Around this time of the year, people in the Philippine Community Council (pee-cee-cee) become extra nice and slip on their best behaviour. It’s say hello time and they’re there at every event and function. After being ignored all year, you’ll wonder what you did to deserve this sudden, unexpected attention. And to think they’re not even trying to sell you a ticket. If one was not accustomed to the community cycle one would think that it’s their New Year’s resolution or a spillover of the Christmas cheer. Naaahhh!! It simply means that the PCC elections are coming up soon and it’s electioneering time!
It indeed is the most pretentious time of the year as the smooth operators transform themselves into charmers to lure the unsuspecting to re-join the group; to pay their fees and get their vote; or better still they’ll fan the ego and offer you a seat of no return – an illusionary title for those with blind ambitions.
Around this time too, new enemies are made as some flip-flop along the way to the poll; swingers shift sides and the rare few, having been shaken by reality find their way back to sanity.
However, this time, as they do the circles, there are those promising to clean up the pee-cee-cee and stop the ghosts of the past from voting? Clean up the pee-cee-cee?! You mean to say, it was dirty? Does that mean I’ve been right all along? They’ll surely need a huge industrial dump truck to chuck the humanoids with artificial intelligence who’ve gone way past their ‘use by’ dates.
Well, well, well!! Miracles do happen! Those who themselves have been burned are now remorseful and have finally seen the light ! Halleluiah! To those who went around claiming I was simply a critic who had nothing better to do and that this column was fiction – I have been vindicated.. At last, there are now those openly admitting that there was indeed a whole lot of shaking going on and we, the mere mortals have had to put up with all the shenanigans for years.
As I had repeatedly said, the anomalies do not happen on the day. That’s just the spill over. The scheming, manipulation and collaborative connivance happens during the campaign season. That’s NOW! Due to the lack of good people to run on the board, they simply play mix ‘n’ match and assign them to clubs that no longer exist, manufacture or reincarnate the dead. Some even pay for the membership fees and supplant the person who will vote in their favour.
This year the election may turn out to be quite interesting. Ms. Elsa Collado takes on Cen Amores. Both are females but contrasting. That’s like Ms. Congeniality meets the grouch! . Both can carry the title doctor however only Collado is technically deserving of the title. Both are of the Ilocano species which would mean splitting the group. As it is, Amores’ followers, except the ever- faithful Jimmy Lopez and a few others, have already jumped ship, leaving Amores on the hunt for new faces and new clubs to reincarnate.
While Collado may appear more timid and soft spoken than the boisterous Amores, it may be worth remembering that the latter may result to ear bashing. Besides strength of character and true leadership has nothing to do with the decibels that emanate from one’s vocal chords. It’s the intangible values, such as integrity and honesty which would eventually spell the difference.
It’ll be also be interesting to see what Club or association Cen Amores herself will represent. Knowing that Cen Amores is the better half of Ruben Amores who brought that infamous election results and is also tied to Jimmy Lopez….hmmm, that’s enough said.
Well so far, at least there’s the expressed intention from Collado’s group to clean up the pee-cee-cee. It’s a start. We can only hope it happens. Why the former presidents in their false notions of an advisory board simply sat, watched and tolerated the deceit has always puzzled me. Then of course, there were those who were part of the scheming.
On 7th of February, all will be revealed. We wait and see though not with bated breath. But if there’s any reason to rejoice – it’s that I was right!! If only for that, I think I might even celebrate, even by myself.
