THIS snatch of private conversation between a putative official of the Commission on Elections and an anxious Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in June 2004, this dialogue explains itself:
“Okay ma’am mas mataas ho siya pero magcompensate po sa Lanao ‘yan.”
GMA: So I will still lead by more than one M overall?
“More or less but it is still an advantage ma’am. Parang ganun din ang lalabas.”
GMA: Oo pero it will not be less than one M?
“Pipilitin ho natin ‘yan. Pero as of the other day, 982.”
GMA: Kaya nga eh.
“And then if we can get more in Lanao.”
GMA: Hindi pa ba tapos?
The chit-chat starts off with an innocuous remark that someone is taller (mas mataas) than the petite incumbent. But it’s not about growing taller she’s interested in. GMA insists she will lead and the lead will not be less than one million. The chivvied official parries and lets out the tell-tale “Pipilitin ho natin ‘yan”—we’ll do what we can, “if we can get more in Lanao.”
There’s indeed something...
Prizewinning Filipino writer's musings, written in English and Tagalog-based Filipino.