VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte urged Filipinos to re-evaluate their voting habits and become more discerning in the upcoming elections.
She specifically targeted the prevalence of political dynasties, vote-buying, and personality-based voting during speeches in Tondo and Quiapo, Manila, on April 24 and 25.
“I am not a candidate in this year’s elections. What I am doing is simply reminding our countrymen to change our flawed behavior in choosing our leaders,” she stated.
Duterte identified three key “bad habits” that she believes hinder the selection of effective leaders.
These include prioritizing candidates from prominent political families, exchanging votes for money, and basing decisions on superficial appeal rather than competence.
“First, [choosing] those coming from big political families. Second, exchanging our principles for money through vote-buying. And third, not being critical because we simply remember those who made us happy and laugh, those who danced and sang during the campaign – that’s what we recall,” she explained.
She further argued that this superficial approach to voting contributes to unfulfilled campaign promises, citing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2022 pledge to reduce the price of rice to P20 per kilo as an example.
“Now, with another election approaching, the issue of P20 per kilo rice is once again being discussed and promised by the administration,” she observed.
Duterte stressed that meaningful change in the country begins with voters who approach elections with seriousness and critical thinking.
“We must change the way we vote so that we can elect new leaders and witness genuine progress in our nation,” she concluded.
