“RESPECT MY opinion,” has been a common statement between many discussions and online posts about the upcoming 2022 Philippine elections. Undoubtedly, this has caused widespread resentment among people with a lot having fall-outs with friends and family. But how far can opinions go when it involves the welfare of many?
Being a witness to history unfolding, it is difficult to deny that the Philippines has not been given the best service its citizens deserve over the past years. The rampant extrajudicial killings, rising poverty amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in unemployment, poor healthcare, and clear cases of corruption have been some of the top national issues that running candidates are being asked to discuss. Is it not clear that the demand for a better form of governance and service all boils down to who we allow to sit in the country’s highest seat of power?
In an election where the fight for human rights and better governance is central, saying “respect my opinion” should be rejected. A vote is more than just a matter of personal preference; it determines the fate of everyone in this country for the next six years. To reduce such a right to an “opinion” cannot simply be.
When your vote goes to leaders that are willing to ignore the presence of extrajudicial killings, the persistent violation of human rights and red-tagging, the absence of due process, and clear theft of the country’s funds, your vote becomes a reflection of what you are willing to let the country and its people experience. So yes, a sense of accountability falls on your hands when you provide these types of leaders the opportunity to play the rules of the game.
Ever since the election season began, I made it a point to always be critical of candidates—even those I support. I am willing to be proven wrong in my personal vote if that means that my country is given the governance it deserves. At the end of the day, we cannot always blindly defend our voting choice just because we refuse to admit we may have voted poorly.
I am no expert in Philippine history. I do not have the credentials to say I am one of the greatest fact-checkers in the country. Nonetheless, opinions should not be exempted from any form of criticism or verification. Some opinions can be misinformed—poorly informed, even. Thus, not all opinions can simply be acceptable.
This is why conversations and proper discourse between everyone is important. We cannot simply agree to disagree when the future of many Filipinos is at stake. It is high time to be open to discussing facts and to be proven wrong, even if it feels like a stab on our pride. Do your research, gather your facts from reliable and credible sources, provide the evidence, then discuss even with those who may choose to disagree with you.
If the facts surprise you or even disprove what you initially thought, let facts question what you may have thought to be true and confirm it further if you want to. No one says the formula to this is going to result in changing anyone’s mind, but it reduces the divide created by the hostile environment political opinions have created. It provides a place wider than our immediate circle and echo chambers.
I hope we all learn to be critical of our opinions on political candidates for the last remaining days before elections, even when we feel like we already know better than others. It is easy to avoid such topics and run scared of being proven wrong or challenged, but know that your opinion carries a great deal of responsibility if the future is determined in a room with the ballot sheet on your table, the pen in your hand, and the only thing left to do is to start shading.
