Make your vote count

PIMENTEL. No partisan agenda.

TEN YEARS ago, acclaimed composer Lourdes “Bing” Pimentel composed and produced a timely and hard-hitting stage musical, “Huwag Pumayag sa Dagdag-Bawas,” that exposed corrupt electoral practices and battled for much-needed reforms.

The musical was credited with helping viewers and voters learn valuable lessons from first-hand experiences of her husband,  former Sen. Nene Pimentel and other reform-oriented political and civic leaders’ tireless and fearless efforts to restore the sanctity of the ballot.

It also taught members of the electorate what they could do for clean elections.

For this year’s polls, Pimentel has come up with a new song and rap number, “Kawawang Bayan Ko,” to further enlighten and motivate listeners and viewers, especially the youth, to safeguard their right to vote with their conscience—and to make their vote count.

The song has no partisan political agenda—it simply and strongly seeks to remind voters of their God-given right to choose their leaders, and their duty to make their vote count.

An MTV has also been produced, and both the audio  and MTV versions will be disseminated nationwide by radio-TV stations similarly committed to clean and honest elections this May.

Kawawang Bayan Ko

Kawawang bayan ko, kawawang bayan ko

Tuwing eleksyon binobola, niloloko

Kawawang bayan ko,

Kawawa ang bayan ko

Tuwing eleksyon binobola, niloloko

Mga pangako mong napapako

Garapalang minumudmud ang perang nakaw,

Minanang yaman—nakaw

Akala mo, akala nila malilimutan

Demokrasyang pinatay—’di dapat kalimutan

Bayaning lumaban para sa bayan—’di dapat kalimutan

Mga korapsiyong nilantad sa bayan

Hindi dapat kalimutan

Chorus:

1. Iisa lamang ang ating hiling

Yan ay ating marating

Pagsulong na hinihiling

1. Sus! Kawawang bayan ko (Kawawang bayan ko)

Kawawang bayan ko (Kawawang bayan ko)

Kawawang bayan ko (Kawawang bayan ko)

Kawawa

Magising, magkaisa tayo!

Suriin mga kandidatong iboboto!

Dapat maka-Diyos, makabayan

Makatao—taong marangal

Hindi bibili ng boto, hindi mandaraya

Ang serbisyo at totoo

Kawawang bayan ko

(Repeat chorus I and II)

Kailangan malayang desisyon ang boto ko

Huwag, huwag isusuko kahit kanino

Kahit anong grupo—ang boto sagrado