Get out and vote

Finally the time has come for people to decide who shall govern them. Tomorrow we elect 12 senators and  other officials of  local government units. Tomorrow the people are the boss and the source of public mandate of  officials up for election.

A clean and honest election is needed to have a  legitimate government. It is a recognition of the supreme power of the people as a sovereign to exercise the right of suffrage. Voting must be accompanied with the great  responsibility to vote wisely and not to sell one’s  votes in order not to sell the future of the community and the country.

But the reality is that vote-buying will continue to be  rampant, something the  Commission on Elections can do little to stop  as there are many candidates  who look down on voters and take advantage of their poverty.

Let me suggest to  voters to accept the money offered but vote according to your conscience. To discourage vote-buying, I would like to ask e citizens to  take cell phone pictures of suspicious gatherings for this purpose. Some politicians may also try to intimidate people through their supporters but I would ask the people to stand their ground and document efforts of  goons  to intimidate voters either to vote for a candidate or not to vote.

What’s important is to get out and vote.

For all candidates, I wish that after the election is over, they can unite with the victors   and work for the interest of the people.

For the winners, be magnanimous in victory. Immediately attend to concerns of the people and fulfill the promises made during the campaign.

I am praying that the election tomorrow will  be peaceful and orderly, with none of the chaos experienced in the  2010 election. I also hope that what happened to Compostela  town would not be repeated in Cebu and elsewhere in the the country.

And finally let us elect officials who will  genuinely serve the people and put public  interest above self, those  who are humble and approachable and who live like ordinary public servants and not like  kings.

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Many in Cebu were so happy with the news that the controversial son of Talisay City Mayor Soc Fernandez, Joavan, was finally arrested  Monday night.

He was served a bench warrant outside the residence of his father in Talisay. But the joy was shortlived  when Joavan escaped the Talisay city stockade  two days later. He asked the permission of his jailer to step out his cell and hug his wife and children who came to visit Wednesday night.

Little did the policeman know that a government car was  waiting for Joavan outside.

The mayor’s son jumped into the SUV, a  Mitsubishi Adventure, and took off. The Talisay police force was caught off guard.

Why did the Talisay city police allow Joavan to receive visitors late at night? Why were they lenient with the inmate, knowing he was a difficult one to catch in the first place?

I bet it would be difficult to find Joavan again. Now that he’s been declared “public enemy no. 1” by Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo Jr., regional police chief, Joavan’s  the target of a province-wide manhunt.

If I were his father, Mayor Soc, I would do everything to convince my son to surrender in order to avoid getting shot down and possibly killed by the police. I reckon the police are so angry  with Joavan’s escape, they  have committed to arrest him once again at all cost.