7 Election Commandments

May 13, 2013 is the 31^st Philippine Senate Election.
Here are 7 Election Commandments you shall abide by on the day that is more festive than all of the Philippine festivals combined.

1. Thou shall have no one to dictate upon thee who to vote for.

Not even your spouse, or your religious leaders should refrain you from making your own choice. Blindly following what others tell you to do is an admission of ineptitude and imbecility. Choose your own senators.

2. Thou shall complete the line-up of 12 senators.

Our senatorial election is based on plurality. That means, the 12 highest votes get elected. It does not matter whether the tally is low, or whether only a few favors the candidates. Leaving your list to less than 12 gives way to unfavored candidates to win, while completing the list of 12 senators gives way to less favored candidates to win. I’d rather have less favorable senators than unfavorable senators.

3. Thou shall not vote based on winnability.

This is NOT super-mega-lotto of 12 numbers where you choose the most likely numbers to win. Vote for the candidates you trust even if they have the slimmest chance of winning. Make your vote count by voting your choice, NOT the popular choice.

4. Thou shall know thy candidates.

Knowing what their platforms are helps a lot. But still, platforms are just promises that are often used to make a candidate seem promising. Questions we should ask are: what have they done in the past? What were their stands on national issues? Are they TRAPOs, BIMPOs or BAGONG PULITIKOs? View the summary of the Senatorial Candidates' stands on National Issues such as RH Bill, Sin Tax Bill, Cybercrime Law, FOI, Death Penalty and Divorce, to name a few.

5. Honor thy list and thy wits.

Stick to your list on Election Day. Remember that you took the time to think it over. Remember also to bring it on Election Day.

6. Thou shall keep the Election Day.

Making your complete list but giving up on the electoral process because of long lines and humid temperature is a waste of an opportunity to contribute to change. Your skipping this once-in-three years right is worse than being dead, for in the Philippines, even the dead casts vote.

7. Thou shall not commit cheating.

Any form of electoral fraud is a sin and a crime. It is a sin against God, and a crime against the millions of Filipinos who pin their hopes for a better life on our legislators.

Election Day is our only chance to choose our leaders. This is our right, and we lose this only if we choose to lose it. Do not spend the next three years ranting about who should have won. Make your move on May 13. Make a difference; make your choice.

Read My Pick: Senatorial Line-Up.

Read How to Locate Your Voting Precinct on May 13, 2013.

Read Summary of Senatorial Candidates' Stands on National Issues.