To vote is a citizens’ right!

October 30, 2020

Filipino citizens have been combatting the adverse effects of the pandemic crisis caused by the Wuhan virus. As the normal way of living came to a sharp halt, businesses either staggered or stopped operations. While for some this was only a temporary or band-aid solution until the lifting of restrictions, for others it meant permanent closure. Schools and other institutions suspended their in-person functions as well. There was also a considerable slowing down of travel and commerce, crippling the tourism and hospitality industry and debilitating our economy.

Worst, the pandemic literally brought many lives to a halt.

All throughout this crisis, Filipino consumers and businesses complied with protocols and cooperated with relevant government agencies hoping that through a whole of society approach, we would be able to mitigate the pandemic and move forward to recovery and growth in a new normal

Despite the predicament, there have been some troubling suggestions. As raised in the recent virtual town hall discussion organized by Stratbase ADR Institute entitled “Democracy Goes On: Elections & Electoral Continuity Post-COVID 19,” some politicians have contemplated with the idea of postponing the upcoming 2022 national elections. For them, the public will be too afraid to go out and vote and may render the elections to be non-representative of the will of the people.

We at CitizenWatch Philippines disagree. As shared by academics, experts, civil society actors, and even government agencies, the binary perspective in looking at public safety and safeguarding our elections is false; we can have a safe and inclusive elections without putting the public at risk. It won’t be easy, but if all sectors of society work together, it can be done.

For CitizenWatch, the first step should be to continue and uphold the reliable and trusted practices in our electoral process. According to a study by Dr. Ador Torneo of the De La Salle Institute of Governance, there has been a consistent trend of decreasing electoral violence and higher voter confidence in the automated elections.

In addition, Prof. Robert Krimmer shared how Estonia over the course of its history was able to fully digitize their government. Today, all households and schools are equipped with fast, affordable and reliable broadband. Through a national ID system, they can vote, file their taxes, and do other transactions with the government securely. This can be a model for the Philippines in the new normal, provided that private efforts for digitization are matched by public sector investment in a nationwide digital infrastructure.

Given any other circumstances, government, private sector, and civil society must collaborate in order to push through with the 2022 elections.

Democracy will go on!