Election concerns

Preparations are underway for the 2010 elections. The Commission on Elections has been given authority to proceed with the full automation of national election proceedings to ensure a free, orderly, honest and peaceful exercise of the people’s right to vote. The usual deadline for the registration of voters on December 15 has also been moved earlier to October 31 to give more time for COMELEC to prepare for the automation. We call on all voters to register and make their votes counted. The Commission will be open on Saturdays and holidays to encourage more students and workers to register. COMELEC Chairperson Jose A.R. Melo is now attending to the bidding for the optical mark reader (OMR) machines that will be used in the elections. Hopefully no new corruption issues will come up and COMELEC will now be in a more credible position to conduct the elections.

On the other hand, candidates for the 2010 elections should file their Certificate of Candidacy by November 30, 2009. As early as 2008, aspirants have mounted expensive multimedia campaign to tell one and all what they have done so far to help the poor and disadvantaged, hoping it is their names and faces that will be remembered by voters. The campaign ads run as often as consumer product ads making us wonder where these politicians get all the funds that private businesses get from their profits. We hope Filipinos know better that the test of true statesmanship cannot be proven with one-time deeds or scripted presentations that are disseminated through expensive ads.

The number of our population now stands at 88.7 million and is expected to double seven years from now. The burgeoning population is largely thought to be a primary deterrent to our country’s economic growth that would further be impeded by the impact of the ongoing global financial crisis. Most of the candidates hold positions in government at present and therefore a gauge of their “presidentiability” is how they performed in their current government positions. People who are preparing to vote in the elections are eager to learn their respective platforms. I would favor those candidates whose platform prioritizes poverty and corruption which I expect to get worse, and take its toll on children. I hope their election campaigns will now be more professionally done, providing more information rather than entertainment as they have done in the past to appeal to and get the votes of the masses. I hope we are not favoring popular movie stars again to save our Republic, not at this time of impending crisis when more and more Filipinos are losing their jobs and an increasing number of companies are folding up.

Five years ago, I have said we are not even a Banana Republic. We are a Kamote Republic, still considered up to now as a third world country. Although gains and economic progress have been recorded and recognized under the administration of President GMA now, it cannot be denied that there are still more than 11 million Filipinos, representing 12 percent of the population who are food-poor and 18 percent of the population or about 16 million Filipinos are considered undernourished. How does a presidential wannabe propose to resolve this problem? Perhaps, it is too early because I have yet to hear someone discuss concrete plans to tackle this issue. If the growing number of poor and hungry people are in their minds, then our candidates may think twice in paying for expensive tri-media ads. It is no wonder then that various pro-poor organizations and lobby groups from the poor sector rise up in arms to bring up their concerns ever so often.

We do hope the voting public is wiser this time. Any movement to gather wise votes and promote good governance should first work towards educating the poor and disadvantaged on how to choose the leaders who can do the most for their respective communities and localities, not those who merely entertain. We have voters in all provinces nationwide, not only in Metro Manila and big urban cities, where we assume the wiser and more educated people are in. People deserve a good government, especially now that we have a global recession that is now slowing down our economy. Let us channel all the energy to put in place a sound program of government by choosing highly qualified leaders. We can never stop trying to make things right.