THE drive to capture everyone’s vote is on. Aspiring candidates stalk cyber communities as well as actual territories where hearts and minds must be won over for the 2016 elections.
In light of past events, every citizen now must be wary, be circumspect, and discerning. For today’s choices will determine the actors and events that will be in the news tomorrow.
An abject lesson we must all learn from is enormous impact of the Janet Lim Napoles imbroglio. Such a wide network of corruption!
Pork-addicted politicos in her list gained entry to our government’s treasury and were able to steal billions (through the front door!) because people supported them and voted for them.
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If the scammers hadn’t been voted into office, they wouldn’t have got anywhere near the treasury and succumbed to temptation.
Lesson: voting for a candidate is like opening our common treasure house to Ali Baba and the forty thieves!
It should bother the conscience of voters who support erring officials that—indirectly or unwittingly—they are contributing to corruption, damaging our government’s integrity, injuring the honor of our society.
Officials we vote for should not violate their Oath of Office or betrayed the public trust. So we must be reasonably sure they are responsible, worthy, and honorable.
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Also: Beware of opportunists—candidates with shallow values and dubious character. They are likely to misuse their privilege and take advantage of their official status and engage in mayhem.
People must be ever aware that it’s their vote that elevates ordinary people like themselves to positions of power, privilege, and high stature.
No less important: among voters who support wayward politicos may be members of one’s own family, relatives, and neighbors. Morality should start at home!
The occurrence of so much and so many instances of felonious behavior in our community suggest that we should have more determined and more thorough programs for civic education, information, and communication.
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It’s simply unacceptable that after a century of a supposedly democratic order, Filipino voters still commit egregious errors of judgment, displaying perverse attitudes about electoral politics.
It is time we learn in no uncertain terms that a vote bestows honor, status, and respectability to one of our own. It should not be taken lightly because it is what entitles someone to special privileges including access to the treasury.
To give one’s vote to a dubious candidate is like giving a crow-bar to a thief so he can pry open the treasure chest and help himself to the money.
Let there be determined campaigns for honesty, for electoral responsibility, and the importance of accepting responsibility for the acts and decisions committed by officials one supports.
(Author of books on governance, Manny Valdehuesa is national chair and convenor of Gising Barangay Movement Inc. Email: valdehuesa@gmail.com)
