Voter education in schools pushed

FILE PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. PNA Photo Rolando Mailo

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said he wanted the integration of voter education in the country’s education curriculum to encourage the youth to make informed choices during elections.

In his speech at the National Election Summit in Pasay City, the President told officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to always “ensure accurate and unalterable results” to maintain the sanctity of the polls and the people’s trust.

“In ensuring excellent results, we must continue to discuss the nitty-gritty of our processes, including recalibrating the capacity of our teachers as electoral board members, and integrating voter education in the curricula of K to 12, tertiary level and the National Service Training Program,” he said.

“So as we engage with discussions among our students and the Filipino youth, we likewise promote and encourage them to form and cast an informed vote, as well as discerningly choose the leaders of our society,” he added.

READ: Comelec conducts voter education seminars

The Chief Executive also urged the Comelec to “open yourselves to the recommendations of our experts and Filipino voters, who are [our] partners in ensuring free, orderly, honest and credible elections.”

“As a democratic and republican government, we derive our power from the people, we recognize that sovereignty is exercised by its citizens through suffrage. On this note, I underscore the Comelec’s critical role as the guardians of our people’s sovereign will in ensuring the integrity of the electoral process,” the President said, noting the poll body must ensure “accurate and unalterable” results to maintain the sanctity of the elections and people’s trust.

Marcos also challenged Comelec officials to “implement positive reforms and make election result transmission faster and maintain its accuracy,” citing that the government has been using modern technologies during the elections.

He thanked poll officials for holding the summit to provide a platform for a national dialogue among elections stakeholders in developing policies, plans, and programs in poll administration, enforcement and adjudication.

According to the President, this is a process he felt “has been too long delayed,” citing the Comelec’s critical role as the guardians of the people’s sovereign will in ensuring the integrity of the election.

“Driven by the commitment to strengthen the people’s trust and confidence in the Comelec, I ask you to open yourselves to the recommendations of our experts and Filipino voters, who are [our] partners in ensuring free, orderly, honest, and credible elections,” he said.

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