Voters must learn from the lessons of the past
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January
30, 2007
As the election heat is
starting to be felt once more, it is about time the Filipino voters learn from
the lessons of the past and repel the use of force and money which is the root
of all evil, to get their way.
Voters must not allow the use
of money to blind them in choosing their leaders. They must make their choices
not according to popularity, more so, not according to the money given them, but
according to credibility, sincerity and performance.
The Government enjoins the
voting public to be vigilant and cooperate with the authorities to help check
unwarranted use of money by the candidates and to help check private armies or
insurgent groups out to sow fear or trample upon the peoples’ democratic rights.
Law enforcement authorities
will always stay in the middle and continue to hold the line against ferocious
partisanship or ideologically-motivated violence. Meanwhile, the Comelec has
reiterated its policy not to allow barangay officials to become poll watchers
because these officials often disrupt the voting process.
It is high time the political
leaders and candidates realize that using money to win the votes of the
electorate, is an insult to the intelligence of the God-fearing Filipino voters.
It is exploitation of the weak and the poor; taking advantage of their weakness
and poverty, in order to mislead them into voting for them.
Voters must give these
candidates who are trying to bring back the threat of the three g’s, the gun,
goons and gold.
The country is on the way to
continuous economic growth, voters must help in sustaining this rising trend by
not allowing bad politics to rule the forthcoming elections.
President Arroyo, by signing
into law the poll automation bill, has brought the country one step closer
towards the dawn of political maturity, and paved the way for a stronger
Philippine democracy founded on the sanctity of the ballot.
Electoral reforms have been
always been a part of the President’s agenda and her Administration is
optimistic that the pilot testing of the automated election system in the
forthcoming mid-year pools, will clear the road for the full modernization of
the electoral processes by 2010.
R.A. 9369 was signed into law
amending R.A. 8436 otherwise known as the Election Automation Bill. The law will
enable the Comelec to used automated machines in the counting and canvassing of
votes. Twelve highly-urbanized cities were designated as pilot testing areas
while the rest of the country will use the traditional election procedures.
The electorate must be
vigilant and see to it that the comprehensive security measures being
implemented by the law enforcement agencies will ensure that the voters are not
insulted by excessive use of money and will reduce cases of election-related
violence.
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