MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Amid many on-going surveys, debates, and interviews of stalwarts gunning for the Philippine Presidency, the Philippine Misereor Partnership, Inc. (PMPI) – an NGO with more than 230 network members across the Philippines – launches its 2022 electoral education campaign, Power of Purple (PoP): Boto para sa Pilipinas.
PoP seeks to share the profile, accomplishments, advocacies, and platforms of the 2022 presidential and vice-presidential candidates. It highlights the importance of exercising one’s right to suffrage and ensuring that these voters are equipped with the correct information before they proceed to their respective voting precincts.
Yolanda Rafol-Esguerra, national coordinator of the PMPI said, “Election is the widest and largest exercise of one’s democratic rights. It is an equalizer of social status. And, if there is a clean and fair election and if the right candidates are chosen, it can bring about change in the lives of people and nature.
She continued, “PoP offers the public points to ponder as they choose the next leaders of the county. This includes the candidates’ stand on the environment, mining, peace and human rights, good governance, the issues of climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainable agriculture, and fisheries development.”
The Power of Purple initiative examined the profile of the seven (7) Presidential and six (6) Vice-Presidential candidates through gathering of data and information from credible sources that are available and accessible on the internet for the public.
“At the core of PoP initiative is to give the voters the power to access data and information so they can also scrutinize and reflect on their own. The initiative also provides a platform where people can participate in sharing data via a crowdsourcing of information online. This complements the data and information that were not covered by the research,” Hector Aleman, PMPI’s project officer for good governance, peace and human rights said.
Riza Marie Fausto, policy researcher for PMPI and one of the researchers of the PoP mentioned, “Access to truthful data will help us move forward as a nation. In today’s age of rampant fake news and disinformation, we have to be vigilant and diligent in seeking out and sharing these true facts.”
PMPI conducts this election education campaign every national election in the country that started in 2016. The group said the campaign aims to highlight the importance of electoral exercise to push for changes.
Responding to the call for an informed choice
Fr. Chris Gonzales, director of the social action center of Bacolod, said, “The Social Action Centers are in-charge for voters’ education at the local level for the PPCRV initiative. We are often asked by the public who to vote. While we give guidelines, we are handicapped by the limitation of data and information. We at the Social Action Centers are thankful that there is Power of Purple that truly gives an independent, researched, and credible source of information for the voters.”
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of the Archdiocese of Cagayan De Oro clarified the misperception of people about the church being non-partisan. He said, “It is the rights and duty of Catholic lays and religious organizations to be involved in principled partisan politics.” He encouraged Catholics to choose and support candidates that are working for the common good.
An informed vote is an exercise of our democratic rights
CODE-NGO and a Co-Convenor of PMPI Sandino Soliman mentioned, “The Power of Purple provides a sound and valid basis for voters to decide on their next President and Vice President. It is anchored on important social issues of the people which are also the core advocacies of the PMPI network – climate justice, sustainable development, and good governance. We believe that these candidates will carry these advocacies. He continued, “At the same time, we, as citizens should monitor and hold candidates’ accountability on their promises after election. In a true democracy only the people hold the power, this is what Filipinos should strive for.”
Esguerra reiterated, “The Power of Purple hopes to contribute for voters to make informed choices.” She continued, “There are many relevant measures that can be used by the voters to evaluate candidates, these includes looking at their character, their style of leadership, their moral compass, and the contribution of Power of Purple is an addition. We encourage them to also vote for candidates based on their track record to address pressing issues of the people.
PMPI will share the result of the Power of Purple with as many people and communities possible through their member organizations who work in communities. It shall partner with other institutions that are also conducting voters’ education.
