I Just Voted for Richard Gordon!

My watch said, “8:45 am”, when the PCOS machine shouted “Congratulations!, no. 74 voter successfully voted. Yes! I just voted for Richard “Dick” Gordon otherwise known as the “Tunay na Lalaki” and had used the controversial PCOS machine under the first ever automated elections in our beloved country – the Philippines. But, that puts the cart ahead the horse! Let me backtrack a little to what transpired early this day, May 10, 2010.

Last night, my family agreed to set the alarm of my cellphone at 5:20 am. We slept early after we celebrated mother's day at the ACE WATER SPA in Del Monte, Quezon City from 2 pm to 6pm and had dinner at the Kamay-Kainan on Kalayaan Avenue.

Indeed, we woke up at 5:20 am but my wife did not wake up immediately. We finally had breakfast at 6:15 am and I had took a quick shower. We finally left home at 7:05 am and arrived at the public school inside our Subdivision where the election precincts are located at 7:10 am. We went to the table to the Pastoral Parish Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) at the center part of the school grounds and asked where Precinct Number 0455 A and 0456 B are. These are the precincts where me and my wife (0455 A) and my daughters (0456 B) are listed. But the PPCRV volunteers do not know the locations of the precincts and advised us to go to the precincts and look for the precinct numbers that we were looking for. Good, a neighbor called my attention when I approached the first precinct on the right wing of the school building that we were in the right precinct which is the clustered precinct number 0455 A composed of the precincts 0455 A, 0455 B, 0456 A, 0456 B and 0457 A.

There were already about 30 persons ahead of us on the queue of voters at 7:15 am. It was only after 30 minutes that we moved forward on the queue since the seniors citizens were given the courtesy to vote ahead of us who were on the queue. I had to leave the queue once to answer the call of nature for me to pee! The morning sun was getting hot and the people behind us were already getting restless!

Alas! At 8:40 am, I was already in front of the head of the Board of Elections Inspectors to give my name and to sign on the list of voters. Quickly, I was given my ballot, I occupied a vacant pupil desk and casted my vote. I voted number 5 Richard Gordon for President! His running mate number 3 Bayani Fernando for Vice President. I had voted 12 senatoriables.I voted number 3, Art Robes for Congressman, the governor, vice governor, board members, Mayor, Vice Mayor and City Councilors.

I was done with the last City Councilor in five minutes. I went to the PCOS machine, inserted my ballot and the PCOS machine said, “Congratulations!” and it was8:45 am. I was telling the teacher in charge of the indelible ink that I was the 74^th voter who voted as seen in the PCOS and it was after one hour and 45 minutes. A pool watcher who was listening told me that our precinct was just on time, since there are only 800 voters in our clustered precinct and the voting started at 7 am and will end at 6 pm. However, when I looked at the queue of the voters which is already about one hundred meters, I am afraid that people would start to get impatient for the long waiting time.

For me and my family, we will continue to pray for an orderly and credible elections until the last PCOS machine count is transmitted!