VOTER'S VOTER'S VOTER'S#iTERACY Check out your UNITED Leaders’ views and opinion!JABES JAMES QUIBIDO UNITED P1 ao US Sel aos ae wae) a 4s ass; \ Why is exercising the right to vote important for you? Voting is very essential for an electoral reform to happen. It's in the very heart of our democratic rights to represent our voice with the dislikes and likes as a vote to elect rightful leaders that will lead us for the next years to come. How would you encourage those who don't wish to exercise their right to vote? Exercising the right to vote is like taking risks for someone you love. Possibilities may come like your candidate not winning the game. But because you believe in the person and his/her words, it would be better to do something, take risks, and fail than to do nothing at all and regret not doing a simple step. What should voters consider when voting for a candidate? Experience, Commitment, and Moral Compass. These three are very important when | select the next leaders. | strongly believe that experience is needed to bring out the best of the office in serving its constituents, Commitment for a clean governance as Public Office is a Public Trust, and the moral compass of each Candidates in terms of ideology on "kung ano ang ipinaglalaban" that it is for all the Filipinos, How would you address the issue of vote-buying and vote-selling? Vote-buying is a disease that kills democracy in an instant however in the context of the Philippines where almost Political Power is tantamount to their amount of Peso in their bank account - Vote-buying is indispensable to the society. However, we shouldn't police or give the burden to the voters who accept the money but rather the Politicians or Aspiring Politicians who use it to their advantage. Walay mudawat kung way muhatag. COMELEC should focus their energy on those who use that system in lieu of their candidacy. VOU2| BAGEICARL ANTHONY SANTANDER UNEP a le Nekgls olen lo Ta le nie AAO) 10) Why is exercising the right to vote important for you? Voting is a basic right you have asa citizen of a country. It gives you the power to choose the people you want to lead the nation. We might think that our vote is just a miniscule thing but when votes are grouped it can make a big difference. How would you encourage those who don't wish to exercise their right to vote? Access is one of the reasons why people are adamant to cast their votes during the election. It shouldn't be how we encourage people but how we can make the voting process more accessible. We have to remove barriers limiting the accessibility of one’s right to vote and implement procedures which can help people to vote easier. If people have better access during the election then they are most likely to cast their votes. What should voters consider when voting for a candidate? People should know what they are looking for in a public official. How they would address issues and the leadership skills they can offer. As voters, we should try to know more about the candidate's experience and their capability to lead. Equip yourself with enough information and knowledge on the candidates by accessing news articles and tabloids. Evaluate the candidate's stand on issues. This can show a lot about the candidate's mindset about certain issues: local or national. Lastly, know what other people think of these candidates. We can learn a new perspective other than ours once we ask other people. VOL 2 | PAGE.2CARL ANTHONY SANTANDER UNE h ee ag Vice President, AY. 2019-2020 How would you address the issue of vote-buying and vote-selling? Vote-buying and vote-selling are one of the things the election won't be able to eradicate. It should start with the people. Starting with yourself. Don't let a candidate intimidate you with money. Don't let money be the reason why you would be voting for a candidate. Assess their qualities as a leader and not by their riches. We can always refuse to receive money from these candidates. VOL 2 | PAGE.3JAN DALE CARLO CATALONIA NITED President [Treite aaW Arley dv ley Why is exercising the right to vote important for you? As we are living ina democratic country, exercising the right to vote is important for us to show that the government we have is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Although voting, as they say, is not the sole measure of democracy, it will always be our commitment to ensure a working and genuine democracy. The right of suffrage allows us to participate in the process of nation-building and | believe that's a very important responsibility that everyone should be involved in. How would you encourage those who don't wish to exercise their right to vote? The right to vote is also the right not to vote. With this, | believe that everyone has the discretion to exercise their right of suffrage and no one should be compelled otherwise. However, through this UNITED Digest and other similar publications, | hope that we could be a tool for information and a catalyst for change As much as we demand accountability and change from the leaders of our democratic government, | hope that we also take it upon ourselves to exercise accountability by selecting the right leaders for the right positions in the government. After all, what happens in the country is the result of our decisions when we choose the people who will take the helm of leadership. VOL2| PAGE.4JAN DALE CARLO CATALONIA UNITED President entero a WAP lor eyed What should voters consider when voting for a candidate? It's easy to get tricked by candidates who are good with speaking or those backed with celebrities. It's also easy to get convinced to vote for candidates who have been born in big political families or dynasties. However, as responsible Filipino voters, it's important for us to look beyond these trivial characteristics. When voting for a candidate, let's be responsible by considering their track record, platforms, and approach towards transparency and good governance. Through a person's track records, you will know which bills and laws they have passed, which programs they have initiated and many more. Check if they have existing criminal cases and violations. Identify if they have a history of overpromising but underdelivering. Check their platforms as well. Are they presenting sustainable and achievable platforms? Are their values and ideals aligned with the welfare and rights of the people? It's important to know their platforms, their vision, and their values because these will all matter when they craft policies. Lastly, check their approach towards transparency and good governance. A good candidate will not hesitate to transparently publish their SALN and records. A good candidate will not hesitate to talk with the people and listen to them. A good candidate will always seek policies that will not allow corruption to foster. A good candidate knows how to be transparent and how to govern well. VOL 2 | PAGE.SJAN DALE CARLO CATALONIA NITED President [Treite aaW Arley dv ley How would you address the issue of vote-buying and vote-selling? With vote-buying and vote-selling being a rampant issue in the political landscape of the Philippines, it goes without saying that we should stop this because the people's votes are equivalent to the people themselves. While we condemn the act of vote-selling, we understand that there are people who are economically in need of money to sustain their lives. It doesn't mean it's morally right, but we need to understand that it exists and why it exists for us to be able to address this issue. So if we really want to address the issue, let's not shift the blame to the people but focus the demand for accountability and good governance to the ones running for position. After all, it takes two to tango: there's no vote-selling that will happen if there's no one who buys votes. ‘Address the issue by condemning the act of vote-selling and vote-buying Address the issue by educating the people on proper electoral practice. Address the issue by demanding accountability from candidates who engage in such practice. VOL 2 | PAGES