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Know your candidates for the Philippine national elections this 2022. Observe. Research. Choose wisely. This is a call for discernment and action because the future of the nation is at stake.

Know your candidates through the records of their life and performance in the past

Important information to look for

1. Education. Although Pres. Duterte said the next president “should be a lawyer,” what other education did he/she have if not law to prepare for service to the nation or to show excellence?

2. Positions held and accomplishments in service. Candidates aiming for higher positions should at least show competence and accomplishments while in lower positions. On the other hand, in position or not, they should at least show records of service to their communities and the country. Genuine service is seen when a person is not running for a position and yet serves others to the best of his/her ability even for lack of funds.

3. Crimes, court cases, etc. This is very important. No one is perfect, yet we should look for the one with the cleanest record.

There are many sources where we can get to know the candidates. Surely, there are fake news; therefore, we need to verify the information we read. Here, I suggest Wikipedia because there are many other references for sources within each post that will help us verify information.

Honestly, it’s through Wikipedia that I found an information unknown to many about BBM telling his father to blow up Camp Crame during the February Revolution. One may say that he was young then at the age of 29. Now that he is old at 64, he can apologize for it publicly if there has been a change in character. It’s also through Wikipedia where I learned why BBM and the former First Lady are barred from entering the USA.

It is also through Wikipedia that I found that FEM was convicted for premeditated murder of Julio Nalundasan, the person who defeated BBM’s grandfather in the National Assembly. He was only acquitted by Justice Jose P. Laurel as a paying forward because he himself was acquitted out of mercy even though he was convicted of frustrated murder.

The candidates

Apologies to the other candidates, but here are the profiles for the presidential, vice presidential and senatorial candidates. Vote no more than 12 for senators.

Here are the party list groups. Vote only one party list.

Here’s the complete list of candidates with the numbers.

Know your candidates through their words and actions

For this, all forms of media will be useful. Listen to their answers in their interviews. Watch their posts.

It’s sad that Atty. Larry Gadon posted a video of himself swearing profusely while complaining about the inauthenticity of surveys. His own posts made loud cries telling everyone why he’s not in the top ratings.

Again, verify all the more since there is an abundance of fake news. Many posts are also based on personal opinions.

If you are a conscientious person, consider also the person giving the opinion or information. Are they themselves using foul language? Are they spreading “news” which the candidates do not even confirm?

For example, I’ve read one post which claimed that if BBM won, he would be able to collect all the debts the other countries owed to FEM and that BBM would pay all the debts of the Philippines. The result as claimed will be that 1 Phil peso will be equal to 52 US dollars.

Instead of believing, ask: Did BBM really say that? Had he confirmed about the Tallano gold which his supporters said he would use to pay our country’s debts and to give to those who would vote for him? Would he really be willing pay for the debts the country owes which is about 13 trillion dollars?

Know your candidates through their platform of government and the decisions they make

Government platform

According to Wikipedia, “A government platform is a political platform of a government. A new government, when entering office, lists their objectives to be accomplished while in office. Government platforms are especially important in coalition governments, where several parties with possibly conflicting political platforms agree on a compromise– a coalition agreement. The distinction between a party platform and a government platform may be blurred in countries where single parties often form governments.”

For the candidates’ platform of government, I have used their personal websites as links for you to visit.

The decisions they make

Regarding the decisions they make, here are examples of what stood out for me negatively.

One, if BBM is a good leader and he’s for unity, why did he choose the candidate I mentioned above whose mouth is full of filthy words?

Good comes from a good man because of the riches he has in his heart. Sin comes from a sinful man because of the sin he has in his heart. The mouth speaks of what the heart is full of.  Luke 6:45

The second is Loren Legarda’s joining the BBM-Sara team. Did she join them thinking she’d have more chances of winning with them at the cost of what she used to stand for?

Here’s a quiz I suggest you take even just for curiosity. The quiz will ask you for your position on certain issues. Your answers will be matched to the “various interview answers given by the candidates which reflect their sentiments on the issue as expressed publicly.”

Conclusion

Why is knowing your candidates important to do so?  It is necessary so that we can avoid electing a political thief.  Here’s a transcript of a short preaching from a speaker from Tiktok (reposted on Facebook) of a comparison between an ordinary thief and a political thief.

An ordinary thief and a political thief

1. The ordinary thief steals your money, your bag, your watch, and your jewelry, but the political thief steals your future, your career, your education, your health, and your business.

2. The hilarious part is that the ordinary thief will choose whom to rob but you are the one who choose the political thief to rob you. We vote them. We blindly say that we are not blind. Who is deceiving who?

3. The ridiculous part of the whole issue is that we will fight to defend and protect our belongings from the ordinary thief, but we fight each other to defend and protect the political thief. Is that not we do? Thugs will be fighting themselves to protect those that are stealing our career, stealing our joy, stealing our health, stealing our success. What a shame. What a travesty.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/jcbacoy/videos/547539420102820

Yes, I’m requesting you, my fellow Filipinos, to know our candidates and choose wisely our leaders because the future of our nation depends on the choices we make. Please know the kind of leader God wants us to have.

Whoever you choose, I pray that no one will be guilty of not choosing well.

However, my real call will always be the same: choose JESUS because our present, future, and eternity is in HIM. Let’s pray for our leaders and our nation.

Jeremiah 29:7
Work for the well-being of the city where I have sent you to and pray to the Lord for this. For if it is well with the city you live in, it will be well with you.’

REMINDERS

1. Check your precinct in Comelec’s Precinct Finder before voting.
2. Bring your own black pen as reserve. Use sign pen that can easily be used for shading.
3. Bring your list of chosen candidates.
4. Wear a face mask.
5. Don’t wear a shirt with your candidate’s name.
6. Don’t take with you a fan or a pen with any candidates’s names or teams.
7. On the ballots, mark only the O before your candidates’ numbers and names.
8. Don’t cross out other O, names, and numbers.
9. Avoid crumpling or tearing your ballot.
10. Do not let any other person touch your ballot once you’ve marked it and before feeding it into the machine.
11. Read the results to check similarity with your votes.
12. If there’s a difference, submit to the person-in-charge for complaint.
13. USE AND PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE.
14. ACCEPT THE RESULTS WITH THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER.