Politics
is supposed to gear towards the betterment of the citizens of a state. The word
politics was derived from the Greek word “politica”
which means affairs of the cities. And it is indubitable that those aspiring to
join politics will do what it takes as well as the necessary measures to be
elected in the position they desire.
Advertisement
is one of the most utilized medium during campaign period of one who desires to
be elected. It is extremely expensive to advertise and candidates for elections
are disallowed to overspend. Fair Election Act provided for the authorized
expenses of candidates and parties. However, in spite of this, there are still
some candidates who spend beyond the ceiling amount during the campaign period.
On
September 2013, COMELEC issued a resolution disqualifying Emilio Ramon “ER”
Ejercito from holding the Office of the Provincial Governor of Laguna and
ordered him to cease and desist from performing the functions of the same. He
appealed to the Supreme Court but it was denied.
The
said disqualification was because of overspending during the May 2013
elections. The petition to disqualify him was filed by his political rival. So,
was it out of pure adherence to the Fair Election Act? But then, there is
always a political motive, so I guess not.
I
sympathize for Ejercito, but then again, he violated the law. The grounds for
disqualification as stipulated in the Omnibus Election Code were crystal clear
and one of which is overspending. Nevertheless,
amongst all the candidates, it is very unlikely that he was the only one who
overspent. COMELEC shall also audit the expenses of other winning candidates. It
seems highly unfair to disqualify him when there are other elected candidates who
likewise overspent and were not even scrutinized for the same.
One
thing I understand with regard to politics is that when a candidate is elected,
they obtain the power to rule. It follows why these candidates spend too much
for election alone. But do they really need to be in a public office to help
the people? They may have different plataforma
de gobyerno but in sum, it is mainly to help the people.
It
might be naive, but if the candidate is indeed deserving of the position, if
the people certainly want him to be their leader, then regardless of the money
he spends, he will be the leader no less.
To
be fair, and in adherence to equal protection doctrine, all shall be
scrutinized and have their expenses for elections audited. It might be given
that there is a taint of dirt and inequality attached whenever politics is
being talked about, be that as it may, it is still a great dismay to learn that
politics remains as it is.
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