Now, the decision is yours. Will you promote evil, or will you uphold good?

The official campaign period starts this week. As it has been expected, we hear reports of bank robberies, murders, and mud throwing.

Few months ago we had pointed out in this column the immaturity of our people and our politicians when it comes to politics.

Gruesome signs of this immaturity include spreading of lies and severing of relationships just to put an opponent down in the political race.

The immaturity has even become uglier everyday when lives were snuffed out. For what?

Is political position more important than life itself? Of course, life is supreme. One can have all the lofty positions in the world, but one cannot create life, let alone take it away.

I don’t know if there is another place in the world with an election as turbulent as ours. I am tempted to think that our situation here can perhaps land a page in the Guinness Book of World Records. For where else can you find a spot on earth in which even an election for barangay captain would cost blood and money?

Disillusionment of our Filipino brothers and sisters runs high nowadays. Because of the chaotic Philippine election, many are discouraged to come home and participate in the electoral exercise.

Of the 11 million Filipinos working abroad (that is half of Australia’s population and one-third of Canada’s), only .5 million voters have registered online.

Of these half million voters, we cannot even be sure if they will cast their votes on the Internet come May elections.

All in all, there are 45.5 million registered voters this year. Candidates for national posts are now busy calculating how much budget they should pour out in every province.

These 45.5 million voters need enlightenment. Maybe there are just a million of them who can vote with unadulterated reason and sense of patriotism. The rest – they vote out of unguided emotions and stained pockets.

It is even scarier these days that we see more and more showbiz personalities joining the bandwagon of Philippine politics. No other country in the world has this kind of situation.

Most actors in other countries remain actors for the rest of their lives. But here, actors or actresses, whose popularity is diminishing, have the shameless courage to aspire for public posts. Perhaps after realizing that pirated DVDs are taking a toll on their income?

This column is only one of the hundreds of columns published today that demands change in Philippine political landscape.

We still believe that it will only take one person to change the entire nation. Just one person who is bold enough to denounce the evils of Philippine politics.

You can be that person today. For the sake of the next generation, fight the devious shadows of local and national politics that would try to blur your principles.

Your courage to stand against temptation and oppression can create a ripple of influence.

Philippine election is actually a battle between evil and good.

Now, the decision is yours. Will you promote evil, or will you uphold good?

Today the battle begins.