Voters from AKBAYAN Youth today expressed disgust over the political circus taking place as politicians scramble to place themselves in winnable senatorial slates. As it launched its "Boto Ko, Anti-trapo!" campaign, young voters were reminded to be vigilant and observe who among the self-proclaimed senatorial candidates should be avoided at all cost.
The group said that it is sickened by the horse-trading and indecent maneuverings of politicians from different colors just to get a position in a slate that they deem would deliver the much-needed resources for their campaign. AKBAYAN Youth lamented that "from the Opposition to the Administration and even the so-called 'Third Force', the basis of unity if money, machinery, and fame, not platform or concrete programs."
The group also launched the "Vote-O-Meter", a political barometer of candidates based on their position on concrete issues to guide young voters in determining who's trapo and who's not. The "Vote-O-Meter" seeks to help young voters to veer away from personality-oriented politics and categorizes candidates that have no concrete platform, who are corrupt, and who uses violence and fraud to win elections as trapos and thus should not be voted.
AKBAYAN Youth lambasted the likes of former Tessie Aquino-Oreta and Tito Sotto whose party-switching demonstrates traditional politics at its worst. They also challenged the so-called "Third Force" to demonstrate their independence and autonomy by presenting a distinct platform.
The launching was attended by AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros, youth activist Patsy Abad, and UP College of Law Professor Barry Gutierrez.
According to AKBAYAN Rep. Risa Hontiveros, young voters should constantly remind candidates of their obligation to treat elections as a sacred pact between a sovereign people and those who seek to represent them. "Traditional politicians have reduced our electoral process into an arena of who could cheat the most. We need to restore what is essential – the politics of fair play and the free market of ideas. We have to put politics and elections within the realm of programs, platforms, and meaningful political ideologies," Rep. Hontiveros said.
AKBAYAN Youth vowed to conduct a series of voters' education activities to ensure that young voters would bring back idealism in our politics.
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