After my month-and-a-half vacation in my native country, Philippines, earlier this year, I returned to Oman on 25th March. I left a humid, sweltering country, rife with brown-outs, and returned to a hot and dry Middle East, smack dab in the beginning of the summer season.

No complaints there, though – sacrifice comes with the territory of being an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). I was back in circulation on 27th March and have been at work since then.

The Philippine National Elections took place last May 10th. I take no shame in saying that I did not register for Overseas Absentee Voting at the Philippine Embassy here in Oman. Thus, I was not able to cast my vote.

I do not regret my decision to boycott the elections. I honestly like none of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. A few of the senatoriables I found massively amusing and entertaining, but none of them really deserved my vote. In the local arena, in my native city, I found the candidates to be either traditional politicians (trapos, a local term for dish rags) or severely elitist.

In the end, I could not find the energy to haul my arse to the crumbling villa that housed our embassy, even though it is literally across the street from my office.

Honestly, the only person who deserved my vote of late was Rica Paras of Pinoy Big Brother: Double Up. I diligently cast my save votes for her a few times when she was in danger of being evicted from the Big Brother House.

My dear parents spent the hours following lunch time on their usual Sunday date at the mall, sans the bothersome presence of progeny (namely, yours truly).

Said progeny was at home, watching Philippine show business talk shows (alternating between The Buzz and S-Files, in hopes of gleaning more firsthand information into the Alma Moreno/Joey Marquez/Kris Aquino love triangle), teaching a friend hifalutin English phrases, and doing some “meat-gathering” for a study on Collective Bargaining proposals.

We have just drawn up a list of who to vote in tomorrow’s Barangay Elections for a Punong Barangay and seven Councilors. Most of the people in our line-up are part of the family that is, arguably, closest to our own here in Arevalo. Hard-working, sincere people, pioneers and fixtures in this suburb that has now expanded since they first set up their homestead here before World War II.

On a side note, Father confirmed that one of the so-called “nuisance” candidates for Iloilo Lone District Congressman in the 2001 National Elections died a month or so ago. He was Paquito “Bord” D. Pantin, an elderly man who campaigned with torn slippers in the La Paz Public Market area.

May the eternal peace of the gods be with you, Tiyoy Bord. May you find in death the victory you were denied in life.

I have just finished watching Nora Aunor speak on television. She has a 30-second spot in which she encourages her fellow Filipinos to continue supporting the programs of the government.

I have to say that this actress has quite an interesting past. This I say for her primary career, which is of course show business, and her incidental pursuit, which would be politics.

Ate Guy, the nickname by which she is affectionately called by the masses, is one of the foremost actresses in Philippine cinema. Her moniker is also “The Superstar,” having reaped dramatic honors right and left in her prime days. She is most recognized for her acting work in the 1982 jewel of a film, Himala (Miracle).

She was a close political ally of former Philippine president Joseph “Erap” Ejercito-Estrada, playing an important role in advancing his aspirations for office. It can be argued that Nora was responsible for a great number of Erap’s votes that made him City Mayor, Senator, Vice-President, and, finally, President.

When Erap was about to be unseated because of People Power II last year, Nora sided with the camp of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and publicly admitted the misery she had gone through as Erap’s mistress-of-sorts. Included in said misery would be physical beatings, being ignored and taken for granted during campaign trips, and endless fights borne of Erap’s supposedly possessive nature.

Now Ate Guy speaks in favor of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration.

I suppose no one wants to fall along with Erap if they could help it. Or maybe Nora just had too much.