At the outset, it has to be presumed categorically that everybody cheats in elections, including the opposition as a matter of necessity for its own survival. What eventually becomes the bone of contention is the extent of the cheating.
Now, we are bothered by the seeming silence of the Cebuanos in the wake of these cheating allegations because it is a matter of fact that it was in Cebu where Arroyo garnered the million or so majority that made her win the election.
And we insist that the million-vote majority was obtained by Arroyo in Cebu without any cheating. Oh, yes, as admitted, there has to be a little cheating here and there, by everybody, but not to the extent that it would affect the overall outcome of the election.
Arroyo is not the darling of Cebuanos, as many have made the mistake of assuming. But Cebuanos, and we say this with fierce pride, have consistently proven themselves to be among the most intelligent voters in the country.
In the last election, where the clear choice was between Arroyo and Fernando Poe, the Cebuanos found it a no-brainer whom to vote for. For Cebuanos, it was not whether they like Arroyo or not but whether or not they can entrust their lives and their destiny to Poe.
Cebuanos did not relish voting for Arroyo but it was unthinkable to have voted for Poe. To suggest, therefore, that there was massive and outcome-altering cheating in Cebu is to insult the intelligence of the Cebuanos and wound them with accusations of being cheap and dumb.
Arroyo won her million votes in Cebu fair and square, as the Cebuanos themselves very well know. So Cebuanos should not just sit quietly and absorb the insult as if it were true. We must rise up to protest the indirect aspersions cast upon our good name.
To be sure, as in 2004, we do not relish the prospect of embarking on an endeavor that will consequently benefit somebody like Arroyo who we never liked. But if she is the price we have to pay to protect our good name, then by golly let's do it. Bangon Sugbo.