An upright voter's election decalogue

Whoever said: "Give me 12 committed men, just 12 young men, and I shall turn the world upside down"? Was it Jesus, referring to his 12 disciples? or Jacob with reference to his 12 sons, who would later head the 12 tribes of Israel? Was it Mao in reference to his core group of revolutionaries?

- Atty. Josephus B. Jimenez

I wish to paraphrase that. If there are at least 10 voters in any precinct, or 100 in every barangay, perhaps 1,000 in every municipality and maybe 10,000 in every province, or one tenth of a million in the country, then I can turn this nation upside down. To make the team work, there should be a set of core principles and guiding policies.

That's why I have formulated a set of 10 commandments to guide upright voters, conscientious Filipinos who aspire to bring about positive and meaningful change in the Philippines. If there are only a few stout hearted men and women who have the courage to stand up for what they believe in, and to fight for their principles and values, then there would still be hope for us.

Thus, today, in voting, choose competence over popularity. Go for integrity rather than for being good-looking. Select the one who has values rather than those who have wealth. Examine his family; a man who cannot be faithful to his wife cannot be faithful to the country and people. Look at his track record in school and his career; these are indications of his true character.