A RECENT survey of the Social Weather Stations showed that nine out of 10 Filipinos are worried they might get COVID-19. It also revealed that more Filipinos fear that “the worst is yet to come.” Also, the Philippines recently ranked last in Bloomberg’s monthly survey in COVID-19 resilience, citing poor scores in the roll-out of vaccines.
With the elections drawing near, we must demand that candidates for the 2022 elections national and local to lay down their platforms, their positions on issues and concerns of Filipinos, especially of poor communities. We challenge candidates to clearly state their positions and present their plans on how they will address issues and problems. How will they address the people’s needs during the pandemic? How do they respect and protect the rights of people amid this crisis?
Despite the easing of restrictions and opening up of the economy, the people remain in dire need of an effective and rights-based pandemic response which many sectors, including health workers and medical frontliners, have been calling for since last year.
The people do not only want or expect one-time assistance or ayuda but a concrete and comprehensive program that will address their needs amid the pandemic. Election 2022 aspirants should present a clear-cut and comprehensive program that will include the long-overdue needs for effective and adequate mass testing, contact tracing, vaccination, and economic recovery that will benefit most especially the rural and urban poor.
With the country named as among the worst in pandemic response, we should be made aware of those who will merely continue the inadequate response of the current administration. We should demand, advocate and work for a pandemic response that advances the rights of the people to health, livelihood, basic freedoms and rights, at all costs, and does not trample upon the rights of the people.
Candidates should also present their views and positions on corruption and human rights violations. Especially during a pandemic, corrupt practices and careless spending of public funds are crimes that highlight the extent of the climate of impunity. Those who incite, drive, promote and/or conduct killings and other rights violations should also be held accountable. We want to hear from the candidates, will they go after those who steal the people’s money, or simply tell us to move on? Will they keep those accountable for these crimes in public office and in power?
The public must make these issues, among many others, to be at the center of the discussion in the elections. Every election, we are constantly promised change and now, even continuity. Thus, we should bring the public discussion on the people’s needs and concerns to the center.
We shouldn’t be settling for anything less.
