RECLAIMING OUR ELECTIONS: The Task Force Eleksyon’s Official Statement for the 2019 Elections

Every three years brings about an opportunity for national betterment in the form of the elections, and the Task Force Eleksyon has convened once again in order to reclaim the 2019 midterm elections and push for elections that are of and for the Filipino people.

The Task Force Eleksyon is a national network of electoral reform advocates with members hailing from the ranks of civil society organizations, faith-based groups, and academic institutions. Together as a unified network, we assert the importance of the 2019 midterm elections and we commit to elections that are meaningful and that we can call our own.

Task Force Eleksyon calls for the CONDUCT OF THE 2019 ELECTIONS AS SCHEDULED IN MAY. The network finds that there is no genuine reason to postpone the 2019 midterm elections. The right of the Filipino people to vote in periodic elections must be upheld and cannot be disregarded to make way for any agenda that is contrary to the interest of the Filipino people. We assert that the 2019 elections is an opportunity to articulate and act upon their collective aspirations through the electoral process.

Task Force Eleksyon CALLS FOR FAIR ELECTIONS. We call on those who are interested in running for positions in 2019 to conduct themselves with prudence and according to ethical standards and practices in the interest of a fair electoral process. We recognize that the conduct of the potential candidates is an influential aspect in allowing for the constituency to participate more fully in this democratic exercise. Task Force Eleksyon asserts that the elections must be fair and faithful to the constituency. The people’s agenda, and not the candidate’s name, must be given primacy.

Task Force Eleksyon says YES to a COMMITMENT TO ELECTIONS THAT ARE OF AND FOR THE FILIPINO PEOPLE. Our network comes together in hope. We invite the Filipino people to take ownership of the elections: to see the 2019 midterm elections as our opportunity, and our responsibility. It is an invitation for participation that is meaningful and true.

The Task Force Eleksyon makes the following commitments to the Filipino people as we reclaim our elections together:

• We will vigilantly monitor the entire electoral process to safeguard the integrity and sanctity of the elections;
• We will advocate for elections that are fair, inclusive, and meaningful for all Filipinos, especially for those who have long been marginalized and excluded from proper participation in this democratic exercise. We will ensure that their respective agendas will be asserted and protected;
• We will provide an honest and reliable alternative to disinformation and misinformation that rampantly seek to distract the Filipino people from our own capacity to articulate our electoral agenda;
• We will conduct political education to develop a citizenry that will actively and meaningfully engage in the electoral exercise and the democratic process.

For far too long, our elections have been dominated by vested interests, but Task Force Eleksyon insists that we remember that the elections are ours. The priorities must be defined by the Filipino people, the process must be protected by the Filipino people, and the outcome must be held accountable to the Filipino people. Task Force Eleksyon invites all Filipinos to share in this responsibility, to participate in this commitment to a Philippines that can be reimagined and reclaimed by all.

Below is the list of organizations that have signed this commitment:

• Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE)
• Ateneo de Zamboanga University Social Development Units
• Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB)
• National Citizen's Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL)
• CBCP National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCP-NASSA)
• Radio Veritas 846
• Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO)
• De La Salle University Center for Social Concern and Action
• Ateneo de Naga University Center for Community Development
• Ateneo de Manila University Office for Social Concern and Involvement
• Sanggunian ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila
  

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