Choose candidates with 'proven track record', voters told
The De La Salle Brothers of the Philippines reminded Filipino voters ahead of the May 2022 elections to choose candidates with a "proven track record of empowering the disempowered and underserved sectors of society."
The De La Salle Brothers of the Philippines released criteria that voters can rely on in choosing candidates, underscoring the importance of the upcoming polls.
"As we reel from the social and economic devastation wrought by the pandemic and the continuing blight of corrupt and ineffective governance that has grown even more pronounced in the past six years, the issue at stake is not just one of national recovery but of our very survival as a God-loving, sovereign, and democratic nation," it statement read.
"The election of 2022 is not just about the choice of a new leader -- it is about choosing the kind of future we want for ourselves, our children, and our children's children. If there's anything this pandemic has driven home to all of us, it is that our survival depends on cooperation and solidarity, on new forms of 'people power' rather than reliance on autocratic forms of governance which are insensitive to the rights of ordinary citizens, prone to abuse and corruption, and that rob individuals citizens and civic groups of the responsibility to co-create a just, humane, and prosperous society," it further read.
The group asked the public to seek leaders who must be able to propose a vision that can unite the people in the pursuit of the common good and possess the moral integrity needed to command trust from citizens and civil society.
They also urged voters to "ask themselves where each candidate stands" on the promotion of human rights, defense of the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, universal destination of goods, respect for truth and freedom of information, stewardship of creation, and personal integrity.
The group also reminded the voters that voting "is a prophetic task requiring us to challenge old ways of thinking that have led to the stagnation and squandered opportunities that are killing our very own people."
"We call on every Filipino voter to see and evaluate how each of our local and national candidates measures up to these non-negotiable ethical criteria. Let us not also fall victim to the factories of disinformation and misinformation campaigns."