As the voting for the May 2022 election already closed, stakeholders involved in the election would start to count and confirm the ballots as we await for the results of who will our next president be.
Different emotions are felt at this moment, some are praying that the one they voted would make it to be the change that they desired to be after the perceived hardships they've experienced in the current administration. Others are afraid that the son of a former president would rise once again and the trauma that the people experienced during the Martial Law would once again surface.
Personally, I was in mixed emotions from the time that candidates starts declaring their intention to run. There is fear, confusion, uncertainty that pertains to various candidates. Add to the fact that I'm making my own conspiracy theories because of the feelings that I'm experiencing. It also doesn't help when majority of people think this is a two-horse race while there are 10 candidates who are running for the same position. Add to the fact that when you told someone that you wouldn't vote for Candidate A, they assume you're voting for Candidate B that they truly despise or vise versa (e.g. you don't like Candidate B, so they think you are for Candidate A). For some out-of-place candidates, they are there either to try to make a change in their little ways or to give some masses a chance to vote for somebody else who were not considered part of the so-called "two-horse race".
For my part, I didn't vote for any of the top two candidates in the survey. I'm glad we're not following the system of the United States where there's only two viable candidates to choose from, because I might end up choosing my own poison (for some it might looked stupid - but that's my personal reasons that people in general may not understand).
For the candidate that I voted, some people may have said "you're just wasting your vote on somebody who's not going to win anyway, might as well cast your vote on a candidate that has a high chance of winning." or there are controversies surrounding this said candidate. You can even throw the idea of the campaign manager of this candidate is the one who's causing headaches - especially to the business sector. Lastly, people would be wondering, why don't you vote for the model candidate where this candidate has a good track record, really did something to make the country a better place, the person who businessmen loves having as a president so the economy would keep growing like what the previous president did?
And I think I got my answer on the last week leading to today's election... It all came from one tweet of a verified source with the candidate saying this will be the last time this candidate will run for a government office. In my weak intuition, I already know who's going to win - and yes, it's not the candidate I voted. Wasting my vote? Maybe not voting for this candidate might even be a bigger regret for me because this is the same candidate I wanted to vote for 2004 elections then except I was a minor back then.
That's why no matter what the results of this election would be, I know that I'll be in peace. I'll be in peace knowing that despite of a slim chance this candidate might win, I know that I wouldn't regret this vote. I am at peace knowing that my decision was not swayed by outside forces - no matter how credible or factual they are. Yes, other voters who vouch for other candidates might have to find ways to change your mind through their own convincing powers. I am at peace knowing that I did not bash other people nor prohibit their freedom of speech in choosing their favorite candidate while I did not sway them away from their preferred candidate. I am at peace knowing that I allowed them to give their own reason on why I should not choose their preferred candidate without them being afraid of whatever I would give rebuttal against the said candidate or not. I may had looked like a people pleaser whoever a very vocal person might be vouching for, but in the heated moment of huge political differences, that's the only way to get through a conversation without losing your own stand of being affected by other people's ridiculousness or guilt tripping.
Again, based on how the current situation unfolds, my mind knows who is going to win - it was not the candidate I voted for, but I know I can sleep at peace like the same people who voted for the candidate that I know that's going to win. I'm not going to regret this - not at all.
Nota Bene: Blog has been posted from another blogsite that I also owned last May 9, 2022.
