^~^DAILY GOSPEL REFLECTION^~^

In two days we will hold our national election in the Philippines. As I think and reflect about this coming national exercise, I feel excited that the Filipino people would be able to exercise its God-given and constitutional right, the freedom to choose the next President and leader of our Republic.

What are the qualities and characteristics I am looking for in the next President of the Republic? Here are some of them:

1. I am looking for a leader who is smart, intelligent, and God-fearing, someone who respects the rights of everyone, magnanimous in his heart, stern and well-thought in his actions, one whom every Filipino can be proud to emulate;

2. I am looking for a leader who can truly lead and guide our country become economically prosperous;

3. I am looking for a leader who will work tirelessly to improve and change the lives of many (if not all) Filipinos become a little better and more humane;

4. I am looking for a leader who can help spur our country compete in the league of nations - both in the economic, political and social arena;

5. I am looking for a leader who is just, strong-willed, and trustworthy, one who does not work for personal, family or corporate gains, but only for the service of the common good;

6. I am looking for a leader who is ready to make tough, decisive and difficult decisions - ready to root out corruption in government, have the courage to dismantle political and family dynasties, private armies, etc.;

7. I am looking for leader who is ready to respect and fight for human rights, prosecute those who abuse their powers, and investigate any kind of human abuses and the like;

8. I am looking for a leader who is ready to work out a national plan to achieve peace among the insurgents like the CPP-NPA, the Moro National Liberation Front, MILF, and other insurgent groups currently fighting against the government;

9. I am looking for a leader who is ready to implement decisive programs that will uplift immediately the conditions of many poor Filipinos, to create an environment where small and big businesses could thrive and prosper, both local and foreign, a leader who can create jobs and work for the common man, so that our citizenry would no longer seek for jobs abroad or anywhere else;

10. I am looking for a leader who is not afraid to implement new changes in government for the advancement of the common good, ready to "rock the boat" if needs be, be able to implement programs which are 'pro-poor' and viable, able to follow them up, cut red-tapes in government, and ensure that all programs geared for the people are implemented accordingly;

11. I am looking for a leader who will work expeditiously to protect the environment, our natural resources, promote "clean air," "clean energy," and the like, for the advancement of a better world;

12. I am looking for a leader who will create and implement health programs, ensure that all citizens are given health insurances, and help especially the poor and the needy;

13. I am looking for a leader who is open to current technological changes, implement  new forms and ways through the use of media, latest technology, internet, etc., for the advancement of our country and the world;

14. I am looking for a leader who will modernize and strengthen our military, ready to make sweeping changes if necessary, root out military and police personnel who are corrupt and undesirables, implement reforms and programs that would benefit especially our military and veterans and their families;

15. I am looking for a leader who can implement the laws of the land, protect the constitution, uphold the courts, and see that the laws are implemented justly.

The Filipino people have been dreaming for a long time for good governance. We hope that the new President of the Republic would not let us down this time. That is why, we need to rally all Filipinos to exercise their constitutional right come election day. If we want new changes to happen in our government, and in our country, this is the time to act. We will fight our battle through the use of the ballot. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by this time. The stake is too high. Our children and our children's children depend on us their future. Therefore, this time, I urge every Filipino (who are able) to go out and vote, and vote wisely.

Don't be subdued by any intimidation of whatever kind. Listen to the voice of your conscience. Remember the saying, the voice of the people is the voice of God." Know your candidates well, examine their platforms and programs, examine their records (if any) in conjunction with their words. Don't be easily taken by nice and moving speeches. Words are sometimes cheap.

Be vigilant against vote buying, delaying tactics, force or intimidation being played by some notorious candidates and their supporters, who will do anything in order to win. In the past elections, vote buying had always been a problem. I hope it does not happen again this time. In some areas, the usual tactic of intimidation through the use of guns and goons have been prevalent, to rig the election. We hope the Commission on Election will know what to do in areas where  "evil practice" of this kind  is prevalent. The Filipino people  know what to do if cheated again. But, we cannot be intimidated anymore. Any candidate employing such kind of tactic or the like should be investigated immediately, banned from running any electoral office, or else he should immediately be prosecuted.

During election time, the military has a big role to play not only to keep peace, but to see to it that constitutional laws and processes are implemented and the rights of the citizenry are safeguarded. Lately, we heard of some military personnel who are acting as protectors of some big-wig politicians and their cohorts. This has tarnished the image of the military. The military is a non-partisan entity, and they should remain that way. They have no right to meddle in politics in whatever form. Their role is specified by the constitution - that is, to protect the citizenry, not to meddle in politics. Any military personnel meddling in politics should be prosecuted.

This morning I read in one of the national dailies that about 80,000 students from catholic schools all over the country  have volunteered to act as poll watchers during election time. I was excited and happy to hear about this. It's a good sign. Our young people are getting actively involved in the election process, to safeguard the sanctity of the ballots. We commend them for their courage and for their self-less generosity. The adults should have the same fervor and enthusiasm as our young people.

In two days we will hold the national elections, and yet, the issue of the 'compact flash cards' and configuration of some polling machines and their reliability are still a concern. These issues and concerns should have been dealt with a long time ago - not at the last minute - prior to election time. I just hope that there is nothing fishy about this. Nonetheless, the Commission on Election should look into this problem, otherwise it can create a series of problems they can never contain. Who is to blame for this? I really don't know. I hope that they should look into this very well and find immediate solution. I pray that something like should never happen again ever in the immediate future.

At this time, I pray for the success of our national election in the Philippines. I urge everyone to pray for the success of this national exercise. The future of our country depends on our elected leaders. We simply cannot take this national exercise for granted.