The culture of election violence

The election frenzy that pervades almost any discussion on tv, in radio, and the press, and in so-called "pulong-pulongs", has turned out so hot as the May 10, 2010 elections get nearer. Such bellicose discussions are so frenetic from Batanes to Sitangkai in Sulu, especially the radio commentaries of block-timers whose gutter language so foul, unfit for listening.

It's not surprising that the political principals behind the mud-slinging over the radio may often trigger enmity leading to assassination. Almost all radio stations are sold out to bilious election airings so highly libelous or defamatory which ought to be brought to court. But these clear offenses are merely answered in equally offensive tenor in similar block-time broadcasts in odious cycle.

Bad blood runs in uncontrolled and unabated feud that inevitably leads to violence, such that, with the proliferation of guns, one killing triggers retaliation. In the 2004 elections, there were 189 election-related deaths. For the May 10, 2010 elections, there have been about 90 such killings as of March. It's possible that further fatalities could surpass the 189 figure.

Given the staggering 57 massacre victims in Maguindanao on November 23, 2009 as highly ominous, the Ampatuan-Mangudadatu still fuming hot sans let-up, the dire prognostication of the 2010 election violence to be much worse isn't unattainable.

As long as the private armies of warlords and politicians numbering 117, as estimated by Dante Jimenez of the Volunteers Against Crime are not disbanded, the killing spree stays. Jimenez' unrealistic forecast for the government to disband private armies in three months, has already lapsed, but not one has been reported as disbanded.

Meantime, the election rivalry is getting more intense day by day, unlicensed firearms proliferating as buying firearms is like buying candy or cigarette that easy, guns-for-hire also multiplying in number, and as easy as buying "sapia", the capability of the law enforcers, or lack of it, at question, etc., where's the factor to ease off the killing spree?

In USA possessing firearms is a constitutional right by the Second Amendment, but its licensing requirements are strictly enforced that so-called loose firearms are exceptions.

In the Philippines, unlicensed guns including automatic firearms are easily possessed from unlicensed gunsmiths, and stay unlicensed and not monitored at all, or guns on the loose. Hence, killings are hardly solved.

These are the weapons in the possession of private armies of political warlords whose obsession is to perpetuate their power and influence. Indeed, in Philippine politics, there may not be permanent friends or enemies, but only permanent interests that are propped up by guns. And the greed for power is also greased by business interests and inexorable corruption no matter how big or small is the corridor of power involved.

The irony is that even the lowest or puny position in government, the puny minds pretend to be "honorable". Imagine, in the obscure LGUs, say, a town councilor, or a barangay captain, nay, even a member of the lupong tagapamayapa, sports vainly the tag of "Honorable". "Gisayon-sayon ug maghilas-hilas lang sa angga nga "honorable", such that, a day would come that a "tanod" nobody might also use "Honorable" before his name.

Meanwhile, because of "hambug" or "pasikat", and the power of influence that goes with the seat of governance that politicians want to hold on, they don't relinquish it to their rivals without a fight. Or "over my dead body", and this defiance is often meant literally. And so, as the run up to the May 10, 2010 elections get nearer, and the tensions are still to peak, it is expected that election related bloodshed would as well continue in frenzy.

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