A Call to the Filipino people

The 2016 Philippine Election is fast approaching. And whether we like it or not, we’ll have to make a decision – that imperative choice. We are not to only elect national leaders, but also local leaders.

In as much as we are trying to assess our Presidential, Vice-Presidential, and Senatorial Candidates, we must also exercise the same diligence in assessing our local candidates. This election has become berserk with all the bamboozling articles we read online, the news we see on national and local television, and the half-truths we read on paper. It is almost tearing this nation apart.

The call now for every Filipino is not just to exercise the right to vote but to also exercise due attitude towards our fellow voters. The Philippine social media has become a circus. It has become an open spree of profanity and slander. I would want to believe that we are more than what we are projecting now in this election.

So due attitude, kindly please add that back in our dictionary as Filipinos. We have forgotten to act accordingly, in the same way the Presidential candidates have been slowly showing their true selves as the Election Day approaches. We have forgotten the words respect and even the word Filipino. Sometimes, I ask myself, what is it to be Filipino?

I no longer know, actually.

But as a voter this coming election, I will not tell you to vote my candidate. I will not even tell you that your candidate sucks. I will simply tell you to please not sell yourself. By selling your vote, you are selling your dignity. I am not familiar whether or not all candidates are buying votes but if caught in that situation, I suggest you just take the money and make good business out of the candidates who are messing up this country. I would have wanted to tell you not to take the money, but if you won’t be smart enough to take that, someone who is easily swayed by such candidates, will.

May 09, 2016, is more or less two weeks from now. Let us not use that time to bombard other supporters with hurtful words. By doing that, we are not in any way helping in the progress of this country.

So what if your friend or a stranger has a candidate different from yours, let them be. They have the right to that opinion, in the same way as you. You voting for your candidate don’t mean you are on the right track. Do not lament over Facebook how your friends and the people in your feeds do not think critically and are being blinded by their candidates. This election doesn’t give anyone the right to look down on other people and lambast them on social media.

The media has continued to feed us with truth, half-truth and fallacy. We are at the point always of judging a candidate, even a supporter, by the first words we read or the first post we see from a supporter. We are all stricken by our emotions and our desire to be right. We are very much competitive in social media that we do not want to step back and see first the picture.

This election only gives us the right to vote, but not the right to attack other boats. We will know who will win once we reach the shores. But now, let’s go on sailing, without throwing garbage into the sea or throwing bows and arrows at people we see.

And once we reach the most awaited date and a President has been elected, let us give support to him or her. If it’s Mar Roxas, let us pray he’ll aim for Daang Matuwid and continue working on the growth of the economy, as he says. If he’s Rodrigo Duterte, then let us pray he won’t abuse his power and he’ll exercise diligence in his pursuit for drugs and crimes, as he claims. If it’s Miriam Santiago, let us pray for good health and her continued passion and commitment to honest governance. If it’s Jejomar Binay, let us pray that he delivers in accordance with his promises. If she’s Grace Poe, let us pray she’ll perform well as President despite her being a rookie.

Be it anyone among the candidates, let us support them. This is not a one-man show. I may want to call this, a performance of a lifetime, wherein each one is expected to give his/her best shot. Our leaders cannot do this alone. Let us not leave it up to them after May 09, 2016.

Our lives don’t end after this election. We must always endeavour to be responsible citizens of this nation and of our respective communities.

We are Filipinos. We are more than all the nasty things we read and see nowadays. We can always be better than who we are now.