BRGY & SK ELECTIONS 2010: PPCRV Rationale

Details

BARANGAY and SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN ELECTIONS

25 October 2010

“Barangay . . . Unang Hirit sa Wastong Pamahalaan

Kabataan . . . Unang Hakbang sa Bagong Kinabukasan”

Rationale

Elections create governments. And the basic unit of government is the Barangay (small town).  In the configuration of the Philippine Government, all the functions of the three branches of government – executive, legislative and judicial – are vested in one single unit of governance: the Barangay.  Good governance then is first tested, developed and practiced in the Baranagy. And democracy, which is the rule of the people, is born and bred in the Barangay.

Our nation finds itself again in the crucible of crisis . . . the tragic Luneta hostage taking that showed live on camera worldwide our government’s ineptness, the recent explosive exposure of jueteng corruption that tends to taint our new government on which our people have invested so much trust and goodwill.  It appears that we are forever in chase of good leaders to pull us out of bad times.  Always in need of stretching our hope that finally the dawn of a new day will illuminate our lives, especially those of the poor and the youth. Forever choosing and electing in an unending cycle of elections.

“Times of crisis like ours are not evening times, times for going to bed” and sleeping off our problems.  Times of crisis are “morning times, times to rise up and grab our weapons” to battle off our bad times.  For the PPCRV, the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on 25 October 2010 are a golden moment to take up our arms for good governance in the grassroots.  Our signature weapons: Voters’ Education and Pollwatching for CHAMP – Clean Honest Accurate Meaningful Peaceful – Elections.

Objectives for Voters’ Education and Pollwatching

1.    To pound into the voter’s consciousness (for both young and old) that choosing candidates is a moral choice – what is really and objectively right, what is really objectively wrong – not for personal benefit but for the benefit of the community, the Barangay

2.    To animate people participation in the electoral process as a necessity for good governance from the grassroots and across all social classes

3.    To empower the citizens in a given Barangay to use the electoral process as a tool for community building and the transformation of society

Activities

1.    Start voters’ education using the PPCRV Barangay module during parish meetings, school ministry sessions, forums organized by partner CSOs, etc. which includes a brief re-orientation on the manual system of voting.

1.1 Allot 2 Sundays prior to the 25 October 2010 elections – October 17 and 24

Ø to include in the Prayers of the Faithful during all Masses the intention of the Barangay and SK Elections

Ø to set up a PPCRV desk at the entrance of the Parish Churches where voters can check their names in the Computerized Voters List (CVL), and for distribution of flyers and announcements on the Barangay and SK Elections

2.    Organize Candidates Forum always to be capped by the signing of a Peace Covenant . . .

Ø to animate a healthy and intelligent discourse between the  voters and the candidates, and the candidates among themselves

Ø to avert election related violence and create the peaceful ambiance for CHAMP – Clean Honest Accurate Meaningful Peaceful – Elections to emerge

3.    Mobilize volunteers for monitoring the conduct of the 25 October 2010 elections.

4.    Distribute the PPCRV Election paraphernalia to the Barangays within the parish territory. 

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