TODAY is the last day of the campaign period for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. But it is never too late to remind all candidates and their backers to shun the four – not three – “Gs” of Philippine politics.
Guns, goons, gold, as well as garbage, are the bad “Gs” of the country’s political life. Especially in time of elections.
Getting their chosen posts in the barangay or youth councils is not an acceptable excuse for candidates to resort to these bad “Gs.” They must spurn violence, calm their supporters and do not use money to buy allegiance and votes to achieve political ambitions. Also, they must not dirty walls, streets and trees with campaign materials. Campaigning activities must be garbage-free.
As Monday’s elections draw near, environment watchdog EcoWaste Coalition makes a fervent appeal: we must keep our communities safe from campaign trash and pollution. Yes, every campaign material used to woo voters – from paper to plastic – has to go somewhere after the election frenzy is over. Some of these materials may be reused, repurposed and recycled, and, regrettably, most may end up being buried or burned and wasted forever.
It is fervently hoped that candidates will stick to the rules and be mindful of the environmental consequences of their campaigning efforts. And after the polls on May 14, they must be responsible enough to voluntarily remove their campaign materials. Win or lose, they have to get out of the streets and remove their campaign posters.
And oh, instead of hanging boring “thank you”, why not express gratitude to the electorate by leading neighborhood cleanup activities?
