Making our choices of leaders

TODAY, some 65 million of the more than 109 million Filipinos will troop to the different polling precincts all over the country to cast their votes to select the new leaders who will govern the nation for the next six years (national) and three years (local).

For lack of space, we are mentioning only the names of those running for the top national positions as well as for the local government units. Here are those who offer themselves to serve under the different positions to be contested:

For President of the Philippines we have VP Leni Robredo, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso, Sen. Manny Panquiao; Sen. Ping Lacson, Labor Leader Ka Leody de Guzman, former Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella, former Defense Sec. Norberto Gonzales, Muslim Businessman Faisal Mangondato, and Lawyer Doctor Jose Montemayor, Jr.

For Vice President the following are vying for the position: Sara Duterte-Carpio, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto, Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, Cong. Lito Atienza, Prof. Walden Bello, lawyer Carlos Serapio, Rizalito David, Manny Lopez, and Dr. Willie Ong.

For Senators, we leave it up to you to see your COMELEC-provided list. There are just too many of them.

As for the candidates for the local government positions in Davao City, we have the following:

For Mayor: Baste Duterte, lawyer Ruy Elias Lopez, businessman Joseph Hannibal Elizalde, and Engr. Teddy Mantilla.

There is no contest for the vice mayor position as lawyer Jay Melchor Quitain is, by luck, running unopposed.

And since we are a voter in the city’s third district we’d rather present the names of congressional and council aspirants in the district where we belong. And they are…

For Representative: incumbent Isidro “Sid” Ungab and Abundio Indonilla.

The candidates for the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the third district are the following:

Sweet Advincula, Nonoy Al-ag, Carmelo “Bebot” Clarion, Conde Baluran, Myrna Dalodo Ortiz, Melba Principe, Engr. Alberto Ungab, Dentist Potpot Villafuerte, PT Enzo Villafuerte, and Cocoy Zozobrado.

From them, the voters of the third district including us shall take their pick. We recommend that the electorate of the district make their final choice in accordance with how much they know about the candidates especially their character and their ability and circumstances to make good the commitments they made during the campaign period. Personal biases must be set aside

Meanwhile, as to the aspirants for national positions especially the President and Vice President of the Republic we strongly advise every voter to have a deep discernment of the entirety of every candidate’s qualifications. Not one of them is an immaculately perfect individual as most claimed they are. No matter how their handlers portray them as the epitome of the best candidate, somewhere in the inner sanctum of their persons are some dark secrets that sooner or later may come out in the open.

What to us is important is that whoever is our final choice has only the best interest of the Filipinos as their first and foremost consideration and that they have what it takes to make it happen.

Now, as to our personal choice for President this far we can share. Earlier, we told a social media friend Marlu Villarosa the name of the presidential bet we prefer. But we hastened to add that our preference is not necessarily the brightest, the best, or wisest of the ten candidates. But we consider the aspirant as “our wisest choice.” Meaning, after taking all of the said candidate’s personal background, including education and experiences in public service and governance, we believe that the aspirant is in a better position to make good everything the presidential bet promised to do.

On the other hand, as to the top local government position aspirants in Davao City we are guided by the thought that there is a need to look into all aspects of the candidates’ qualifications and not just how one is made to see a candidate to be.

We hope that when our Davao voters make their final choices it is on the same aspects that we used in gauging the candidates’ capability that they too will consider as parameters. We urge them not to get swayed by the rhetoric, the disinformation undertaken by social media trolls, and clearly biased vloggers that are getting aggressively toxic until today. The city electors must listen to their conscience. After all, it is they who stand to benefit or suffer from their decision

Good luck to everyone, candidate or voter. Vote wisely.