By MARIA FEONA IMPERIAL
THE clamor to include “None of the above” as one of the options in the official ballot for the 2016 polls may sound hilarious, but it only expresses the blatant frustration of the voting populace, a lawyer said on Thursday.
“It’s like another way of saying, ‘Wala na bang iba’ (isn’t there any other choice)?” asked lawyer Cesar Europa, Eastern Mindanao representative of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).
He was commenting on a mandamus petition filed before the Supreme Court to make “none of the above” an additional option for voters. The petition, filed last week by a group of lawyers and a Baptist bishop, is to encourage the public to vote even if they see only a few or no candidate fit for the post.
If at all, the petition shows how the electoral process in the country has been abused in history, Europa told reporters at the launch of the campaign #ATINangEleksyon on Thursday.
Moves to include the ‘none of the above’ option are nothing new, said former Commission of Elections Chair Christian Monsod, but for him, the people are sending a message that they don’t want to be part of the system anymore.
“The poor have been waiting for the fulfillment of the promises we made to them, and the only power they can sense on elections is, on election day they can cast a vote where everybody else is equal,” he said at the launch.
“But before the elections and after the people have been elected, they know that the power is somewhere else,” Monsod added.
But despite these long-standing election-related issues, the IBP reminded voters that abstaining from exercising their right to suffrage should not be an option.
“If you get out, you are precisely allowing those who want to manipulate the elections with their own objectives,” Monsod said.
Old issues like vote buying, premature campaigning and campaign finance, and the proliferation of surveys are among those named during the launch of #ATINangEleksyon, a voter-centered campaign of poll watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE). (See Campaign finance reforms pushed)
“Masayang masaya ang mga tao kapag sasapit ang eleksyon kasi alam nila na uulan ng pera at may darating na biyaya (Voters look forward to the election season because money is everywhere),” said lawyer Jose de la Rama, Jr.
In Mindanao and other conflict-affected areas where governance and the rule of law are weak, the prevailing attitude is “get-what-you-can,” said lawyer Amina Rasul-Bernardo. (See Violence, vote-buying mar special polls in Lanao Sur)
“If we only see them once every three years, why shouldn’t we get what we get?” she asked.
“When you sell or barter your vote, you have sold essentially, or bartered away, your position in a democratic system,” she added.
Vote-buying is a criminal offense under the Omnibus Election Code and has a penalty of up to six years in prison.
According to LENTE, the success of an election can be measured by national public confidence or the degree of trust citizens put in their government.
It is one of the guiding principles of the group’s campaign, along with accountability, transparency and inclusiveness.
Nonetheless, the people should elect leaders whom they think are most qualified for the position. Voters have to get involved, the IBP said.
“Some people don’t realize that the process of election is very important because it is a useful alternative to revolution,” said Europa.
As part of its voter-centered campaign, LENTE hopes to improve the country’s electoral environment by advocating for the prosecution of election law violations. (See Poll watchdog to monitor rights violations vs PWDs)
It also seeks to inform the public about the government’s preparations for the polls, and about candidates — from those contesting the presidency to those running under party lists.
To make the elections more exclusive to persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples, the organization will also conduct pilot testing of accessible polling centers.
The group will also hold voters education campaigns in select prisons nationwide and will give out public education materials to the rest.
