10/05/2025
De-VOTE-tion: Where Loyalty Outvoted Logic
In a crowded school gym turned polling precinct, an elderly voter grips his ballot tightly. He doesn’t read every name, nor does he weigh each candidate’s platform. His pen moves swiftly, shading an entire column—“Just to save her,” he murmurs.
This moment reflects a deeper and more disturbing truth about Philippine politics: our ballots are often shaped not by platforms or merit, but by last names. Voting straight for a party has become less about shared ideals and more about protecting someone’s legacy—usually, a political dynasty. In many cases, a father’s decades-old influence becomes the backbone of his son's entire campaign. A daughter inherits not just a surname, but an empire of loyalty. In some provinces, it’s not even about policies anymore—it’s about whose family has held power the longest. The result? Elections that feel less like a democratic choice and more like a family reunion, where bloodlines speak louder than qualifications.
This is not a new phenomenon. From the early years of Philippine democracy to the present, the culture of blind political loyalty continues to thrive. What’s more alarming now is how openly it is practiced and accepted. In the most recent elections, new political alliances seemed to emerge overnight—not for the purpose of presenting concrete platforms, but to preserve and protect the reputation of a single individual.
These groups weren’t built to serve the country. They were created to serve someone.
“Iboboto ko siya! Kaibigan ng lider ko eh!” some say. For many, elections have turned into a game of connections. Competence, vision, and integrity are no longer the priority. Instead, political ties and friendships dominate voter decisions.
What used to be about public service has become a popularity contest. It's not about what a candidate can do for the people—it's about what they can do for each other.
This kind of mindset has led to a heartbreaking truth: many Filipinos have begun to value fanaticism more than patriotism. They no longer ask what’s good for the country, but what’s good for their favored leader. They vote not with critical thought, but with devotion—one that sometimes borders on worship.
We are already tasting the bitterness—skyrocketing prices, leaders playing blind and pointing the blame to each other, and a system that shrugs when things fall apart. But this? This is just an opening act. If we keep casting our votes out of blind devotion rather than the main reason why we do it, we are not just letting history repeat—we are setting the stage for a tragedy. One day, the future generation will wake up in a nation we allowed to rot, crying for a better future we carelessly handed to the wrong hands — and by then, saying “We didn’t know” will never be enough.
The elections are just around the corner. This coming Monday, when you stand in that same hallway, pen in hand, ask yourself:
Does this person truly pave the way for a better country, or are you placing power in the hands of someone who threatens the very freedoms we claim to defend?
Vote for our people, vote for the Philippines.
Writer: Thomas Nautan
Cartoon: Ellaine Cortezano
