By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

“THEY’RE having elections in the Philippines now?” Daisy Rodriguez responded in surprise when asked if she was eligible for absentee voting.
Her response summed up her indifference to the political affairs in the Philippines — her native country — where the electorate gears up for the May 14 midterm elections.
Rodriguez, a resident of Dededo, was among the naturalized U.S. citizens who didn’t care to take advantage of the dual citizenship law, which the Philippine government adopted in September 2003 as an accompanying measure to the Overseas Absentee Voting Program.
Politics is the staple of life in the Philippines, where elections are characterized by an odd combination of entertainment, gore, bribery and ballot-switching.
The Overseas Absentee Voting Act of 2003 was enacted to ensure equal opportunity to all qualified citizens of the Philippines abroad in the exercise of their right to participate in the election of president, vice-president, senators and party-list representatives.
But as far as most Filipinos and Filipino-Americans on Guam are concerned, “Who cares?”
The Filipino Channel is their only link to home, but the comfort that they have found in their foster home-island and their lost faith in the Philippine election system make some Filipinos lose their desire to look back.
“I’m too busy with work and too busy making money. I have no time to apply for dual citizenship,” said Rhodora Mayet Soriano, a fashion designer who lives in Agana Heights.
Her distrust in Philippine elections is another factor that puts her off. “I don’t have confidence that my efforts would be worth it. I’m not sure if my vote would be properly counted to the candidates that I actually choose,” said Soriano, who has been on Guam for 16 years.
Residents of Filipino descent make up over 40,000 of Guam’s population of 160,000 as of the 2000 census. The size of the Filipino community and the level of its active involvement in local politics make this ethnic group one of the most coveted voting blocs in Guam elections. Filipino organizations endorsed gubernatorial candidates during the November 2006 elections, in which a number of Filipinos even tried their luck.
But the number of dual citizens who have applied for and certified by the Philippine Commission on Election for the absentee voting process indicates the low level of enthusiasm for elections back home.
Some voters have not received the ballots mailed by the elections commission because the recipients could not be located.
According to the Philippine Consulate, only 150 of the 6,000 certified voters have so far turned in their ballots.
“It’s a futile exercise. The same old faces get elected and nothing changes after each election,” said Tes Venzon, a student of Guam Community College who became a U.S. citizen in 2005.
“The results of the Philippine election are not relevant to me anymore. I’m not applying for dual citizenship because I don’t believe in serving two masters. Guam is my home now,” said Venzon, who was born and raised in Manila.
“At heart, I am still Filipino. If my vote would make any difference, then by all means, I would vote. But I know that my vote would not matter, so what’s the point? I participate in Guam elections because I know that, here, my vote counts,” she said.
Eunice Einmo of Dededo described Philippine elections as “too crazy.”
“It never changes. I watch The Filipino Channel and see all these politicians running for public offices for personal interests. Government and opposition candidates are all the same. Everybody thinks they are qualified to run,” said Einmo, a green card holder.
Arden Bonto of Yigo, who has been on Guam for 17 years, simply doesn’t find any interest in regaining his Filipino citizenship. “I don’t feel it just yet. I don’t own any properties in the Philippines to go back home for,” said Bonto, who was an anti-Marcos activist when he was a student in Manila.
Bonto remains interested in Philippine current events, but his status as a U.S. citizen won’t allow him to participate in the election. “If I could still vote in the Philippines, sure I will do so. Why not?”
Marie Sampang, who works as a secretary at the EMCE Consulting Engineers, said she gets her regular dose of Philippine politics from The Filipino Channel.
“If I’m able to vote, I know whom I would vote for,” said Sampang, who became a U.S. citizen in 1999.
However, she can’t vote. “I just have not thought about applying for dual citizenship. I never go back home anymore and I don’t see the importance of having two citizenships,” she said.