HOPE

By Atty. Rolex T. Suplico

(Privilege speech delivered by the author during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo last July 8, 2025)

Vice-Governor Lee Ann Debuque, my fellow Board Members, ladies and gentlemen:

Good afternoon! I remember my kindergarten teacher at the West Visayas State University, who told us countless fairy tales. My personal favorite is The Emperor’s New Clothes, by Hans Christian Andersen.

We all know the story. It’s about an Emperor who was duped by 2 con men he hired to make magnificent clothes, which are invisible to the stupid. Thus, everyone pretended that clothes were being made, or be branded as stupid. Finally, the fateful day arrived. The Emperor paraded in his new clothes. He was applauded until a child blurted out that he was wearing nothing at all! Startled, the Emperor opted to continue with the parade.

I now see familiar faces. I feel again the sweet vibrations of this room. This is our home.

I started my political career here in 1995, when I was first elected as Board Member. After 3 years, I ran and won as Congressman, a position I held continuously for 9 years. I then won as Vice-Governor. I headed this chamber for 3 years, from 2007 to 2010. In 2010, I ran for Congressman, and lost.

For the record, I did not buy votes in these elections. I won because of my qualifications, my programs and my performance as a public servant. In short, I won based on merit and I respected the voters.

After 15 years, I decided to try my hand again at politics. It was the correct decision as I won. I thought that I would not make it to the last slot. I was slowly sliding downwards. I finally placed second with 100,386 votes.

I wish to tell you about my experience running as Board Member in the 5^th District. I have heard about the rampant vote-buying, disrespecting the voters.  And this was not the norm when I left in 2010.

I have been informed by persons, whose words I do not doubt, that there were candidates who aggressively engaged in buying votes in the district. The amounts vary depending on the positions. Social media was full of pictures of sample ballots with stapled or attached peso bills just before and immediately after May 12, 2025.

I have been invited to several gatherings where I was reminded to bring envelopes loaded with money. This meant that I would have no choice but to buy votes. I politely declined.

I also know of a husband-and-wife team, who are both considered as the power couple in the province, and who had allegedly spent huge amounts of money to buy votes. Their alleged district-wide vote-buying activities, which stretched up to election day itself, can only be described as systematic and massive. It was of such an immense scale which has never been seen before in the district in recent memory.

On May 10, or 2 days before election day, Iloilo Metropolitan Times or IMT reported that I organized a vote-buying activity in Barotac Viejo:

“Joint elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-6) responded to a reported vote-buying activity during a gathering organized by candidate Rolex Suplico in Barangay Sto. Domingo, Barotac Viejo, Iloilo on Saturday, May 10.”

Surprised at this falsity, I immediately called up Rhod Tecson, who I consider as a friend dating back to the mid-90s. Rhod is a big name at the IMT. I told him that I have not been to Barotac Viejo since the funeral of former Mayor Myrna Tupas on May 4, or 6 days before May 10.

On May 11, a day before election day, IMT issued this:

“IMT NEWS reporter Ian Paul Cordero, who has been deployed to the Fifth District as part of the news organization’s election coverage, confirmed that Suplico was not in the area but those people managing the gathering were wearing shirts bearing Suplico’s name and image.”

“We did not mention that Suplico was present in the area,” he explained.

“Suplico called the report “erroneous and wrong” and demanded a public apology from IMT NEWS because his reputation was besmirched. IMT NEWS stands by its story. But we apologize for hurting the feelings of Suplico who was mentioned in the report. We are sorry.”

It was flimsy for Mr. Cordero to label me as the organizer based solely on the clothes of the alleged managers of the event. He could have condemned Adidas if the participants wore the brand.

But what is intriguing about the incident was that it was held on May 10, when political activity was still allowed. The raid has the effect of being held at gunpoint. It also bears noting that no proof was ever presented to prove that it was a vote-buying event. Moreover, no election cases have been filed, based on Section 261 (a) of Batas Pambansa Bilang 881, which declared vote-buying and vote-selling as prohibited acts. What we have are only the 2 news items of IMT.

It was simply a smear drive against my person.

Vote-buying is, therefore, the elephant in the room. It is ever present in our elections. We tend to deny its very existence. It saddens me that some consider it already as a normal feature of our elections.

It is so much like the story of The Emperor’s New Clothes. We applaud, we clap, we stand up and we act as if nothing happened, yet we know that the con men, who are engaged in vote-buying, have conned us once again.

Vote-buying is immoral. It undermines and bastardizes our democracy. It selects low quality politicians, as it drastically affects how we choose our candidates. The candidate with tons of cash is not necessarily the best candidate. It also reduces public accountability once these politicians are elected into office.

American political activist John Lewis hit the nail right in the head when he said: “The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy.”

And how will those who won through vote-buying recover the money they used to buy votes?

The answer is in the vicious cycle of corruption. The money spent for vote-buying will be recovered from government projects.

And who pays for these projects? It is us, the people. We pay with our taxes.

If you will spend a lot of money to buy votes, and you will win, you will then recover these from government projects. Spend big-time; buy votes big-time; win big-time; and recover big-time. And we will have sub-standard projects, big-time. Big-time crooks, and some of them even like to quote the Bible!

Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig City said that: “Tandaan – ang gagastos ng malaki sa kampanya ay malaki rin ang babawiin.” He also said that: “Money Politics, kung saan gumagastos ng sobrang laki ang mga politiko para manalo – alam na naman natin kung ano ang kasunod nun. Ang pinaka obvious na naidudulot nito ay korapsyon.”

Can this illegal practice be stopped? Is there hope for candidates who will not buy votes? Is there hope for the 5^th District in particular, or for this country in general? Is there hope for all of us?

The answers to these questions are:

Yes, this pernicious practice can be stopped. Yes, candidates who will not buy votes can still win. Yes, there is hope for the district and for this country.  I did not buy votes and yet I won. And I have talked with candidates in the district, who have also won, without buying votes.

We need to stop vote-buying. It is the obligation of all Filipinos and of each one of us, who composed the 15^th Sangguniang Panlalawigan, to put an end to this evil habit. Let us not be tricked once again. We must educate the voters on the perils of vote-buying.  And voter education is the only road to success in this regard.

Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe aptly said: “A functioning, robust democracy requires a healthy, educated, participatory followership, and an educated, morally grounded leadership.”

Let me remind everyone that Emperors and Kings are long gone. Their power is now with the people, who elect public officials. Yet, the con men, like the ones in The Emperor’s New Clothes, are still with us, duping us to sell our votes. We cannot continue the parade and be unconcerned. We have to raise the alarm and warn the people, as I did today.

Fellow public servants, we cannot allow vote-buying to continue unhindered. We can start with ourselves and commit that: “I will not buy votes nor sell my vote in the next election!”

I, therefore, condemn vote-buying in the 5^th District in the strongest possible terms. I will now ask this 15^th Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass a resolution condemning the same, in due time.

I will now recite the Serenity Prayer for all of us to contemplate:

“God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,

Courage to change the things we can,

And wisdom to know the difference.”

I wish to thank the 15^th Sangguniang Panlalawigan for the golden opportunity to speak.

In closing, I wish to thank God for the gift of 100,386 unpaid votes! And I am back where I started my politics. My friends, it is certainly good to be home.