This week, to borrow sports phraseology, is the “last two minutes” of candidates posturing and convincing voters that they are the right persons to lead their towns, cities and provinces for the next three years. Consider Congress, too, in this list.
Campaigning for the 2025 elections has been, for the most part, quiet and peaceful in Laguna province despite isolated reports of irregularities.
Of course, midterm elections have been usually quiet and humdrum unlike the bombast and fierce rivalry that has marked our presidential elections.
Nevertheless, this midterm election, like any other act of democracy, is bound to shape the future of our nation – and of our children.
The month or so of campaigning of our local candidates should give voters ample opportunity to scrutinize their education, their background, but most especially their sincerity and resolve to tackle the persisting problems of the community they wish to serve.
The most important question now for our voters in this final week of campaigning for May 12 is: “Nakapag-isip na ba tayo?”
Voters in the Philippines, experts have lamented, are prone to be swayed by superficialities: bandwagon effect, name recall effect, the desire for “revenge” against certain candidates, to name a few.
This, unfortunately, has allowed us to elect people who are not only patently unqualified but also unable to perform their duties properly, or worse, fall into the trap of being a “trapo.”
It bears repeating over and over again: Elections are more than simple games of luck: our future as a nation, as a province, as a city or town, depend on us putting the right people in charge of our local governments.
Each vote we cast is a vote on our collective destiny, on what direction we want our country or our city to be in the next three years and beyond.
#WeTakeAStand # OpinYon #OpinYonNews #Editorial