This freaks me out. Should it be with a single and unmarried woman then I have entirely no problem accepting it. Mayor Apostol’s (her mother is Congresswoman of the district) decision to make a P50 million loan from the Landbank and her subsequent decision to demolish the public market have enraged the public and Carigaran-ons residing in the United States. But why she won the election in spite of her sexual mishaps and the public market tragedy remains a mystery, which only the Apostols can answer.

The people have to realize that there is a pyramid of power within the district. There is former Congressman Sergio Apostol who works in Malacanang Palace, his wife – Ebbie Go Apostol is congress representative of the district and their daughter Anlie Apostol is the Mayor. I don’t want to over emphasize it, but the Go family who lives at the corner of my street, has the machinery to run an election campaign. Whether their “election machineries ” and strategies are dirty or not, only an investigative journalist can answer this question. My friend in the media made mention about investigative reporters in the Philippines but I shall wait and see what happens within the next six months or so. If she screws up the public market project then I will run my story in the Philippine national media. There is a rumor about the P100, 000.00 to P500, 000.00 gifts to the Councilors who supported and signed the loan resolution but I have some reservations. I don’t believe the issue unless the Councilors themselves confirm this to me through my e-mail at rene19va@yahoo.com.

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It looks like GMA will have rough and stormy days within the last three years of her presidency if the exit polls continue its trend. With majority of the opposition in the Senate, the President can barely move with her political and economic agenda. There will be more bickering and arguments in the Senate floor. More bills will end up in the garbage bins for failure to master the necessary votes. If she is not lucky in the House of Representatives, she might be the second president in the history of Philippine politics to be impeached. If an article of impeachment advances to the Senate for trial, it is most likely that she will be impeached. I do not personally like and support the idea of impeachment because the entire process will definitely drag the economy and political stability of the country. But when it comes out, I shall only be sorry for her. Nothing is new during and every after Philippine election. The electorate themselves knew what’s going on but they refuse to change the system so let it be. I feel so sorry to those voters whose ears are deaf and whose eyes were blind to the truth.

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