EDITORIAL - An uninformed electorate

Forty percent of Filipino voters are ignorant or unaware of their rights and responsibilities as voters, according to a report yesterday. The only thing surprising about the report is that the figure seems too low. If the country is in such a mess, one of the reasons is that we keep electing the wrong people to public office. As proof, just take a look at some of our senators, congressmen and local government officials.

We all know why some of those clowns and misfits are there, making a mess of the country at taxpayers’ expense. In the 21st century, we still worry about guns, goons and gold influencing elections. Apart from harassment, vote-buying and patronage politics, we are saddled with a poorly informed electorate that picks candidates because they look good or can sing, dance and speak well in the movies or on television. If the candidates are heroes in the movies or TV soap operas, they must be heroes in real life.

The largely uneducated electorate and the poor quality of our politicians have raised questions about our type of democracy. In a free country, the power of the people is manifested through elections. What happens to the country when you have a poorly informed electorate that picks candidates for all the wrong reasons?

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting is reportedly launching several voter education programs. The council faces great odds, and such programs deserve the support of government and other sectors. Poverty and poor education are obviously the biggest hindrances to an intelligent vote.

Eradicating poverty is an uphill climb, but we can make some headway in education. Improving the quality of education, however, will require a concerted national effort and a rethinking of priorities. For years even education officials have admitted that the quality of Philippine education has deteriorated. Developing an informed electorate should provide another impetus to upgrade the quality of education. This problem should also prod national leaders to speed up the implementation of long-delayed electoral reforms.