Tell it to SunStar: Privilege of voting

ELECTIONS are always a time of reckoning for the country, and there is one coming up fast in 2019. Already we have seen a number of personalities aspiring to be senators.

Only 12 senatorial seats will be contested and hopefully we Filipinos will unite in electing the best and the brightest among them. I refer to those who will not only represent the voice of the people but will also fight for them in all manner, shape and form.

Voting is a privilege, but it is also our responsibility to ensure that out of this right we are able to choose the candidates who can best serve the interests of the country and its people more than their own – or those that can be called servant-leaders.

Who should qualify to become senator?

Consider that the Senate is where important laws of the land are deliberated on and crafted. That means we need to elect those who have the capacity, capability and competence to perform the job that is highly expected of them.

Electing candidates because of their celebrity status or household name, as we had done in the past, should no longer be the norm. Almost always, such practice does not translate to worthiness in governance.

Indeed, some political parties nudge the famous and the wealthy to run because they want to take advantage of their popularity for political gain. But this does a big disservice to the country because this belies the real goal of putting the interest of the country first.

It won’t serve the country well either if we keep on “recycling” senators, or aptly, has-been. This is something that we are in the habit of doing, as if they are the only leader we could have.

This is especially true when, sometime in the past, their names were linked to some outrageous and shameful activity, like the scandal that was the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

There never is a dearth of senatorial candidates worthy of our trust and confidence because of their qualification. Alas, we always go for the mediocre who act as if their main job is to grandstand and amuse the electorate.

It is wise to remember that whoever we elect as senators reflect who we are as people and on how serious and determined we are in attaining prosperity for the country and in making a positive difference in the lives of the Filipinos.--Jesus Sievert

‘Oplan Talsik’

Last month, President Duterte said he had evidence of a “loose conspiracy” involving opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, the Magdalo group, the Liberal Party and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) to overthrow him. All parties denied his claim.

The military called the rebel plot “Oplan Talsik (Ouster),” which, it said, was aimed at summoning a critical mass for a broad united front to remove the President. This is akin to the objective of Red October.

The military said the Red October plot fizzled out although it might be a plan that would culminate in December, when the CPP marks its 50th anniversary. Let us be careful with lies and deception of the CPP-NPA.--Jumel G. Estrañero, defense research analyst, college faculty member

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