EDITORIAL

Vote With Integrity And Conviction

On Monday, May 10, the Filipino voters of about 45 million will go to the polling places in different parts of the Philippines to vote for their leaders to lead them for the next six (6) years in the case of the president, vice president and 12 senators.

The voters will also vote for their local leaders who will steer the direction of local government units for three (3) years. They are Party List representative, congressman, provincial governor, vice provincial governor, members of the Sangguniang Panla-lawigan, city or municipal mayor, city or municipal vice mayor, and members of the Sang-guniang panglungsod or Sangguniang bayan.

What are the factors to consider in voting for them? Voting our state officials is a sacred obligation of the citizens of the state like the Republic of the Philippines. The officials whom we will vote hold the success or failure of our country. It is an obligation to vote officials who are naturally endowed with utmost integrity, of high intelligence, dedicated, industrious, loyal, and loving citizens to their country and people. They must be officials who will never succumb to temptations, the officials who always think the best interest for their country and people.

These kind of leaders are there available among the present crop of candidates. However, voters will never find to elect them if they search for candidates who provide them with drinks, food, and cash during the campaign period. Voters who search for candidates who are able to provide transportation money in the voting process, voters who request the candidates to pay for their medical and hospital bills, who ask for cash to enroll their children to schools.

Voters will never be able to elect to offices candidates who have noble purposes to serve their country because they ask candidates for cash in the repair of their houses. Voters who sell their votes will never elect the best candidates whose interest is for the Filipino people, the Philippines, and God. The resources in kind, cash and other investment spent in the election campaign must be recovered by the winners by whatever means, legal or illegal.

The voters must vote for the candidates whom they believed most qualified and capable to perform the job of the positions they are elected. Never ask favor during the campaign. If one has already received favors from a candidate who does not deserve a vote, well junk him. Any voter must follow his conviction.

In voting for instance, for President, one must ask who among the nine (9) candidates for president can restore the GSIS into an agency of the government organized to manage the money of the government personnel and serve them well? Who among the candidates capable to recover the stolen wealth committed during the dictatorship, restore the coconut levy fund to the rightful owners among others?

Who can govern the country with under-standing, contentment and peace devoid of corruption ? Who among the candidates who can implement the laws of the Republic with justice and fairness? Who among the candidates to vote for who can improve the economic status of the Filipinos because social services are well provided like education and health services.

Who are the candidates to be voted for who can create enough jobs so that the citizens can work and earn decent income and will have self respect and become independent?

In the May 10 national and local elections, let us vote right. The quality of leaders we will elect in this election, we owe it to our children, and their children’s children.

Let us vote with conviction and integrity. Vote for the candidates who have the conviction and integrity. /MP