It is an old saying that politics and not cockfighting is the true national past time of the Filipinos. May is a month of fiestas in the Philippines. We have the Flores de Mayo, Obando Fertility Rites, Pahiyas and Pulilan Carabao Festival. Fiestas are the highest form of community expression. We have referred to EDSA I as the fiesta that toppled a dictator. In a way, Election Day is another political fiesta. Voting is one of the highest expressions of our civic responsibility.
We want to stress that the most important thing in this coming election is that it must be an honest and orderly election. How the winner won is more important than who won. A dishonest election is nothing but a return to an undemocratic rule. It will be just another form of dictatorship.
June 12 is our Independence Day, one month after elections this year. On that day we as Filipinos proclaimed our independence. On January 23, 1899, Emilio Aguinaldo announced the first constitutional democracy in Asia: “…there is here finally, a national spirit, which unites and brings together all Filipino hearts into a single idea and a single aspiration — to live independent of any foreign yoke in the democratic shadow of the Philippine republic.” Each Election Day we celebrate and honor the vision and ideal of a democratic Philippines.
“What is seriously at stake in the coming elections is not the presidency of the Republic of the Philippines. It is our electoral process itself. That is what must survive. The elections must be honest, orderly and peaceful. A failure of elections is the very worst script. If we cannot even conduct a fair and honest election then we have really entered a second dark age. Martial Law was bad enough. A failure of elections would be just an excuse for a second undemocratic regime.” We wrote that on April 14, 1998. The ultimate test of a regime is whether it will be able to implement a peaceful democratic transition from its administration to the next. The biggest danger is always a failure of election. Above all, this must not happen, else the integrity of our nation is in peril.
Our Founding Fathers’ hopes for the future of the Philippines encompassed a constitutional democracy. They understood the importance of ensuring every citizen had a say in the country’s future. The sovereignty of a nation does not rest with the government or the politicians; it rests with the people. By May 10, the campaigns are over. It is no longer about the candidates, but the voters. It is time for them to make their choices.
In years past we have printed the 10 Commandments for Responsible Voting from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV). They are:
1. Thou shalt vote according to the dictates of your conscience.
2. Thou shalt respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates.
3. Thou shalt seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote for.
4. Thou shalt strive to understand the issues, platforms and programs of candidates and parties seeking your vote.
5. Thou shalt not sell your vote.
6. Thou shalt not vote for candidates using guns, goons and gold.
7. Thou shalt not vote for candidates with records of graft and corruption.
8. Thou shalt vote not for candidates just because of ‘utang na loob’, popularity, or ‘pakikisama’.
9. Thou shalt not vote for candidates living an immoral life.
10. Thou shalt put the welfare of the country above all else in choosing the candidates you will vote for.