Let your voice be heard
We may have distrust in the way the present administration steers the government during this pandemic. As part of our freedom, we can criticize the Duterte administration. However, the quest for good governance does not end by putting the pitfalls of the current administration in the limelight. As we catapult our leaders in the seat of power, it is our duty as citizens to ensure that we select only those who are fit for public office and those motivated by an honest desire to be of service to the Filipino people. This is done through our right to vote.
The right to vote is a protected right. Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to participate in his country’s government, directly or through freely chosen representatives. The will of the people shall be the basis of the government’s authority; this will be expressed in periodic and genuine elections, which shall be universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Under the 1987 Constitution, suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines, not otherwise disqualified by law. Since time immemorial, elections have always been a mechanism in our struggle for independence and democratic governance. Through a new breed of voters and a more informed electorate, elections usher in the hope for genuine democratic governance.
The registration of new voters for the May 2022 National and Local Elections will close by the end of this month. The COMELEC said it is unlikely to extend voter registration beyond the deadline as the poll body has other equally important things to prepare for the next year’s polls.
Now is the time for young men and women to carve their destiny and initiate genuine reforms by participating in the electoral process. However, let it be emphasized that democracy is not just letting the people exercise their right to vote. It is about their right to live in dignity.