With the elections over, time to get the country back on track

Democracy was in full display during the May 12 elections that saw more than 55 million Filipinos exercising their right to vote.

- AMBASSADOR B. ROMUALDEZ

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that the 81.65 percent turnout (out of the 68.4 million registered voters) was the highest ever recorded for a midterm poll exercise, where the participation rate is usually 63 to 65 percent. During the 2019 midterm elections, the voter turnout was around 70 percent.

According to reports, millennials (those born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s) and those belonging to Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) made up over 60 percent of the voting population. On the other hand, Generation X accounted for more than 22 percent, while the Baby Boomers or those aged 60 and above constituted 17 percent of the registered voters. Along with PWDs (persons with disability) and those belonging to the vulnerable sector, the seniors trooped to the polling precincts as early as five in the morning to cast their votes.

A reader emailed me that while there were still issues such as vote buying, incidents of violence and technical glitches (like paper jams and ink smudging), the outcome of the elections—where no party dominated, particularly in the Senate race—belies the claims of those who were so ready to accuse the poll body and the administration of cheating. The choices also reflect growing maturity among the Filipino electorate, the email sender noted.