Vote for our country, preserve democracy

Today, Filipinos will be exercising a fundamental right made possible by the democracy regained by the people’s struggle against the Marcos dictatorship that brutally sought to cripple that right: the Filipinos’ right to vote.

This democratic exercise, however, will also determine whether our country will move toward integrity and the preservation of democracy; or whether it will further fall into corruption, depravity, and fascism as during the Marcos dictatorship.

In this very important exercise, may we ask our fellow Filipinos to vote for our country, preserve our democracy, and uphold integrity, justice, and truth.

Please vote for our country—first and foremost—before personal advantage, money, or expected positions in the government. Please do not vote for selfish gains, at the expense of our countrymen.

The 2022 presidential election has been defined as a one-on-one fight: between a persevering woman with no record of corruption in the name of Leni Robredo; or the spoiled rich kid who basks in the corrupt legacy of his dictator-father in the name of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The same Marcos Jr. who wishes to continue his father’s regime, which amassed an estimated P500 billion or more in plundered wealth from the Filipino people and, according to Amnesty International, imprisoned some 70,000 people during the nine years of martial law, tortured 34,000 and killed over 3,200.

In the aftermath, Marcos Jr. asks: “What am I to say sorry about?”

Given the options in the presidential election, we believe that the choice on Monday is clear and unambiguous. In fact, this election presents the most obvious choice in recoverable memory.

We have to say it for what it is: voting for Marcos Jr. cannot be more than the most unpatriotic choice. This is because voting for Marcos Jr. is tantamount to voting without shame against the interests of our country and our fellow Filipinos.

For how can Marcos Jr., an unrepentant and convicted tax evader who actively resists the recovery of the Marcos ill-gotten wealth by the Philippine government, lead our country toward better governance?

When we vote today, for one moment, please think about our children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors. Their future is at stake. Our country’s future is at stake. Today will determine whether or not we will have deliverance as a nation.

Please vote for our country. Vote for the presidential candidate who will surely work with all her might to improve the lives of our people.

ALBERT DEL ROSARIO
Former Foreign Secretary