Date: May 06, 2022

My eyes is aching right now, I think they are saying to let me sleep for a while. I want to but for now, I will write an article first because tomorrow is my restday, a Sabbath rest and I won't be here tonight until tomorrow. I can be back possibly at night and I'm not sure if I can still write another article. So, I won't miss the chance I have now. I will just relax for a while and continue to write.

How are you in there? I hope everyone is doing well.

I have seen a lot of post in noise.cash about ayuda or help and some called this as vote buying. Other considered it as a mere gift from those people who are running for 2022 election.

How about you? What can you say about those packs of rice, noodles, canned goods and money?

• Is it a gift?

• Is it a help?

• Is it a vote buying?

Gift

Money, rice, canned goods and noodles can be someone's gift to someone or group of people. Who wouldn't be happy recieving gifts like that? It's a practical gift isn't it?

My ninong or god father called me yesterday if I am available at 2pm to attend a meeting with the group of running officials. I told him that Sam-sam (my son) is still asleep that time and I will be pity unto him if I will wake him up just to go there. He told me that the running councilor told him that every attendees will receive 400.00 or $4 as a gift. Oh it's quite big, because last day I think I just received 100.00 or $1 from a running Governor. So I told him that I will just update him if I can go.

Around 2:30pm he called again and said come here now. I told him that if it is okay with him, I will just let my husband go there after his work. Fortunately, he said yes and I told my husband about it.

When my husband is home I asked him about the meeting, and they really received that amount.

Is it a gift? As what they said so.

Help or ayuda

I can always hear, let's go and attend a meeting because there is some ayuda there. I opened google and try to translate the word ayuda to English and found out that the word ayuda is a Spanish word and its translation is help. So, this is the reason why I used the word help.

Our neighbor who is a leader told me that she will add my name in the list who can avail the ayuda from the running officials. I told her if it is okay though I will not be voting unto him. She said that we will just received their help because we weren't able to receive some from them during the pandemic.

Today's ayuda or help is for what? Help for pandemic? It is too late. Why they are giving some help nowadays and not when the pandemic strikes where people needed it the most. Most people during lackdowns lost their job and lost their daily source of income. How I wish they are giving these during those days.

But I'm not saying we wouldn't be thankful for that ayuda or help, still we are.

Vote buying

Can a vote be bought? Can they buy your vote? When your vote is considered bought?

Ever since, this is my first time to attend different meetings with what so called gift or help. Might be because I don't have work now and just stay at home. Employees seldom joined this activity because it is obvious that they are in their workplace most of the time.

Personally, I received gift packs with rice, noodles and canned goods. I also received t-shirt with a cash in it, a canned goods with some cash and an envelope with cash.

Recieving such kind (goods or cash) wouldn't be considered vote buying if you won't let your decision or your choices influenced by those things.

It becomes vote buying when you already have choices and changed it just because someone gave you a big amount.

On the otherhand, if you already choose them and they gave you some cash then it's a gift.

Gift packs? Ayuda? help? Cash? or anything? Just received it if you want. If you don't want, then no problem. They will just give it to others who are willing to receive.

Let's vote wisely on May 09, 2022 my dear Filipino friends.

Disclaimer: This is merely my own opinion about this matter. How about yours? I would love to hear your opinion too.

Thank you my dear sponsors. Thank you also to you, I know you will fill my block someday. Thanks in advance. Thank you also @Tomi-Ajax for sponsorship renewal.

Thank you for reading. See you
again in my next article.

If you want to read my previous articles, just click HERE.

Lead Image: Cash from running mayor