Should You Fill Up Your Ballot with 12 Names?

In the coming May 2007 Philippine elections, voters will need to choose 12 senatorial bets. I read a news item some days back that Mr. Bill Luz (of the Makati Business Club and NAMFREL) was urging voters to fill up all 12 spaces on their ballots. His statement, if he was quoted correctly was that "By abstaining, you're making it easier for other people to enter the Magic 12."

Why do people (like me) leave some spaces in their ballot blank or why do they just put a line across the blank spaces so that no one can write another name on it? There are not enough quality candidates, that's why. My vote is important and so I will not give it to someone just because I fear that a "lousy bet" will make it. It's not my fault that they won. It's the fault of the people who voted for them. That's why I don't think I will be forcing myself to fill up all the 12 spaces with the names of people I don't actually like. Why compromise?

So in the coming elections, vote for whom you like. I hope you like Dr. Martin Bautista, Sonia Roco, and Adrian Sison as I will be voting for them. Am still thinking if I will vote for Zosimo Paredes. If I do decide to vote for him, then I'll have four names on my ballot. As for the rest, am not particularly fond of politicians who have been around for so long and have shifted allegiances from here to there; who just seem to oppose anything and everything; who rely on "name recall;" and who have "super popular wives" to boost their political standing.

I am for people who are not typical politicians. For those who have not yet held any elective post but are not actors or actresses or sportspeople. I am for Kapatiran because they say they will work for the abolition of the pork barrel! Imagine that?

You still have more than a month to make up your mind. Please vote but please vote wisely.