Quality

The accreditation of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting or PPCRV by the COMELEC as its national 's arm in the imminent May 2010 elections is especially auspicious this time.

The May 2010 election, already significant in itself, is made more historically so by the fact that for the first time, the elections would be automated nationwide. In other words, in these upcoming elections voters would now be utilizing poll machines in casting their votes, instead of the customary pen and paper.

As COMELEC's national citizen arm, the PPCRV is helping in the education and orientation of voters regarding the use of these machines. The employment of this new technology requires the preparation of its users who may quite expectedly find it daunting and intimidating at first. Hence, the PPCRV's task of undertaking voters' education regarding poll automation is crucial in facilitating the casting of votes.

In addition, the organization's volunteers are also to resume their traditional task of being poll watchdogs during Election Day. For the 2010 automated polls, the PPCRV is authorized to receive five of the 30 copies of the election results to be printed by the poll machines before and after transmission of results on the day of the elections. These copies given the PPCRV will then serve as references for the authenticity and consistency of the election results submitted to the COMELEC from the polling precincts.

It is hoped that through these efforts the credibility of the results of the electoral exercise is safeguarded.

Yet, while the credibility and orderliness are important features that must obtain in the 2010 elections, the success of this democratic exercise is neither guaranteed nor is equivalent to them. Atty. Raffy Olaño, a Bikolano who is a COMELEC lawyer, offers an insightful understanding of what makes the electoral process successful. He says "the success of the election is not only measured by its credibility, orderliness and speed of proclamation of the winners, but also by the quality of the candidates elected."

We agree.

For while the efficiency of the casting of votes, the maintenance of peace of order during the election period, and the securing of the authenticity and credibility of the poll results are crucial elements in the success of any elections; the quality of the elected officials constitute a much more important aspect. First, this is because it reflects the level of political maturity we have reached: it demonstrates whether our election choices are impelled by motives grander than our familial and self-interests. The quality of the candidates we elect into public office, whether this be the highest post or the lowliest one, render a reflection of who we are as a community and as a people.

Second-and more obviously-the quality of our elected leaders determine in part the direction our nation and communities would take in these tumultuous times of ecological peril, nihilistic secularism, financial crisis, and worsening poverty. The choice of our leaders decides significantly how we are to confront these challenges.

For the past elections, many have been wont to say-dismayed perhaps at the candidates who won-that we deserve the leaders that we elect into office. With these forthcoming elections, we urge our fellow citizens to consider that, more than ever, we deserve better.