my congressional representative ... not!

My Congressional Representative has ceased to represent me.

The impeachment proceedings has made me see the kind of representation my small municipality of San Juan really has. When I voted for Congressman Ronaldo B. Zamora, I knew that he was and continues to be an ally of former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada. I knew that his friendship with Erap was deeply rooted. However, when he said that his constituents were in favor of impeaching President Arroyo, I could not help but scream “EXCUSE ME?!?”

I have lived in the same place for almost 16 years and since reaching the age of 18, I have made it a point to cast my vote during each and every election. San Juan is Erap Country and even if he is under house arrest in Rizal, he continues to wield power through his bossom friend Zamora and his son, Mayor Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito. But what have they really done for San Juan?

I do not care if Zamora hates Arroyo to the core, if they want to oust her from Malacañang, if they want to bring Erap back into power. I do not care. But if you say on television that it is what your constituents want, please be damn sure that you have asked each and every one of us because I am one of your constituents and I certainly was never asked.

I may be one vote. I could be the only vote against impeaching Arroyo but I sure as hell want my vote counted. Congressman Zamora, you represent the entire municipality of San Juan. Not just the Ejercito-Estrada’s, not just the Erap fans and supporters, and certainly not just those who are on your side. It is incredibly ironic for you to say “Katotohanan Para Sa Bayan” when you have not bothered to first find out what the truth is in your municipality. Could you not have spared a million or so from your pork barrel to set up a desk outside the municipal hall where residents can go to cast their vote either for or against the impeachment twenty-four hours a day for, say, 3 days, whereby the votes could be tallied in a board also outside the hall? You had time to consult the people even before the impeachment proceedings actually took place, but you didn’t. So what makes you think you represent me?