Campaign….Campaign….Campaign

After the lull of the Holy Week, if ever there were any, political campaigns for the May 13 elections are on, but now with more heat, since it is the last stretch before the elections. We have barely three weeks to go before that fateful day. With the encouragement of the last CBCP pastoral letter, many lay leaders are now actively involved in campaigning. The bishops made this call: “Christians are encouraged to engage in principled partisan participation. This means that they can campaign for good candidates as an exercise of their Christian faith.” Many lay leaders are now heeding this call. Even with limited resources and experiences, they campaign for the candidates whom they think can make a difference in the present governance of the country. They especially support candidates who advance democratic governance by not allowing themselves to be cowed by fear or used by interests of those who have authoritarian or dictatorial leanings.

In some areas of the country, this is an uphill battle. In a northern province, I was told by a local leader of the opposition that she has a lot of posters but they cannot post them because people are afraid to be identified with the opposition, even by just having posters attached near their homes or offices. They are afraid of reprisals. Fear can have a paralyzing effect. The best way to overcome fear is not by going along with it, but by opposing it and standing up to it. If now we are afraid just because of the threats, what will happen when people are actually led with a semblance of legality because those in power are now in total control? It is now then that we have to stand up and oppose those who use violence and threats.

In all midterm elections the ones in power have the unfair advantage in that they can use government resources, government money, and even government time to campaign for their candidates. This should be illegal! Usually, those in the opposition have not enough resources for their campaigns. Here the lay people who are convinced about the worthiness of their candidates can help. On their own they can tell people whom to vote. This influence is highly effective because it is a one-on-one personal approach. This can also be done in the social media by posting the names and programs of good candidates so that they may be more known. This does not cost any money and does not need much time. If more and more lay people do this, this subtle campaigning that is not caught by survey groups can be very effective.

At this stage of the campaign, let us not be conditioned by survey results and polls. These are part of the propaganda and are meant to condition our votes. Let us remember that elections are different from betting in lotteries or gambling. It is not a matter of betting on winning horses. It is the free expression of our convictions. No matter if my candidate does not have a high rating, my vote for him/her is not wasted even if she/he loses. What is worse is that I vote for a winnable candidate who indeed wins but who is a bad public servant. In this way I have contributed to the ill in society.  Many have regretted their votes in the 2016 elections. Let this be a lesson to us now. Let us be wiser. Let all good people campaign and vote not for winnable people – iyong may mga matunog ng pangalan lang – but for those who really can help in the good governance of the country. Let us make good candidates known. Campaign for them!