10-Minute Winner

Kakatapos ko lang bumoto ngayong umagang 'to.

My lineup for the senate and local government is a weird mix of aspirants that, I think, deserve their time and chance for a shot at governance and legislation.

Some of them are sure to lose this battle primarily because of the lack of machinery, genuine support and name-recall. Still I splashed their name across that black line.


For them I made my vote count.


Some of them have been "statistically-safe" in the past weeks and are sure to win, what with the full support of religious groups, civic organizations, the business sector and yes - Mother Lily Monteverde.

There's something about elections that make me want to go to precincts and vote again and again and again. It's the rush and the freedom and the convenience of making one believe that he has a certain control on things - on his life, his candidates, the nation.

At least for about 10 minutes on this day, I had the chance to be genuinely free and control my life, my candidates and the nation.

And as soon as the cold indelible ink kisses my finger right after I forced that folded slice of paper into the ballot box, I just knew that among all the names written on all these sheets of paper one winner stands.

He's the guy who drank beer last night, slept at 4am, got up at 8am and dragged his drunken, sleepy ass to an elementary school in San Vicente not just to vote, but to win.

There's something about elections that most of us Filipino voters forget. Its the rush, the freedom, the convenience of making one believe that he has a certain control on things - on his life, his candidates, the nation.


It's the fact that on this day, for 10 minutes, he gets to be the winner.