In a democracy, knowledge is power

The elections this year will be a high-stakes, make-or-break exercise. When we head to the polls in May, we could very well elect a leader who will mire us in deeper economic and governance misery. Or, we could choose one who will genuinely strive to turn things around with a strong policy platform that responds to the issues that truly matter to us.

Now, depending on your politics, I am sure a different candidate’s name popped into mind with each description. I’m sure the results would be polarized if I could take a poll. And I think this is symbolic of what makes these 2022 elections problematic.

True, elections are an expression of the will of the electorate. It is a chance for our voices as voters to be heard. It is our chance to choose whom we think embodies critical characteristics of a leader, such as honesty, trustworthiness, concern for the poor, and disdain for corruption. 

However, being an informed voter is just as important as voting. Being an informed voter means being aware of the track records, issues, and candidates’ positions when voting.

Are you concerned about the economy? Then learn more about the candidates’ economic platform. Do you want to see more transparency and accountability in government? Look into candidates’ track records, a history of corruption, or perhaps any historical revisionist tendencies. 

Nowadays, though, it isn’t always easy to be an informed voter. This is because of all the organized attempts to distort that informed vote. Through the strategic deployment of disinformation and online troll armies to harass dissenting voices, voters can be manipulated. In the process, the will of voters can be perverted, and democracy is undermined.

During the launch of Democracy Watch’s Vote Right 2022 initiative, Stratbase ADR Institute president Professor Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit pointed out that today’s social media space is infected with the “pandemic of disinformation,” perpetrated by forces out to distort historical facts. Manhit also noted that this pandemic of information had gotten worse recently because now, next to the television, the Internet is the second most influential source of election information.

Rachel Khan of Tsek.ph echoed this sentiment, pointing out that disinformation is not spontaneous but created and planned. “Somebody thinks about it, has a design team to actually look at the best way to present this information, let’s say through a social influencer, and then finally the distribution,” she added. To combat this coordinated disinformation machine, Khan says we, as voters, have to develop a “fact-checking state of mind.”

Democracy is threatened when the process of arriving at an informed decision on whom to vote for is deliberately confused and twisted. As the campaign goes into full swing, we see how disinformation distorts, erases and spins the facts into mere propaganda to manipulate the people into adopting a certain preference or mindset.

Hence, there is a genuine need for us to fight disinformation by being more conscious about the source and quality of our information. 

Speaking at the launch event, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, emphasized that we have to do our part as good and responsible citizens by voting intelligently, having an open mind, and by constantly seeking the truth.

Indeed, we only weaken our democracy when we do not learn from our history and continue to elect the same people into office, despite proof – authentic documents, photos, videos, prior statements – that point to incompetence, arrogance, and corruption of some candidates.

Take the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, for example. We celebrated its 36th Anniversary yesterday. A high point of Philippine democracy, it commemorates the toppling of the 20-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

It brought an end to a period notorious for unemployment, human rights violations, and corruption. Leading up to the fall of the Marcos dictatorship, the Marcos family had become exceedingly wealthy by siphoning money from state funds. According to a Bloomberg report, the Marcos amassed dozens of luxury homes, a museum-worthy art collection, closets of designer footwear, and extravagant jewelry, including a 70-carat light-blue diamond worth $5.5 million.

According to reports in the Guardian and Washington Post, when the Marcos family finally fled the country, they brought with them $7 million in cash and gems stuffed in diaper boxes, 70 pairs of jewel-laden cuff links, and 67 racks worth of clothing. There were also 24 bars of solid gold engraved: “To my husband on our 24th anniversary.” 

As responsible voters, we must seek out information and knowledge like this that can help us cast informed votes. To fight this pandemic of disinformation, we must develop that fact-checking state of mind. Let us open our senses, appreciate the evidence, seek out the truth, and follow the paper trail to where it leads us. 

The future of our nation is worth the effort.

Vote Right 2022 is a voter education initiative of Democracy Watch Philippines. It was launched on February 22 in partnership with the Stratbase ADR Institute and with speakers from the Commission on Elections and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), and Tsek.ph. The launch was also attended by and over a thousand fellow advocates, teachers, and students representing universities from around the country, including Adamson University, Ateneo, Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu Normal University De La Salle Araneta University, De La Salle University, Holy Angel University, Ifugao State University, Jose Rizal University, La Consolacion School of Balagtas, Lyceum-Northwestern University, Manila Central University, Marist School, Metro Manila College, Muntinlupa Science High School, PHINMA Schools, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Southwestern University St. Mary’s College of Baliwag, St. Anthony’s College Hospital, St. Cecilia’s College, Surigao del Sur State University, Taguig City University, Technological Institute of the Philippines, The Lewis College, University of Caloocan City, University of Cebu, University of Makati, University of Nueva Caceres, University of San Carlos, University of San Jose-Recoletos, University of St. La Salle, University of the Philippines, University of Perpetual Help System and Xavier University.