EDITORIAL - Once again, guns, goons and gold

Amid fresh destabilization efforts, the fall of the peso and foibles of the presidential candidates, it is easy to overlook the problems that have long plagued all elections in this country. But the electoral exercise on May 10 that promises to be one of the dirtiest ever will be even dirtier and more violent unless the nation attends to the usual problems of guns, goons and gold.

Public school teachers, who will once again be required to render poll duty, are so worried about the possibility of violence that they are asking for additional security and higher allowances. Security and elections officials have identified at least 493 hot spots nationwide, many of them in Mindanao. Authorities have also identified at least 169 private armed groups, most of them belonging to political warlords. Then there are the communist rebels, who are bent on undermining the elections through armed extortion and intimidation.

The presidential race is expected to be a close fight, and tension is running high even before the official start of the campaign period. The usual mischief-makers are capitalizing on the political jitters for their own twisted purposes. Elections are supposed to promise positive change, but not in this case. If the nation does not play its cards right in May, we will be in for a long period of violent unrest from which it might take decades to recover. With our neighbors already leaving us behind, every Filipino has a stake in seeing to it that the elections will be peaceful, orderly and clean.

Making this possible will require citizen participation. Former President Corazon Aquino is spearheading prayer gatherings while 38 civic groups have banded together to work for honest and orderly elections. Citizens can do their part in their own small way – by reporting violators of the gun ban, for example, or looking out for individuals who may be buying votes or harassing people to vote for certain candidates.

It may be too much to ask the poor to turn down money or other material gifts from candidates, or to encourage frightened businessmen to fight rebel extortionists. But people can be told that they need not vote for any candidate who employs guns, goons and gold. The stakes are high for the nation on May 10. Every Filipino who cares for this country must commit to do his part for clean and orderly elections.