MEDIUM RARE

So we have 12 new and not-so-new senators. Plus a roster of both new and repeat congresspersons, mayors, vice mayors, and councilors. Congratulations and my sympathies to you all!

Now the work begins, or begins again. There were no tears shed when the winners were proclaimed, but there will be the few who will stand out for the quality of their minds and their work. The rest who will fade into the background will be happy to stay there, but we will remember their names and remember to ask them, how do you pay us back for our votes?

I live in the National Capital Region, in a city that is large in area and population size, but I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting or catching sight of our mayor, vice mayor, or any of the city councilors. Our paths have not crossed. For now my housemates and neighbors seem satisfied with the most elementary of services paid for by our taxes – good roads, no flooding, punctual garbage collection (sometimes twice a day).

Taxpayers don’t ask for the moon when their “public servants” perform their duties. But if election day is the one day every three years that citizens could grade their performance, why not? Last Monday, my housemate and his cousins – neighbors all – made a date to do their duty as a group. At the crack of dawn, they walked to the polling place, cast their votes, and came home satisfied that they had performed their duty as responsible citizens. No problems encountered, none whatsoever.

Perhaps as a reward, the heavens sent down a shower to cool our rooftop and treetops.

Watching the election coverage on TV later in the evening, I felt a sense of relief that compared to previous years, the news was that there were fewer incidents of violence last Monday and Tuesday.

A long time ago, the same professor who taught both ancient and modern literature was convinced that “democracy came too soon to us,” citing as example how we innocently or ignorantly hand over power to politicians who are not ready to own and wield power. It’s been decades since she said so — indeed, I want to think we’ve matured with every election. Or have we?