Preen Picks: Our ultimate deal-breaker when electing public officials

Elections are almost here. We cannot stress enough the importance of this event. If you are thinking of opting out of the voting process, we urge you to seriously rethink that decision. Your voice matters. And whoever we elect now will have a lasting impact. So 1) vote and 2) vote wisely. Really think about what you’re looking for in a public official. For example, one thing to consider is their take on gender issues. It would also help if you establish what you DON’T want from a candidate. Look into their campaigns and platforms and see which ones are exactly against your principles. Knowing what your “ultimate deal-breaker” is when it comes to politicians would help you make that extremely critical decision. So for this edition of Preen Picks, that’s exactly what we did. This week, people from the office shared with us their top priority when considering who to vote for during the upcoming elections. Read on and see if you agree.

Supporting the drug war

I take a lot of things into consideration, but my one surefire deal-breaker is if a candidate supports the current administration’s drug war. Among all the current issues, the drug war is the one issue that affects the most Filipinos, and I will not support anyone who thinks that the drug war is the way to fix the drug epidemic. We need progressive leaders with innovative solutions, not people who think the problem goes away if they kill people. – Tricia Guevara, graphic designer, Preen.ph

Their position on marriage

I wish I could say something funny, like their interest in scarves or stance on the color purple (both the actual color and the movie). But as a queer feminist with separated parents, the question of their position on marriage and the dissolution of it is very important to me. Will they allow divorce? Will they allow same-sex marriages? If the answer is no to either question, I can’t vote nor honestly beget them respect. – Zofiya Acosta, content creator, Nolisoli.ph, Northern Living, Southern Living

Previous bad record

Definitely not going to vote for someone if they have pending cases, or if they were actually convicted. Say graft and corruption. Why am I going to entrust my hard-earned money to an official who has already proven they don’t use our funds for the public, right? – Pau Miranda, associate editor, Nolisoli.ph, Northern Living, Southern Living

If they stole millions from our countrymen’s pockets. – Rogin Losa, junior content creator, Scout

My ultimate deal-breaker is a corruption record. And I strongly believe this should also be everyone’s deal-breaker. We can’t and should never vote for someone who has lied and taken his or her position for granted to push his or her own agenda. Corruption is rooted in lies, deception, and distorted values. This is why every time a politician with corruption record runs again, I am appalled. Are we really just going to sit back and watch them fool us again? – Aanne Bulan, content creator, Nolisoli.ph, Northern Living, Southern Living

This is hard, but integrity is my biggest deal-breaker. I think integrity, in a sense, says it all. The leaders I am voting for should have a good track record. If they have previously served as an official, they should have a clean record—no cases related to corruption. I also examine the bills they passed and their position on certain issues. If they are first-time candidates, I like to look at their background. Are they related to a political family? Is there a possibility of conflict of interest when it comes to their businesses? I think those are the most important factors that will reveal their integrity. It’s difficult to assess, but that’s when trust comes in. Vote wisely, sis! – Oliver Emocling, associate editor, Scout