by Rev. Dr. Mariano C. Apilado
On May 10, 2010, we will exercise once again a sacred duty as Filipinos, an exercise that happens at regulat intervals (six and three years) when we vote for our country’s president and vice-president and down to councilors.
I invite all voters to exercise this duty prayerfully with wisdom, diligence, courage and vigilance guided primarily by faith in God and love of country.
Seek guidance from the Holy Scriptures, the Holy Bible if you are a Christian, or, the Holy Qur’an, if you are a Muslim.
From the Holy Bible, there are three verses I wish specifically that we could reflect upon as guides.
Exodus 18: 21, “You should . . . look for able men among all the people, men who fear God, are trustworthy and hate dishonest gain.”
Isaiah 1: 16-17, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.”
Micah 6: 8, “He (God) has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.”
We ought to vote guided by these verses in all levels of government from the local to the national, but especially those for president and vice-president, for candidates who –
Are God fearing and have reverence for life; (2) have genuine love of country; (3) have a vision for total development of all peoples and the total country, not their own personal and/or party interests; (4) have courage and integrity to address and solve critical problems of corruption, poverty, unequal distribution of political power and economic resources and peace and order; (5) are competent beyond simply being popular and/or a child of well known past political leaders;
(6) have a record of consistent high quality public service, unblemished by greed and selfish interests; (7) have political competence for leadership and compassion for the poor and needy; (8) have genuine progressive and practical program of government, not simply promising that they can do better than the other candidates, but without clear alternative programs; (9) have the will to put the welfare of the country and the whole Filipino people above all other considerations for family, political or economic ties and loyalties; and (10) have records of public service or private business that are unblemished by dishonesty or immoral conduct.
With the above guide, I trust we conduct ourselves before, during and after the elections with attitudes and actions that liberate us from prejudices and divisive tendencies, that ensure order and cleanliness of our city streets and conduct of public service and private business, that keep us always vigilant to see that public officials do more than simply eradicate graft and that protect the electoral process and government service from being trampled upon by the evil of unscrupulous elements.
In other words, we should think, speak and act as good citizens, guided by LOVE, not the erotic and emotional kind, but LOVE, the acronym for L-iberating, O-rderly V-igilant E-lections. LOVE for Election 2010.
Guided by our conscience, we can elect God-fearing officials who follow the mandate of the Holy Bible to “stop doing evil and start doing good” and commit themselves to “do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.”
As responsible citizens, let us continue to strive for a nation that is truly free, just, peaceful and blessed, where the resources of political power, economic wealth and general welfare are equitably distributed and shared by every Filipino and all who live in and for our “Bayang magiliw, Perlas ng Silanganan.”
