“Ang tao, ang bayan, ngayon ay lumalaban,” shouted protesters as they marched toward the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros last May 14 in response to the questionable results of the 2019 midterm elections.
(The people, the country, are now fighting back.)
Joining the protesters were party-lists Anakbayan; Bayan Muna; Gabriela Youth; Kabataan; and National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates-Youth, with Bayan Muna party-list nominee Ferdinand Gaite and Gabriela Youth representative Arlene Brosas among those in attendance.
Questioning irregularities
Among those in the mobilization was Kabataan Para sa Tribu Pilipino Spokesperson Prince Turtogo, who discussed certain anomalies that allegedly transpired during the elections such as vote inconsistencies.
“Meron kaming natanggap na [reports] na yung mga [registered] na boto, hindi iyon lumabas,” Turtogo disclosed, expounding how some of the names shaded on the ballot did not match what was indicated on the receipt.
(We also received [reports] that the [registered] votes were not the ones being reflected.)
Christian Pagaduan (V, BSIT) stayed up all night anticipating the election results. He recalled feeling “something off” and doubted the reported tallies. Citing similar instances like Turtogo, the mismatch of votes and tampered voting control numbers were just some of the contributors to Pagaduan’s skepticism.
Demanding answers from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), he emphasized the importance of transparency. He pressed, “It’s gonna damage our democracy kung niloloko lang tayo ng Comelec.”
(It’s gonna damage our democracy if Comelec is just playing us for fools.)
Playing dirty
The release of election results only led to more questions raised. Brosas stated that the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act is known to increase the prices of certain goods, and Senate hopefuls supporting the measure, she argues, could not have possibly won votes from those aware of its repercussions.
“Para kang kumuha ng bato na ipupukpok mo sa ulo mo,” she explained.
(It’s like you grabbed a rock and started hitting yourself in the head with it.)
She also questioned those who voted for Senate bets who are in favor of the Rice Tariffication Law and the ongoing war on drugs, expounding that both acts will only cause more damage to the Filipino people. She reasoned, “Hindi iboboto ng tao yung mga ganon, pero bakit ganun ang resulta ng eleksyon na ito?”
(People would not vote for those kinds of people, yet why did the results of the elections end up that way?)
“It’s alarming, to say the least,” said Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista (Tapat) National Affairs Director Maegan Ragudo. Sharing the same sentiments with Brosas, Ragudo observed that most of the highly-voted Senate hopefuls have cases of graft, corruption, and plunder, noting how the votes went to those who were not fit to represent the country’s different sectors.
“Honestly, I wasn’t surprised [with the results],” Turtogo admitted. A member of senatorial aspirant Neri Colmenares’s campaign team, Turtogo recalled that he experienced his fair share of discrimination during the campaign period, stating that they were branded as “rebels” for sticking up posters in support of the candidate.
‘Tuloy ang laban’
Tapat Vice President for External Affairs Lance Dela Cruz shared the same frustration with most of the protesters, stressing, “It’s a sign na hindi napapangalagaan yung transparency and yung sanctity ng elections.”
(It’s a sign that the transparency and the sanctity of the elections are not given much value.)
He admitted that although “the progressive struggle is the difficult struggle,” as a Filipino, it is his duty to carry on and never give in during trying times, even if the country’s democracy is under threat.
“Tuloy ang laban,” he proclaimed.
(The fight continues.)
Sadness was the only thing Turtogo felt for the Filipino people after the events that transpired. Although he admitted that the elections were “draining”, he also remarked, “Hindi makapangyarihan ang estado sa nagkakaisang lakas ng sambayanang nakikinig.”
(The state holds no power over the masses who listen.)
