May 9, I heard gunshots. It was deafening, too many to count. That day, I had hopes as the more than 65 million Filipinos.
“The ballot is stronger than a bullet,” Abraham Lincoln once said. A bullet can cause chaos, yet a ballot can end this mayhem.
When considering the choices, do you vote with precision? Like how a man points his gun at a target? With one vote, you can either be a murderer, a skilled shooter, or both. With one vote, you can have blood on your hands or you can have a peaceful country. The choice is yours. It is up to you to select what sort of leaders you want and what kind of future you desire.
Even while we have the right to vote, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be polluted by the felony of vote-buying candidates and their bogus platforms. A lot of people would prefer to vote for someone renowned because their names are easier to recall than for someone whose campaign promises are real. But you could have transformed the country with a single decision, a single bullet, a vote for people with a proven track record, those who were honest and trustworthy.
However, as we all know, there is no such thing as a perfect candidate. There are only those who have allowed their own greed and power to corrupt them. And the only way to fight corruption is through elections. And if we can’t win them, how can we get rid of them? What is going to happen to us?
Our inflation rates are rising, overpopulation is still a problem, a lot of Filipinos remain impoverished, and pollution, traffic, and a variety of other issues continue to plague our country. Consider the debate over the peso versus the dollar. Inflation rates may accelerate further and the cost of imported goods may rise. This demonstrates how low the Philippines has fallen. It exemplifies in a convincing way why it is considered a third-world nation. Even more so if the wrong government is in charge.
All these come down to the voter. Did you consider our situation when you voted? Did it matter to you whom you voted for? Did you think about the cries of Filipinos, those living on the streets, those who died for the salvation of this country, and those who were wronged by the system?
Did the white lies paint your canvas? Did the hushed screams reach your ears?
Take a look around you. With the way things are now, are you proud that this is your country and your homeland? Many lives have been lost either because people were unable to speak or possibly because they did. Even innocent people have died as a result of government officials, politicians who abuse their power.
Did you ever think about it? Did you give any thought to the people who sacrificed their life while remaining unaware of the opportunity to fight injustice? Did you consider the individuals still living now who continue to experience oppression? If you have been one of them or are currently one of them, it must be unfathomable to picture how your life would be if this madness continued.
Aren’t you tired of conflicts, wars, battles? People will continue to struggle and fight as long as they exist and we continue to endure and develop. To have a better future, we must strive.
I continue to fight for the Filipino people. I stand in solidarity with people who despise injustice and work toward the dawn of a new era in which justice is not only upheld but also revered. Although it might seem impossible, if you have a burning desire for it in your heart, you can start the change and hold out hope that one day, it will become a reality.
I chose to fight against oppression and corruption, seeking freedom from tyranny and senseless deaths, and yearning for a prosperous nation in all aspects of life; including education, healthcare, employment, and so forth, by using this pen and paper and this medium of communication, which serves as my bullet.
And I believe in you.
I believe you hold the same morals.
Thus, I hoped you voted as if your life depended on it. I hoped you shot the rifle as if the future depended on it. After all, it did and if you didn’t know how to use it, I’m sorry.
Then after everything, it came. The moment of truth. I heard a gunshot. It was deafening. And that day, I had hoped. I held my vote. That day, I was the one who held the gun, set the target, and fired the shot.
I had hoped for a more promising country.
I fought for the rights of all Filipinos, not only those who were subjected to our oppressors’ cruelty but also for you.
I voted for you; and now I wonder, did you disappoint me?
