AN OPEN LETTER TO MY BELOVED YOUTH

To whom this reaches,

I can assure you I am not running for an electoral post in the coming October elections.

But I wanted to impart a few of my takeaways from the past elections that I have witnessed and the current undertakings if there are any, of the elected representative of the youth sector in our province to say the least.

If you want to run, this is for you.

As a Political Science student, whose program has been focused on politics and governance in the country, I would like you to re-evaluate yourself before filing your Certificate of Candidacy. Do not be conceited enough to see yourself fit the position, because in reality there is no one fit for the position.

The political weather at the moment is not about "he who sits in the position controls the money", but has become more encompassing as "he who sits in the position is he who is powerful." Let me remind you that the notion of being "powerful" is encompassing. He who sits in power knows the machinery of the government and "somehow" manipulates its implementation. He who sits in power garners his fame–famous or infamous–still, it’s fame. He who sits in power grows in him a mindset that no one can dictate to him. And he who sits in power shall be obeyed by the people–and regulates almost everything.

And let me remind you that he who has absolute power is he who corrupts absolutely.

I tell you, your legitimacy as a leader lies in your people–on the electoral base of youth that will choose you. To vie for the position is an opportunity granted by the appropriate commission to allow you to run so long as you comply with the requirements, and basically because it is your right. 

However, there is one thing I ask from all of you.

Do not dictate to the youth who they want to vote for. Let them choose freely who they think is fit for the position–the one they see as someone who has the skill to lead their sector. Sure, you are technically making an effort to make sure that your position will be yours. But do not ever go down to the most insulting, unscrupulous, unconscionable, and disgraceful act of buying the votes of our youth. 

A study conducted by Ponce (2022) aims to investigate the level of corruption and bribery among young elective barangay officials in a city in the southern Philippines. The results showed that the majority of them admitted to engaging in any of the following irregular acts while working for the government: misappropriation of public funds, avoiding public bidding when purchasing supplies and equipment, forgery, bribery, and creating phantom projects and payrolls, among other things. Also, it was well recognized that corruption was mostly a result of bureaucratic dysfunctions, particularly when it came to budget release delays and political socialization with senior and dishonest barangay officials who taught young leader informants how to commit corruption. The study's policy recommendations call for further strengthening of governmental institutions and procedures that would guarantee public servants at both the barangay (local) and national levels adhere to the principles of good governance.

This justifies how “SOME” of our elected young officials have been taught in this field of politics, even before the election they were expected to monetize the votes of the youth. How barbaric our elections can go now? What were you elected for?

You weren’t elected to be given the power to do anything you wanted, including but not limited to–slacking off, getting paid without doing anything, implementing palliative reforms and programs, and even can’t get past the bare minimum as a public official. 

I wanted to debunk so badly those who told us that we do not have the right to question the very position the current elected youth officials are in right now. Why were you there in the first place? The votes of the people whom you bought, or should we say the least those who believed in you, place you there. Your winning the election does not cover the incompetence you have embarked on during your tenure. You are a joke if you think you fit the position because you won the election. 

No one fits perfectly any electoral position in the country. Everyone has their lapses in leading, some will agree and some will not. And as to how I view the Sangguniang Kabataan at the moment, no one is at lapse. Your incompetence and entitlement are nothing but a sore to the eye and a waste of our taxes. Well, due credit and excuse to some who I have known have gone the extra mile to be promising and a good influence to their youth – as they should. 

So, to those who wanted to run – this is for you. Don’t run if you think you can win the hearts of the youth through your money. Don’t run if you think you are better than all the youth present in your society. Don’t run if you can assess your incompetence beforehand. Do not forsake the youth who have been given the greatest challenge of becoming the hope of our Fatherland. And do not forsake the whole country that has put its hope in the generations that are yet to come. And do not forsake God by coveting a position you yourself knew in the first place isn’t fit for you just for the sake of your material gains. 

Perhaps, this is the reason why vocal youth are misunderstood when they stand up for their decision. The leader who is supposed to stand for them is leashed by so many material gains, that even speaking up for youth is a risk for him/her. If the notion of good governance is difficult for these people to discern, then it has come to a point where they should at least be indebted to the fact that they cannot crawl on top of their own. However, the audacity lingers more than we expect. 

And to the old politicians who were trying to inculcate into the minds of our youth the tricks of politics–do not be shaken when the time comes these youth awaken from reality. And it is me telling you, it is the time already. You expect so much from your youth but you are hindering us to experience what good leadership is. Give us a leader who believes in us, and we will believe in ourselves. Give us a leader who involves us in the community discourse, and we will alleviate each other from the sham and drudgeries of the world. Give us a leader who will stand and speak up for our sector, and we will give you a country that is blessed with independence and collaborative undertakings toward the progressive Philippines.

And to my dear youth who will cast their votes–there’s one thing I ask from you.

Do not be a hypocrite to ask for accountability from a person who doesn’t even know what it means to be accountable and committed to his/her position, when in fact you are the ones who put him there. 

Go the extra mile by choosing who is deserving of the position. Your one good vote will determine your bright future not just as an individual but as a citizen of this country – true enough, the future is in your hands. 

Do not tie your hands with the unscrupulous desire for gains. You are way better than that. 

This is your time. Make it count. 

To stand and speak up for my beloved youth,

In this LIFE LINE