Watchdog warns 'star-struck' voters
Concern as celebrities rush to be candidates
- ucanews.com reporter, Manila
- Philippines
- October 8, 2012
PPCRV, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting yesterday called on voters not to become "star-struck" in next year's mid-term elections.
With a growing number of film and television celebrities running for public office, Henrietta De Villa, PPCRV chairperson, said voters should look at candidates' capabilities, not their popularity.
"Voters should be alert. They should not be blinded by money, popularity or even by the family name. They should screen their candidates and choose those who are capable, principled and patriotic," De Villa said.
The PPCRV, a group backed by the country's Catholic bishops, is not against people in the entertainment industry, she said. "There’s nothing wrong if they are from showbiz but we are just reminding voters to properly screen their candidates."
The same goes for candidates from known political clans. "We are saddened that candidates now seem to be from political dynasties," the PPCRV chairperson said, adding that it is an indication that the country's democracy "is unhealthy."
"If our democracy is healthy, there’s wider participation from the people. If we only have political dynasties in our elections it becomes exclusive to a few families," she said.
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With a growing number of film and television celebrities running for public office, Henrietta De Villa, PPCRV chairperson, said voters should look at candidates' capabilities, not their popularity.
"Voters should be alert. They should not be blinded by money, popularity or even by the family name. They should screen their candidates and choose those who are capable, principled and patriotic," De Villa said.
The PPCRV, a group backed by the country's Catholic bishops, is not against people in the entertainment industry, she said. "There’s nothing wrong if they are from showbiz but we are just reminding voters to properly screen their candidates."
The same goes for candidates from known political clans. "We are saddened that candidates now seem to be from political dynasties," the PPCRV chairperson said, adding that it is an indication that the country's democracy "is unhealthy."
"If our democracy is healthy, there’s wider participation from the people. If we only have political dynasties in our elections it becomes exclusive to a few families," she said.
Related reports
Election fever warming up in the Visayas, Mindanao
Bishop says Pacquiao is building a dynasty
