Taking sides on the 2019 May 13 elections

As citizens of this Republic, we, in the Ranao Star Philippines, have not only the constitutional right of suffrage but also have the duty to choose the leaders whom we believe can do best for our people and homeland. 

And it has been quite some time since we are studying all candidates for the coming May 13, 2019 elections, especially in the province of Lanao del Sur, who deserve our side. 

Before the end of this month of April, we will officially announce our choice of candidates without inviting others to join us for we know they have also good choices, at least many of them. 

So watch out. 

We, too, condemn ‘vote-buying’ 

Yes, we, too, do condemn ‘Vote-Buying’ and ‘Vote-Selling’ in the strongest term. 

What we condemn in “Vote-buying” is not the act of giving nor the act of receiving. What we condemn is the intention of getting the money that begets bad consequence/s. For whether we like it or not, candidates' money given is aimed for the receivers' votes which he will reimburse from the public coffer at his disposal, like the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and others.

If a person can survive without receiving the money of a corrupt candidate in exchange for his vote, then that person better not get the candidate’s money. After all, once that candidate wins, he will be directly or indirectly part of the candidate’s sins or crime. 

By this context, what we mean by corrupt are not only those incumbents who have been tried and tested during their terms but have not made our locality improved, making Lanao del Sur as the poorest province in the country. 

But we also mean those candidates who have tainted personality either as a government official or a private individual making him disqualified to be voted for. 

(RSP)