Senatorial candidate Edu Manzano today called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to intensify its voter’s information drive specifically focused on educating the electorate to choose a partylist to represent them in Congress this May 9 elections.
Manzano, who is vying a Senate seat under the umbrella coalition Partido Galing at Puso this coming elections, noted the lack, if not at all absence, of a complete voter’s education campaign focused on partylist system locally and abroad.
“For more than two decades since the partylist law was enacted into law, majority of our people are still not fully aware of the need to vote for partylist that would best represent them in Congress as a member of a particular sector of our society,” he said.
“Our Constitution, the basic law of the land, was very specific to give proportionate representation in Congress so that marginalized groups can take active part in crafting meaningful policies that impact on them,” he added.
To date, there are about 115 partylist organizations vying for a seat in Congress among national, regional and sectoral parties or groups accredited by the Comelec this coming elections under the 21-year-old partylist system law.
Manzano, who has been going around the country listening to the myriad concerns of the people he talked to, noted that very few among the Filipino electorate actually know that they need to vote for a partylist to represent them in Congress.
“Many people I talked with in the provinces were more concerns about whom to vote for local candidates or even national candidates but hardly for partylist representatives,” he said.
“The partylist system law was envisioned to encourage a new type of politics that is anchored on principles or programs to address the flaws of a multi-party system. We should exert efforts to advance participation under partylist representation,” he added.
Manzano also noted that the voter’s education package sent by the Comelec to the more than 1.4 million qualified overseas absentee voters does not contain any information about partylist organizations and their respective programs.
“The Comelec should exert all considerable efforts in addressing not only the low voter’s turn-out even during presidential elections among overseas absentee voting but also, most importantly, the low voter’s turn-out in partylist voting system,” he said.
Under Overseas Absentee Voting Law, qualified or registered overseas Filipino voters are allowed to vote for president, vice president, senatorial candidates and partylist representatives.
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Heart and Lovi destined to be Escudero and Poe
Best friends Heart Evangelista and Lovi Poe think that it was destiny that they are an Escudero (now) and Poe.
Well, their family names (in the case of Heart her married name) have even brought them closer. They have been the best of friends even before Heart got married and now they are campaigning for Senator Grace Poe, Lovi’s half sister, and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
Both didn’t expect that they’d go together as far as campaigning for the coming elections. “Hindi po naman in-expect na mangyayari ito. Unang-una, magiging best friend ko si Heart tapos napangasawa niya pa si Senator Chiz, so naging Poe-Escudero bigla yung tandem naming dalawa kaya nagkataon, parang destiny,” Lovi said.“Lagi kami magkasama ni Heart sa maraming bagay pero hindi ko po akalain na pati dito.”
Heart is happy because it does not only give her the opportunity to see the country but to be with her best friend.
“Enjoy din kami na parang lumilibot kami, marami kaming nakikilala tapos magkasama kami, at the same time, Poe-Escudero pa. O hindi ba?” Heart. Said.