Taxi Cab Politics

I rode a "radio booth" the other day and thoroughly enjoyed myself. What, that was a taxi cab? Well, the driver did sound like a commentator on AM radio and am thankful to him for entertaining me and my officemate for the duration of our taxi ride. The conversation innocently started with some discussion about campaign posters - I forget now who started to talk, whether it was the driver or my officemate - and the rest, is political history in the making. For those who do not understand Tagalog or Filipino, read no further. If I translate the following lines, much of the humor will be lost. So Pinoys everywhere, enjoy...

I happened to ask:

Angel (A): Sino hong iboboto nyo?
Driver (D): A, sa panalo ako.

A: E di kay FPJ ho kayo?
D: Oo, mag action star muna ako. Doon naman tayo sa pipi. Mahirap yung salita nang salita.

(The driver then goes on to comment on Raul Roco)

D: Si Roco, matalino pero di naman niya ginagamit ang katalinuhan niya. Bakit siya umalis sa Dep Ed? Sana pinatunayan muna niya yung sarili niya doon. E, hindi, nag-resign siya kaagad. (After saying those things, the driver decides to ask me...)

D: Sino ho ba mam ang iboboto nyo?
A: Ako, Roco ako, e.
D: Sabi ko na nga ba, Roco kayo (How he arrived at that, I don't know.)Bicolano ba kayo? (as if to imply that only Bicolanos will vote for Roco?)
A: Hindi.
D: A, hindi nga siguro. Mukha kasi kayong Amerikano. Ang dami nyong freckles. (He was driving and he noticed my freckles?) Siguro mahilig kayo kumain ng pickles?
A: May koneksyon ba yun? E di kung Amerikano ako e di dapat kay FPJ ako.
D: Bakit ho?
A: E di ba, Amerikano si FPJ?
D: E Pilipino naman yun. Pero sabi nila Amerikano daw ang tatay.
A: Hindi, ang nanay.
D: A, yung nanay ba? Akala ko yung tatay.

A: E sino hong VP nyo?
D: Sino pa, meron pa bang iba?
A: Kay Noli ho kayo?
D: E sino pa bang iba?
A: Si Loren.
D: A, ayaw ko dun. Tupperware yun.
(And then as if to contradict his own choice, he continues...)
D: Pero si Noli, parang wala namang nagawa sa Senado. Parang "go to school and sit. Go home and eat."

A: E si Hermie Aquino ho?
D: Sino ba yun? Di ko pa siya nadidinig. Kamag-anak ba yun ni Ninoy?
A: Tiyo ho ni Ninoy.
D: Tiyo ni Kris?
A: Hindi, lolo na ho ni Kris.

(Then the driver goes back to the time of Erap)

D: Dapat kasi si Erap, pinatapos na lang nila. Di sana ngayon patapos na. Mabango na si Gloria.
A: Sino ho bang binoto niyo nung huling election?
D: E sa panalo ako. (This guy has a penchant for winners. Quite like other Pinoys I have talked to who will not vote for the candidate they really like since they don't think the candidate has a chance to win. Voting on the basis of winnability seems to be quite rampant or so they say.)

A: E kung ma-disqualify si FPJ, sinong iboboto nyo?
D: A kay Ping na ako. Extreme Justice na tayo.

Then he says something quite relevant and wise:

D: Pero dapat talaga, kung sino mang manalo, suportahan na lang. Hindi ba yung puro reklamo at tirahan...

I never thought I'd find entertainment and wit and very definite political opinions in that taxi cab but I did. I liked the driver though because he was willing to listen to us and was not too fanatical in supporting FPJ. That's my main problem actually. How do I convince people not to vote for FPJ without infringing on their personal right to choose? I, personally, wouldn't want anyone convincing me not to vote for Roco, or anyone else for that matter.

Well, enjoy the ride till the elections are over. If such people vote for FPJ, maybe things won't be too bad...