Editorial

Choice in governance

Opening salvo for the nine-day campaign period incidental to the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections starts on May 4 after such poll had been postponed twice due in part to illegal drug menace that haunts the country.

Some barangay chair seats are uncontested, so either the incumbent returns or a new face emerges in leadership. Why uncontested? It could be that the incumbent is trustworthy to be retained or the new aspirant is surely a winner or lack of interest in public service pervades in a community. Whatever, so long there is no vacuum in barangay leadership or seats… but there is always a succession based on law of vacancy.

Other than house-to-house visitation, board display, and distribution of pamphlets, we expect the social media to be a longitude in the campaign.

Internets and cellphones will be fully busy these days for the barangay and SK elections. For close contests, there will be intense interfacing or one-on-one approach to win votes; hopefully no more vote-buying which pervaded in some areas in the past. “That guy won because of money,” is one comment by a number of voters or the losers in the past elections. But how much money (is it by the thousand?) that the choice of a candidate becomes unintelligible… a foolish decision to cast a vote.

Barangay governance is at stake here come the barangay and SK elections. If we care for good governance in our barangay, the choice of leaders have to be rationale and responsible. Voters hold the key to the right and qualified leaders. Voters should not be guided by peer persuasion but by wisdom on qualifications of candidates. One good vote and another wise decision spell the difference in the choice of the probables but never it be a gamble for you lose in the end.

Remember, the barangay council is the frontline of governance and the SK holds the welfare of the youths. Let your vote count for good and functional barangay government that empowers the smaller communities. Powers of government, though regulated, are defused to smaller units for more participatory governance. Be aware that the people owns our representatives who should be most hold the government and its management fitted to serve.

The choice of rightful leaders belongs on your hands, your ballots. Let your vote count through the right choice.