Group pushes vs. inept politicos, dynasties

CEBU, Philippines — A movement that aims to awaken the consciousness of the older voters while guiding the young minds against incompetence and political dynasty in the country has been formed ahead of the national and local elections this May.

Formed late last year, former Cebu City councilor and former University of the Visayas Gullas Law School dean Atty. Aven Piramide was able to gather a few but dedicated Cebuanos from different sectors to form part of a movement to help voters make a sound decision as to whom to vote in the next elections.

The Cebu Against Incompetence and Political Dynasties (CAIPD) movement, chaired by another lawyer, Eugene Orbita, told The FREEMAN that he, being an avid reader of Piramide’s column in this paper, liked the idea of changing the perception of voters through education.

Currently, the group has decided to focus its information dissemination campaign in different barangays on the senators and not on local positions to avoid being questioned on the real motive behind such movement.

“Dili na g’yud ma-drawing ang Senado uy… Mao g’yud na… We have lost Diokno, walay nakapuli. We have lost Salonga, walay nakapuli. We have lost Tolentino, walay nakapuli. We lost Tañada, walay nakapuli. Ang naa diha sayaw-sayaw ra. What can you expect from someone in terms of creating laws when they don’t even know what the law is?” Piramide said.

Piramide said understanding the law is never easy.

“Tinuod man g’yud na mulansad kag pagka senador, unya kabalo biya ta unsay buhat sa pagka senador unya ang imong botar, unsa high school graduate? Maglisod man gani ta’g college graduate ta,” Orbita said.

“Kanang pung political dynasty, that’s very difficult…Pero sama ra na’s giingon nga in the darkness, samtang naa ka didto, igo na lang ba kang mamalikas, wa g’yud kay mahimo? Mangita ta’g gamay kahayag, light. Basin diay mukatap ni,” he added.

For evil to triumph, good men only need do nothing, Orbita added, thus, individually, each of them decided to form part of a group that pledges to do something.

Others may wonder why they took this initiative only now, but Orbita said it’s because it’s already too much and something has to be done now before it’s too late.

Piramide also pointed out family members seeking a senatorial slot all at once and many are criticizing it, yet no one is doing anything to change the voters’ perceptions in selecting candidates.

“Daghang storya, pero walay action… Maong naa ta diri karon para mohimo’g aksyon,” Piramide said.

He assured that the group will not accept any funds to be used in their education campaign in the barangays to avoid any biases for a certain candidate.

Currently, the group also hopes to get some youth sector members to also help them reach to the younger voters here.

The group is also expected to take a look at each of the senatoriables’ credentials and come up with its own list of recommended senatorial prospects in the upcoming election.

For those who want to be part of the group, they are currently meeting every Wednesday afternoon at the Cebu Business Hotel before going down to the barangays for their education-information campaign activities. (CEBU NEWS)