Stimulus and Response
A debriefing on the 2022 election
Two days ago, I casted my vote in what I would consider the most important election of my life—and of the Filipino people. I’m proud to say that voted for the leaders that I felt would serve my community and country best, and I did what I could do to advocate for them. By the way, this is me answering the prompt from Suleika Jaouad’s latest post.
However, that feeling of pride has been wavering from time to time ever since the initial “results” came out yesterday (and today). I’m putting the word “results” in quotation marks because the figures presented do not look real to me at all. If these “results” were followed, I will be living in a time where my freedom, livelihood, and safety will be greatly compromised. Corruption, nepotism, ableism, violence, and other injustices will be rampant. The Marcoses haven’t apologized or shown remorse for their atrocities during Martial Law, and seeing them enter public office (and public consciousness) is whitewashing and invalidating the traumas and damage done to the victims of Martial law. Foreign investors will pull out from our country, which will put working professionals, informal workers, daily wage earners, small business owners, freelancers, and even the big corporations in peril. The promise of an inclusive society and economy will just be an illusion, where only the few will thrive.
I am sad, angry, and lost. Even though I am privileged enough to have a job, a roof over my head, money to pay for utilities and other wants, I still want to be able to experience the benefits of a good and inclusive government. Seeing a dictatorship get built and the atrocities of Martial Law sanitized in front of my face is something I am livid about, since everyone will suffer in the end, save for a select few who will benefit from this government. (I’m looking at you Toni Gonzaga, Cat Arambulo-Antonio, among many others—thanks for enabling this. You are all horrible.)
The “outcome” of this election is my stimulus. I can honestly tell that this election is rigged. People were disenfranchised in so many ways—polling areas are inaccessible to senior citizens with mobility issues and vote counting machines are malfunctioning. The transmission is too quick, and things are not adding up. There are so many inconsistencies. The things that are happening at the moment are stimulating me to be angry, to fight for what’s right in so many ways. It’s calling me to do good in what I do, to speak out against injustices, to go out of my circle, and to help those who are in need. However, I will hold the rich, educated, and privileged who enabled this fuckery accountable. Sana hindi masarap ang ulam niyo for the foreseeable future. (I hope you’re not eating well in the foreseeable future)
Things are just getting started. Lalaban tayo. (We will fight)
Until the next brain dump,
Lea
Padayon, Lea! Sulong! Excelsior! Millions of us are by your side in this fight. Don’t lose hope. It doesn’t end here. It only just begins.