Everything I know about Truth and Justice, I learned from Comic Book Heroes.

(WARNING! GEEK CONTENT! For those who might not know who Dr. Strange is, feel free to look him up here; details about the animated film can be found here.)

It was a time of crisis. A malevolent being of pure energy, Dormammu, had returned to Earth, bent on conquest and destruction. In its way stood Doctor Strange, and his contemporary Wong. Their mentor, the Ancient One, had just died in combat. Someone needed to take ownership of the Eye of Agamotto, an artifact of immense magical power, and assume the title of Sorcerer Supreme, to combat Dormammu.

"Take the Eye of Agamotto, Stephen. Take it, and become the Sorcerer Supreme."

"I do not want this power, Wong. I refuse to take it. I am sorry."

"It is because you do not want it, Stephen, that the Eye belongs to you."

These are approximately (apologies for any inaccuracies, if you happen to know the exact lines let me know ASAP) the lines from Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, an animated film recently shown on HBO. It is a story about power and destiny, and about the fates of those who lust for power, and those who respect it enough to refuse it.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

Certainly, in our world today there is no malevolent being of pure energy, bent on conquest and destruction; instead we have defiant politicians of pure greed, bent on political conquest and self-preservation. Feel free to supply names here. Of particular interest is how Dormammu gained a foothold into Earth from his otherwordly prison: using his vast powers, he lulled children to sleep, in order to create an alternate gateway between his place of exile to our world. Not unlike how some politicians have used their vast wealth and resources in churning out one political ad after another, one jingo after another, to lulling people into a political catatonia. And what better opportunity there is to steal an election: when everyone's unconscious.

Of course, one might argue that buying is not the same as stealing; in any other case that would be correct, but during elections, a bought vote is a stolen vote in every sense of the word. It is a vote that was earned by preying on the weak and taking away their only prized possession - their inborn right to pursue their own liberty and happiness by way of voting a leader who can and will help them achieve this - and leaving them with barely enough to survive the ordeal, whether it be a house and lot in some forsaken wasteland far removed from friends and family, or some piddling meal for the day. It is a violance against the Filipino citizen worse than rape and murder, it is an affront to Filipino freedom worse than unjust imprisonment, it is a slap in the face of Filipino liberty worse than torture.

Last February 25, we had given out shirts to volunteers and supporters in attendance at Araneta Center. Its message was simple: "I am a Filipino, My Vote is NOT for Sale!" Simple words, yet such a bold statement it makes. I hope we continue to spread this message of hope throughout the country as May 10 draws near.

As for Noy and Mar? Well, it's easy to see where the parallelism is here.


"Take the candidacy for President, Noy. Take it, and become the next President of the Philippines."

"I do not want this power, Mar. I refuse to take it. I am sorry."

"It is because you do not want it, Noy, that the Presidency should belong to you."


Cartoon heroes can speak the truth too. And when they do, it is indeed priceless.