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Dear Filipinos,

I am one of those concerned youths of our country who still cannot vote, but I have a pen which I plan to use to express my opinions regarding the election. I don’t know much about all the candidates’ backgrounds and platforms, and I don’t want to endorse or criticize anybody – I will leave that to you, but I hope that when you decide who you will write on your ballots, you have chosen them not because they are advertised by your favorite stars and personalities. Or because they have given you and your people financial and material help in the past. Or because they have boasted of the “good deeds” they have done in their previous terms. Or because they are famous in sports, show business and other industries. Or because you pity the candidate “no one will vote for anyway”. Or simply because you think that the Philippines is so hopeless that it doesn’t matter who leads the country anymore. Wake up! Our country is not as hopeless as you think – or rather, it is not hopeless if you, a citizen of this nation, will think that it is not so. That you can make a difference in your small ways.

May 14 will be your chance to change our country’s pathetic situation with your one vote. Vote for those who can contribute to the development of our country, not with a short-term help, but help that will be significant on the long run. Vote for those who have morals and principle, and courage strong enough to uphold them. Vote for those who have done much more good than harm to our beloved country. Vote for those who are very capable of leading the smallest town and the whole country towards progress. And remember, ‘where there is smoke, there is fire’, think of all those candidates who are accused of corruption, money laundering, bribery and other crimes; all these may not be true, but I hope that you will take this into consideration.

And if you are a vote watcher, a member of COMELEC or a somebody who can manipulate the results of this election, I want you to remember that even those with no conscience will face God someday and it’s up to you to answer for all you’ve done here on earth. I’m not scaring anybody… I just want you to realize that there is Someone watching over all the earth.

Think about this. Pray about this. And when you vote, think of yourself, your family, your children, your future, your career. Think of the OFWs suffering abroad.

Think of me…and of the other youths out there. Think of what kind of future you want us to inherit from your generation.

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