Inducted in the Fraud of Fame
Disclaimer: This is only intended to be a commentary on the potential implications of the Sangguniang Kabataan candidates. It is not meant as an attack towards any specific candidates.
Eris woke up one fine morning and felt a burning desire in his heart that led to a choice — a choice to run as a “Sangguniang Kabataan (SK)” candidate.
The Barangay Elections is just around the corner and party lists are on the hunt for charismatic and determined SK candidates. Eris was the first name to be spoken of as he’s incredibly well-known for being… good-looking. Though he said that he was also passionate about helping the youth because the youth are second to none when it comes to serving the youth, this was the first time he was volunteering for public service. But Eris was a “good person” for the people so that was enough for them to believe in him.
The qualifications of being an SK official were a piece of cake for Eris. After all, there was no rigorous process to provide any proof of his leadership experience. All he had to do was be in the age group of 18–24 years old, able to read and write, not related to any recent politician, and most importantly, a kind person.
While posters of him and his party list members are all over the place, there was another way of introducing the candidates. We live in a digital age, technology has provided everyone with the tools to make their names be heard. This was especially applicable to SK hopefuls like Eris who has the opportunity to show off his jaw-dropping credentials. With the help of a skilled graphic designer, anyone could look like a million bucks.
“What are credentials?” Eris asked his friends. When it was explained to him, it dawned on him — he had nothing to boast of. However, he had a brilliant plan. He continued to pass a list of credentials and it goes as follows:
“Leadership Awardee”
“Best in Research Project”
“Class Officer”
“Helped distribute relief goods”
“Platform: Youth Programs”
The party list was amazed by his set of credentials. However, Eris was nervous when passing them since he knew all of them were lies. However, the most important thing about being an SK candidate is to be a “good person.” They were not required to provide any certifications or proof of their credentials. As long as it looked good and increased his chances of winning, it was passable.
During an interview, he was asked “As an SK candidate, what is it that you offer that makes you stand out from the rest?”
He answered with unwavering confidence, “Because I grew up in a poor family, I know how to be a leader, and I want to help the youth achieve their dreams through the programs that I will propose. Most importantly, I believe myself to be a kind and generous person so I think that I will be approachable for people, especially the youth. Thank you very much.”
Eris’ name was quickly known to the public because of his enticing posters, social media presence, and recent interviews. When the day of election day came, his heart was slightly racing due to slight uncertainty. He was hearing some people whisper about his credibility. And then, the results of the election came. Eris won! It looks like his credentials made the people feel in awe. Not only is he an SK official, but he was also deemed the most popular of them all.
At the end of the day, his state of transcendence was short-lived. After a year in office, he proved to be the biggest fraud. His classmates and peers were discrediting his credentials, calling them made-up and fabricated. More and more evidence against him piled up. In addition, he wasn’t able to fulfill his promises to the youth and received the harshest backlash. He was inducted into the Hall of fame for being an example of “everything that an SK candidate shouldn’t be.”
After all, one cannot wake up and decide to run for public service on a whim. Don’t run for the hell of it, serve the youth with a purpose and stick to it.#