Elections in the Philippines for most people (at least in the Payatas) has been a cruel joke.

People who are running are not running for office as much as they are running for a job or even worse, the opportunity to get their fingers in anything they can.

Corruption is the world over. In the U.S. there is so much corruption that they can’t pay the bills so now they want the rich to pay the bills that they never paid because the Government stole the money. They want the poor to pay also by cutting the medical assistance to the poor and social security to those who paid into the system for years.

Worldwide corruption is so rampant, people are used to it.

We should no longer put up with corruption. Look at Payatas. Every election people vote for candidates that promise them the world and shortly after they realize all they got in return was more garbage in the form of election banners illegally placed by the candidates.

It is our practice to walk the community every Saturday telling all about the salvation through Our Lord. We also try to talk to the people and help them in any way we can.

So, one day as we were walking, a lady approached me with her entourage and asked me if I could convince my Church members to vote for her for Council woman. I laughed and asked her where had she been as I never saw her in the area before. She said that’s because I just started to run. I could not believe it. I told her, look, if you want to serve the people (I don’t think she understood the concept) then come out here week after week and try to fix the problems. Do something to make a difference. Then when it is time for election, you probably won’t have to say anything. People will just want the person who loves to help them. She wasn’t elected.

Sometimes people are not elected because the vote is rigged.

All this needs to change. There is a man in the neighborhood who I hold in high esteem. He lives in Payatas and he is helping the people in Payatas every week.

Starting soon we will be promoting this man for the Barangay Captain position coming available in 2013. We will tell you all about him. Many of you know him.
There are a lot of issues in Payatas today, Building a palace for a barangay hall and installing fences on Payatas road so it is dangerous to wait for a Jeepney are not two of them.

Write down your ideas for changes and give it to us or post them. I know most are not on the internet so we will catch up with you house to house. We will ask you to get involved to count ballots and supervise so there is no tampering.

We are Payatas Mission Outreach, Inc. and Payatas Q.C. Baptist Church and Ministries, Inc. The only reason we are here is to make a difference in Payatas and we have done that for the past five years. Let’s join together and change this place.

We will see you soon.