Montales, Rhea Mae M.

Humanities and Social Sciences 12

Trends
Reflection no. 2

Election for all or Election for taxpayers?

Election, the process of voting officials to hold public office is a must in a

democratic government. This expresses not only the power or the voice of the
people, but it also expresses a citizen’s freedom in participation. It is stated in
Article V of the 1987 Philippine Constitution that the right to vote could be
exercised by every citizens of the Philippines, at least 18 years of age, unless
made ineligible by the law. But often times, like most of our rights as a citizen
under a democratic country, the right to vote has been abused, and is still being
abused to this day, which gives rise to unworthy people being held in public
office, leading to the repetitive cycle of a rotten principle in the government.
Since it is stated in the law since then, election should be made available to
all. Regardless of their social class or income, their right to vote must be
exercised. We do not know what personally goes on through people’s lives.
Some could have been poor and stayed being poor because of their laziness,
they just got used to relying on government and non-government agencies that
are helping them to get through their meals. Some might actually have been
going through a rough time, having a difficult time being employed to a stable
job. It might have been someone who is on legal age but has no substantial
income yet. It might have been also a senior citizen, because most senior
citizens have pensions and do not pay for taxes.
A former senator suggested that taxpayers should only be the ones allowed
to vote, since those who do not pay taxes are the “poorest of the poor” and are
vulnerable to receiving bribe money from politicians during elections.
Furthermore, taxpayers money is actually what’s being spent by the government.
This scenario might be true to some cases, and it is actually possible to happen.
But how about those who live in dignity? Those who are even they are poor,
knows where to stand for their rights and for what they believe in? It is not right
to generalize their class just because of a one possible scenario.
And after all, at the end of the day, all of us are tax payers. Legal or Minor in
age. Because all of us pay all kinds of taxes, which is mandatory so that the
government could pay for public services. Value Added Tax, Percentage tax,
Income tax, Franchise tax, that are present to the things we buy and services we
get.
Democracy is freedom and equality. Regardless of social class, under the
eyes of the law we are all equals. Yes, this freedom and equality could be
crucial, because the decision could be held either in the hands of a religious
man, to someone who spends their days in cockpit arenas. To minimize the
wrong choices what’s needed is to upgrade the intellectual level not only of
voters but also the candidates. After all, democracy is a government by the
people and for the people, so if we do something wrong, it will also return to us
and in the end we will all be responsible to our own acts.