ELECTIONS are one of the best democratic exercises we have since time immemorial. It is the expression of the will of the people on who they will choose to be their leaders by electing them to some respective elective positions.
Electing leaders is anchored on the time-honored principle of "vox populi vox dei" which simply means that the voice of the people is the voice of God, thus the majority will of the electorates is the final arbiter every election period.
We had the recent elections last 2019 during the midterm elections wherein we elected 12 senators, governors, congressmen, board members, mayors, vice-mayors and Sanggunian members. Their terms of offices shall end by next two years, 2022. Meanwhile, we elected our barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials last 2018 for a term of two years until the supposed 2020 elections was deferred and reset to December 2022. The nearest coming elections for national and local positions shall be held by May and December of 2022.
For those who are currently holding present elective positions and shall be seeking re-elections by 2022, the present prevailing pandemic and how they addressed its threat and problems the virus brings shall be a great factor for their victories.
Because of the attack of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) that has already claimed a number of lives of Filipinos and thousands and thousands more in other countries, many politicians are either praised or ridiculed on their actions or inactions to their constituents.
A lot of Filipinos who are presently affected by the enhance community quarantine (ECQ) are now expressing their intentions to fully support politicians who are visible to public eyes and doing something to address the present crisis. On the other hand, there are criticisms too flooding some elected officials who are doing nothing except lip services or doing some stupid things that are not helping our present situation.
On the national scene, Senator Koko Pimentel was bashed when he took his pregnant wife to a hospital despite his being aware of the possibility of his being infected with the Covid-19. His colleagues in the Senate went positive while others were on a self-imposed quarantine. As a bar topnotcher, he is most probably aware of the risk of him possibly infecting others in the hospital where his wife gave birth.
As a result of his careless act, he earned the ire of many Filipinos who promised him a payback time should he run again for the Senate. Netizens even made a lot of memes on him while denouncing his carelessness.
House Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano was promised by barangay officials a payback time too for carelessly announcing that every household shall be receiving some cash assistance in the amount of P8,000.00 without first qualifying the kind of beneficiaries entitled to the Social Amelioration Program of the national government.
Barangay officials are cursing him for his announcement that made the former the subject of confusion and ire of expectant people in barangays who are hoping to get the cash assistance. The speaker made barangay officials a bunch of liars because of the assistance which are only entitled to the poorest of the poor.
The present pandemic is a great gauge and barometer of the qualifications and sincerity to serve the people of those who will be running for the election come 2022.
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