EVANESCENCE
I <3 bBm
by Neil Villagonzalo
Whenever someone would ask me, why did I vote for Bongbong Marcos?
My answer is respect. Respect my opinion.
After all, I was able to watch copious and poorly edited vlogs that chronicled Ferdinand Marcos’s meteoric rise to power more than fifty years ago. In one vlog I saw, Michael Jordan was actually given Nutribun by Ferdinand Marcos so that he would become one of the greatest basketball players of all time. This was done during a vacation in North Carolina.
In literature, we are always exhorted to look for references. When we analyze a text, we always provide evidence. However, because I <3 bBm, I simply chose to believe spliced photos and a person skipping the debate because of a "conflict in schedule". After all, because Sara Duterte endorsed him, he must be good. Like Soren Kierkegaard said, “Fêtes begin precisely where thinking leaves off.”
Of course, I read about his fake degree in Oxford. I even sent an e-mail to Oxford about it: it said, “Thank you for your email. We can confirm that a Ferdinand Marcos matriculated at the University of Oxford in 1975 to read for a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. According to our records, he did not complete his degree, but was awarded a Special Diploma in Social Studies in 1978.”
But because I have blind fêtes to expect from Madam Sara, I voted for him anyway. What about competence, you ask? Yes, definitely. Because of my vote, I have received ample competence from one of our…
If you ask me, why not Leni? After all, she has offered the most achievements and has proven herself with her ISO certifications. That is certainly true! She is definitely excellent at her job. She even had the highest rating from COA with her clean records. She also has traveled to all 82 provinces of the Philippines to give help to the people. But that is not the competence I am talking about. The real competence is filling up the big Philippine Arena with the crowd.
I actually understand why the BBM-Sara tandem chose the red and green motif, because during their campaign it was Christmas for many Filipinos, as it was a season of giving. As long as one attended the rally, there will be free groceries and even a rainbow of rectangles! The lucky ones would have yellows amid a sea of blues, but there was always gift-giving.
Did I feel guilt after voting for the pair? Yes, definitely, my pockets became gilt with money. Although it quickly disappeared, I appreciated the competence that I had received. I <3 bBm, after all.