Last May 2021, exactly one year before the May 2022 Philippine national elections, the PARTICIPATE pro-democracy coalition launched its Ligtas Halalan 2022 [Safe Elections 2022] campaign.
Based on international experiences and the Palawan plebiscite conducted in March 2021, it is possible to hold successful elections amid the pandemic. The country must be prepared at the earliest possible time then.
The campaign aims to engage stakeholders in the government, private sector, civil society, and media to ensure the safe, free, and fair conduct of the 2022 presidential elections. The campaign also aims to communicate to the public the preparations made by the government and initiatives from other stakeholders to ensure the conduct of safe elections.
A Unity Statement was released at this campaign launch. It starts with:
“We, the academe, civil society organizations, youth groups, and sectoral leaders call on the national government, Congress, and the electoral stakeholders to Covid-proof the 2022 elections. Covid-proof means ensuring that the elections are safe, fair, and free for all Filipino voters.”
Specific measures are: Ensure that the COMELEC receives enough funds (roughly Php 10 billion based on international policy experience and estimates) to overcome the fear and uncertainty of voting. Voters also need to be protected from COVID-19 and politicking. An extensive information and awareness campaign on safety must be implemented. Promote safe and fair new normal campaigning. Adopt a multi-stakeholder approach to ensure transparency.
CODE-NGO, together with its member networks, AF, CENVISNET, EVNET, PHILDHRRA, and WEVNET and more than 2,000 academic, youth, business, civil society, and professional organizations, signed the statement.
PARTICIPATE also produced a series of light yet insightful videos on the theme “Ano Ang Ambag Mo?” [What is your contribution?] The videos focus on the power of the people in a democracy, their concrete contributions to society, and the obligation of elected officials to their citizens.
Watch the videos here:
PARTCIPATE is a non-partisan, pro-democracy coalition dedicated to engaging the political participation of the Filipino people. Its core consortium consists of the Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), La Salle Institute of Governance (LSIG), the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS), and CODE-NGO.
You must be logged in to post a comment.