EDITORIAL - Once again, hoping for HOPE

The race for 12 seats in the Senate and party-list representation kicked off yesterday, with the two major coalitions and independent candidates promising reforms in case of victory. Information technology is making it possible for candidates to reach more voters, while at the same time allowing voters to closely scrutinize campaign promises and the background of candidates. Data available in mass media and cyberspace will help voters make informed choices in May.

Technology is also allowing the public to monitor candidates’ compliance with campaign laws. The Commission on Elections has launched a program to compel compliance with its rules on campaign materials, donations and expenditures. Tapping digital technology, the Comelec also hopes to significantly bring down the level of election violence and discourage vote buying. With public cooperation, the program could work.

With yesterday’s proclamation rallies, efforts should be intensified to ensure that HOPE – or honest, orderly and peaceful elections – will not be a mere acronym in the annals of the Philippine electoral system. The major political parties must set the example in playing fair and complying with the rules, and in sticking to issues in the campaign rather than nasty personal attacks.

The Comelec, for its part, must decisively address the glitches that emerged in recent mock polls. The credibility of the second nationwide automated elections depends a great deal on the proper performance of the precinct count optical scan machines. A major PCOS glitch on election day could not only give rise to accusations of cheating and sabotage but also trigger deadly violence.

With the official start of the campaign period, all Filipinos must commit to make HOPE not just an aspiration but the norm in all Philippine elections.