With Dilaab's "ayaw ipalusot kandidatong shaburakot" COncert-forum

Come Saturday, March 24, Bisrock bands Missing Filemon, Aggressive Audio, Mantequilla, Indephums, Phylum, Glass of Dirt, Agipo, Kabobo, Fervent, Assembly Language, Agadiers and What's The Frequency? will headline a concert-forum organized by Dilaab Foundation, entitled "Ayaw Ipalusot Kandidatong Shaburakot". No names of candidates will be dropped, but the event is expected to hit some candidates who are illegal drug trade protectors, funded by drug money, or worse, druglords themselves.

Patronage politics. A great deal of this has placed election candidates in seats they are not highly qualified of. Political leaders see patronage as a tool for rewarding and enforcing loyalty. The latter serves as the criterion for selecting a person over meritorious considerations. Patronage politics rolls the carpet for elected officials to reward supporters corruptly with government contracts, a practice said "to overlap with the pork barrel system that directs government spending in constituencies as reward."

Razzle-dazzled voters. Their fanaticism for showbiz and basketball personalities nourishes all the more the egos of ambitious entertainment and sports celebrities to "act and play" in a field most of them knew nothing of. Such type of voters fills our Houses with people who "know not that they know not" because these voters continue to feed "stars and cagers" with the half-truth that policy-making can be learned through experience. Worse, razzle-dazzled voters pick insincere leaders who are only there in governance to satisfy their already bloated egos.

The nation hungers for real development programs bent on increasing the country's capacity to be self-sufficient in food, in providing land to the landless as these are linked to national security, and of strong, healthy, decisive and driven local government policies that would uplift the standard of living of constituents.

Come Saturday, March 24, Bisaya rock bands Missing Filemon, Aggressive Audio, Mantequilla, Indephums, Phylum, Glass of Dirt, Agipo, Kabobo, Fervent, Assembly Language, Agadiers and What's The Frequency? will lead one patriotic, pleasant, pulsating evening in a concert-forum entitled "Ayaw Ipalusot Kandidatong Shaburakot". No names of candidates will be dropped, but the event is expected to hit some candidates funded by drug money, reelectionists who are illegal drug trade protectors, and worse druglords themselves.

The concert-forum is a call to vote wisely, this was learned from Father Carmelo Diola, the overall coordinating steward of the Dilaab Movement.

In relation to this, the Provincial Board is also supporting calls to make environmental agenda a poll criteria in electing candidates in the May 14 polls.

"Environmental problems continue to escalate each year. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources attributed this to the loose enforcement and adoption of environmental laws by local government units and other government agencies, this was learned. Therefore, it is prudent of voters to give the gavel of authority to people who care for the environment.

Also in a press statement sent by the National Movement for Free Elections, the youth are reminded that their votes are crucial in the May 14 polls. "The youth vote can be the seed of a greater movement towards increased youth participation in subsequent elections," the statement read. Further, tips are given to the youth on how to vote - study closely the candidates. Study their ethics, ways of life, their honesty and integrity.

The concert-forum will start at 8 pm at the Mabolo Parish church parking lot. Tickets are sold at the gate at P20 each. For more information, listen to "BisrocKabataan" over 93.1 Smash FM tomorrow, Wednesday and on Friday 10 am to noontime.