Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan - Manalangin, Manindigan, Makialam

The EDSA revolution was a memorable event in Philippine history mainly because it is a testament to the unity of Filipino citizens in saving the nation from tyranny and corruption. It was a nation’s active response to the violation of their democratic rights, most important of which is the liberty to choose the nation’s leader.

But many years, many constitutional reforms and many cries for justice later, here we stand today in a country where corruption is blatantly, almost mockingly alive and well. The citizen’s sovereign will to elect leaders of competence and integrity have been mocked through the manipulation of the ballot and the use of force, deception and bribe.

Today we are again witnesses to the same corruption that led millions to a nationwide outcry. But this time around, we see a different response to all these.

 Nowadays, for many Filipinos, their image of election is that of “guns, goons and gold” or as a “riotous fiesta.” In areas where violence is not an issue, voters choose among the best performers. Where violence proliferates, voters either cast their vote in view of ensuring their survival, or stay away from elections altogether. With violence and fraud, election loses credibility as a democratic exercise. Many Filipino citizens, particularly the youth, are becoming less and less inclined towards fighting for socio-political change and in exercising and valuing their right of suffrage. This is because they have lost hope in the integrity of not just our leaders, but of the system that brings them into power.  But what good comes of this cynicism? This will only embolden those who brazenly disregard the rule of law, damage our institutions and harm our democracy.

And after the “Hello Garci” scandal and the murder of two of the COMELEC’s most senior officials in the a span of five months, we are being given a wake-up call for the next election on 2010, as well as the succeeding elections. We are all well aware of the fact that our democracy is at stake every time that we have an election. We cannot and will not allow the ills of the past elections to happen again.

This is why, TASK FORCE 2010, a consortium and partnership of various election watchdogs aiming to push for the needed reforms to ensure that there will be a clean, honest, peaceful and credible elections in the 2010 and beyond. It aims primarily to “awaken the people, particularly the youth, into knowing, reflecting on, and doing something about the current situation of Philippine elections and democracy by encouraging them to become involved in the various initiatives for the ARMM and 2010 elections.  The group also encourages the people to come up with their own plans and initiatives to guard and reform the whole electoral process.”  

A task force is defined as a temporary grouping of individuals and resources for the accomplishment of a specific objective. This coalition was not named such by accident. It aims to accomplish all of its goals and agendas in the 2010 elections, but it won’t stop there. This movement will continue until the nation becomes engaged and coordinated to protect the integrity of our electoral process, mechanisms are developed that will ensure a deeper political education of voters, public accountability of politicians is fostered, civic participation is ensured, and a synchronized political action among the youth and civil society groups in order to push for the needed political and electoral reforms is sustained.

To accomplish this, the nation needs the active and constructive participation of those who will most benefit from the protection of this sovereign right – the citizens. We must all be mobilized to partake in the entire effort toward electoral reform, but we can do so only when we understand the meaning and value of our rights, role and why we ought to actively partake. However, Task Force 2010 becomes meaningless without the initiative of the nation’s citizens, and this is why we are all being called to step up, stand up, and rise up to the occasion.

Task Force 2010 will particularly give priority to ensure that the vulnerable sectors of our society are given utmost attention in the exercise of their sovereign electoral right. The vulnerable sectors identified are the following:

·       Detainees

·       First time Voters / Youth

·       Elderly

·       Indigenous People

·       Internally Displaced Persons

·       Differently-abled Persons

·       Migrant Workers

As a group, TF2010 is committing to focus our resources on the registration process for the coming 2010 elections. We believe that no amount of “voters’ education) will work if our potential voters do not register in the first place. We plan to fully mobilize our networks for a full public information campaign for the importance and vitality of registering and voting. We are also in the process of forging a partnership with the Commission on Human Rights as we also plan to focus our campaign on aiding the vulnerable sectors during the electoral period. We firmly believe that everyone has the right to vote and it is imperative that we also give importance to the members of the vulnerable sectors to have full access to exercise their right of suffrage.

 TASK FORCE 2010 SECRETARIAT

Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan

Loyola House of Studies, Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City

Landline: (02) 4266101 local 3440-3441

Telefax: (02) 4265968

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