On Studio 23’s “Breakfast,” said I was worried because I couldn’t find myself on findyourprecinct.com. Chito Gascon of DepEd said only 2-3% of people were on that service so not to worry.
After guesting on Studio 23’s “Breakfast,” I had breakfast at Pancake House (packed to the rafters) and then went to vote in Greenhills at Xavier School.
I’d lost the little slip of paper that tells you your precinct, and so was poring over several lists tacked onto a blackboard when a skinny little man came over and tapped me on the shoulder.
“Better look here, this list is easier and better.” He had two thick folders filled with computerized lists. Sure enough, I quickly found my name and precinct number. The lists on the wall were organized by precinct, which required a lot of looking about, because obviously, if you don’t know your precinct number, you don’t know where to find your name.
The helpful gentleman said he was from Puwersa ng Masa. Kudos to their organization.
So I line up, and it turns out two precincts had been assigned to the same table, so the line was long and moved at a snail’s pace. It was enjoyable, however, rubbernecking with the other voters as:
a) Jinggoy Estrada waddled in and waddled about in his trademark argyle shirt;
b) Former Comelec Chairman and retired Supreme Court Justice Bernardo Pardo sort of feebly floated from table to table looking more myopic than usual; he perked up when-
c) Senator Loi Ejercito strode in and zoomed to one table then to the next before finally finding her precinct
d) An Oriental journalist of some sort (with FOCAP I.D.) snooped around the “polling booths” and apparently took notes on people’s choices; an enterprising kid left his mom and snooped on the snooping journalist, and rushed back to tell his mom, “Mama, GMA by plenty plenty!”
e) I think I saw Gen. Manuel Yan hobbling about with the aid of a cane
f) several people giggling about the funny text of the day: “FPJ TAYO! VOTE EARLY TUESDAY MORNING!”
g) one kid telling another kid, “Vote ni mommy and daddy si Bro. Eddie kasi religious kami.”
h) One woman ahead of me explaining her agonizing over her choices, from Roco to GMA to Villanueva and back to GMA again
i) Ran into a GMA7 reporter and we exchanged notes about a certain Barangay Maharlika in Bicutan, I beleive. Heavily Muslim, and tensions between the Muslim Community and the teachers. Between the Muslims themselves, trouble, too: Maranao vs. Tausug. Robin Padilla may be called in to calm things down.
The good news is after waiting in line for an hour, I easily found my name, signed in, thumbmarked what had to be marked, filled out my ballot and cast it. Plus, the indelible ink, so far, has proven to be indelible.
