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Bacolod City, PhilippinesWednesday, October 3, 2012
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Editorial

A good signE

Daily Star logo
Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.
NINFA R. LEONARDIA
Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ
Editor

CHERYL CRUZ
Desk Editor
PATRICK PANGILINAN
Busines Editor

NIDA A. BUENAFE

Sports Editor
RENE GENOVE
Bureau Chief, Dumaguete
MAJA P. DELY
Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA
Administrative Officer

It was good to note that the first two days of the filing of certificates of candidacy for contenders in the May 2013 elections have been declared “peaceful”. We have two more days to go after today, and let us pray that they, too, will be as uneventful as the last two.

Of course there were the usual criticisms of carnivals or circuses staged by enthusiastic supporters of the candidates trailing them to the Commission on Election offices. But that can be attributed to the Filipino love for fiestas, and their tendency to celebrate any occasion that tickles their imagination. In the filing, their adrenalin went up because they expect exciting days ahead when the campaign officially starts.

What we should hope and work for henceforth is to have both the campaign and the election conducted at a high level of discipline and respect for the rights of others. This is especially wished for in areas where the contests are expected to be very close, and the followers of candidates too wound up to remember that, after the voting and the counting and proclamation, the candidates will revert to being friends again, or, at least, pretend to be.

In the meantime, their rabid supporters could get themselves into trouble, which is something the ones they are rooting for should continually remind them to avoid.

The last elections we had held were relatively peaceful, too, and, thankfully, we were able to know the results within a shorter time than before. Chances and probabilities of cheating through the old methods were virtually prevented and since this is the second time we are using the same methods, we should be assured of a more efficient and honest one.

Despite this, it is still incumbent upon all of us to be vigilant and to help in ensuring that the fraud and anomalies of the past do not have a chance to work now. Let us do our best to have an election that nobody, especially the losers, can question. Only in that way can we be proud and say that free and honest elections are now possible in our country.*

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