I had a wisdom tooth pulled out a week ago and it was not a pleasant experience. Worst, me and the dentist to decide to leave a tooth fragment in. This is when strong teeth is a disadvantage. There was much pulling, must drilling and much pain. Towards the end of the procedure, the anesthesia began to wear off and I was willing very tired and weary. I actually felt the last two of the three stitches on my gums. Thankfully, i am close to ending my diet of soft food and pain killers.

To go with the pain and agony of having my wisdom tooth pulled out, I had to endure the anguish of watching Philippine elections unfold. Each occasion of electoral violence and vote buying felt like my tooth being drilled all over again. kakangilo.

The Philippine National Police sure did its darnest best to characterize the last elections as peaceful. But i don’t suppose 150 plus people killed can be considered peaceful by any means imaginable. While lower than 2004’s 180 plus people dead, one life is just too many. Thankfully, media did not buy the spin.

But can there ever be peaceful elections in the Philippines? obviously, the Comelec has done zilch in assuring no one gets killed. In fact, it might have even promoted the bloodshed by issuing all those exemptions of all those guns to all those politicians. If my recollection is right, the Comelec gave out around 20,000 exemptions. A total gun ban is the only way to reduce the bloodshed. All guns should, without exemption, be in the hands of only the police and military.

It seems the PNP did nothing in stamping out private armies, members of whom are adept at hiding. Stamping out private armies seems to be the only sure way to control rabid followers of politicians who will just as easily whack someone for their patron. I have heard stories of a list compiled by the PNP. Now if the national police has already identified politicians who are keeping private armies, then what is the PNP waiting for? The task force formed to go after private armies? i heard not a peep from them the whole elections. It didn’t help they were avoiding the press.

As i write this, special elections are underway in Lanao province. Sadly, the holding of the elections here in this troubled province is a reflection and a result of how bad the Comelec handled the 2004 elections. These people should not be allowed to handle the 2010 elections, or this country is really in trouble. Friend Tony Velasquez on ANC says the Lanao is one of the most disorderly this election year. That is putting it mildly i think. I’ve been to Mindanao and I have marveled at the beauty of the landscape which provides a sharp contrast to the violence.

I spotted an interview with Julkipli Wadi of UP’s Islamic Studies where he said people in Mindanao don’t take elections seriously because they don’t feel the national government is doing anything for the quality of their lives. But, it can be argued, isn’t that what you have the local governments for?

A friend who writes for another broadsheet told me that local elections there are so intense because local officials feel an entitlement to funds from the national government, at the expense of public services. This might be a simplistic observation not supported by any facts. But if that were the case, politicians in Mindanao seems to me no different from a politician in either Luzon or Visayas. On the other hand, I am sure there are responsible officials in Mindanao who care about their constituents. But like most things in this country, they are the exceptions rather than the rule.

Time to take my painkillers.