Educators' Statement: Vote Responsibly, Denounce Fraud

Statement of Educators' Forum for Development (EFD) on the 2007 Election

Vote Responsibly, Denounce Fraud!

Teachers, school administrators, and other members of the academe have
a significant position in their communities and the whole Philippine
society in promoting responsible voting and guarding against
anti-democratic schemes that hound Philippine elections.

Educators' Forum for Development (EFD) believes the upcoming election
is an opportunity for educators to encourage critical discussion of
issues so that the electorate will vote responsibly.

The education sector's considerable influence in forming public
opinion should serve the interest of the people by putting forward the
people's agenda of jobs and livelihood, decent wages, genuine agrarian
reform, among others, in the electoral debate.

Responsible voting means sizing up candidates according to their track
record and program of action, and inevitably on their stand on
unsettled issues such as Arroyo's legitimacy and alleged corruption,
Charter Change, extrajudicial killings and other human rights
violations.

Thus, it means rejecting politicians who have passed anti-people laws,
have been involved in corruption cases, are brazen turncoats, and have
not lifted a finger to protect the country's sovereignty or the
people's rights. Being responsible voters also entail courage to
challenge the electoral system, which has long been dominated and
manipulated by the elite.

With the allegations of massive cheating in the 2004 election still
unresolved and electoral reforms mere rhetoric, this year's election
is highly vulnerable to fraud, which many fear will be as massive and
systematic as the previous one.

EFD thus calls on fellow educators to make every effort to fight and
expose electoral fraud and violence before, during, and after the
election such as illegal spending of public funds, militarization of
communities and schools, intimidation and disenfranchisement of
voters, irregularities during canvassing of votes, and harassments and
killings that sow terror among the people.

Let us take steps to oppose a repeat of the notorious 2004 election.
Let us be vigilant and denounce any form of maneuverings that will
undermine the supposedly democratic process of elections.

Educators also have the moral obligation to enlighten the people on
the true nature of the Philippine electoral system – that it is
elitist and personality-oriented – and the Filipino masses cannot rely
on elections alone but must assert and work for good governance.
Social, economic, and political changes are urgently needed and the
education sector has an important role in bringing about social
transformation and development.

EFD upholds an education that is transformative and emancipative
instead of perpetuating the existing oppressive structures in society.
Educators should contribute in making this election an arena where
issues are faced squarely, anomalies are uncovered fully, and the
people indict the culprits. ##

Educators' Forum for Development (EFD) is a voluntary association of
educators that promotes transformative education. It is a network of
educators working together in the spirit of cooperation and fellowship
to make education truly relevant, nationalist, and democratic.