Vote for the lunatics

By Alex P. Vidal

“What can you do against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself, who gives your arguments a fair hearing and then simply persists in his lunacy?”—George Orwell

DURING the filing of the Certificates of Candidacy (COC) on October 1-8 for the May 9, 2022 Philippine election, we saw how characters with terrible levels of mental deformity were allowed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to file their COCs like they were normal persons.

They grabbed headlines and were the center of attraction.

It’s because of the loopholes in our electoral system.

In our decrepit system, even the bloodsuckers and voodoo practitioners can run for president—and “get away with it.”

While we laughed at the nuisance candidates who were in a mad scramble to beat the filing of COC, the world laughed at us.

People around the world monitored what’s going on in the Philippines with or without the election—and how we allowed rascals and weirdos to join the election.

The joke is actually on us normal people, not with the COC document-toting clowns and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-type poll applicants.

It’s only in the Philippines where lunatics and characters with delusions of grandeur managed (or were allowed?) to join the electoral process as candidates.

We laughed while listening to them justifying their COCs before national TV and other media platforms, but we haven’t done anything to correct this international shame, which had occurred like old TCM channel movies for several elections in the past.

 

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We strongly push for legislation to require every election candidate to undergo a thorough psychological evaluation or examination before their Certificates of Candidacy (COC) can be approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Those who are found to be unfit should be rejected right away.

The primary qualifications shouldn’t be just a college degree for higher offices, but more specifically stability of mental health for the candidates.

A person who holds a false belief has delusion. If he is an election candidate, he will contradict reality or what is commonly considered true.

The strength of a delusion is based on how much the person believes it.

As we had emphasized in the past, no candidate thinks he will lose in the Philippine election.

If he loses fair and square, he thinks he was robbed.

He doesn’t believe he will lose and his sick mind has conditioned him to only win.

The caveat is he’ll be a pain in the ass for the entire nation if he loses. He will file a protest and create a mayhem once his followers believe his false fantasy hook, line, and sinker.

 

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Health authorities admit delusions of grandeur can be difficult to identify “because the person having them believes the delusion to be true.”

Also, delusions can be hard to distinguish from what is called an “overvalued idea,” or a belief a person has that isn’t totally accurate, but isn’t exactly a delusion, either, according to Healthline.

A delusion of grandeur specifically is a person’s belief that they are someone other than who they are, such as a supernatural figure or a celebrity.

A delusion of grandeur may also be a belief that they have special abilities, possessions, or powers.

Delusions are generally the result of a mental health disorder, explained Healthline.

However, not all people with delusions meet the full diagnostic criteria for any mental health disorder.

Many types of mental health disorders classified as psychotic disorders can lead to delusions. Healthline said these include: schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dementia, delirium, major depressive disorder with psychotic features.

 

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Psychotic disorders can change a person’s sense of reality.

They may be unable to tell what is real and what is not.

Healthline has identified four main characteristics of delusion:

The person having the belief believes it to be true, even when the existing norm and other people know it to be untrue.

The person having the delusion will not listen to any other viewpoints about the belief and will not consider change when evidence challenges the delusion.

The content of the delusion is reportedly impossible or implausible for the delusion impacts the person’s daily life.

We personally notice these abnormal characteristics in at least four presidential candidates and in two vice presidential candidates.

We will be flooded with names here if we will include those running for senator and candidates for the lower house, governor, vice governor, mayor, vice mayor and local council.

If the Comelec, or the legislature for that matter, can’t correct the loopholes in the qualification of candidates, time will come the Filipinos will elect public officials or local and national leaders who should be in the mental hospital, not in Malacanang, Capitol, City Hall.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)