The voter who attends a small group meeting in the barangay organized by one or another political party must not be content with sitting through rhetoric from candidates if he is to leave the event better informed to judge who will get his vote.
Conversely, candidates must go to these meetings ready to present sound credentials and amply detailed plans instead of sounding off bombastic slogans or drawing castles in the air. Pitch a product, a vision. Do not put on a show.
Here are some questions candidates in Cebu City should be able to answer concretely, questions that voters have every right to ask at a pulong-pulong:
1. Why do you consider yourself qualified to become a city official?
2. If you get elected, what will Cebu City look like at the end of your term?
3. What is your flagship project for the city?
4. How soon do you plan to convene the City Development Council?
5. How will you build consensus with the city’s executive or legislature in case you do not see eye to eye on issues?
6. What will you do together with the Association of Barangay Councils to shield funds meant for the barangays from political calisthenics?
7. What will be your ground rules for engaging the youth with the help of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation? How will the city help educate all its children?
8. How will you keep the city’s coffers robust within the next three years?
9. How will you respond to the challenge of transparent governance while the Freedom of Information Law is still pending in Congress?
10. Why should we not take the fact that your posters are plastered everywhere as evidence of your lack of respect for the law?
11. Can you not stop someone apart from yourself in your own clan from running for office, the better to respect the Constitution’s dictum against political dynasties?
12. In light of crippling floods that have swept the city, what is your time frame for making sure all waterways are cleared of obstructions according to the specifications of the Water Code?
13. How will you advance the beautification of ecological integrity of Cebu City from the mountains to the waterfont?
14. How will you give the least who live in the city’s streets the chance at a better life?
15. How will you rid the city of crimes like illegal gambling, robbery, illegal drug peddling, cybersex and human trafficking?
16. How will you make our traffic situation less congested and more environment friendly?
17. For incumbents: Among the promises you made in the last elections, which ones remain unfulfilled? Why? If reelected, what will you do to avoid mistakes of the past?
18. How will you help the city’s agricultural barangays progress?
19. What measures will you take to ensure water security for the city?
20. What is your plan for the city’s tourism industry, culture and heritage?