PRO-DEMOCRACY coalition 1Sambayan on Saturday presented to the people a list of six nominees as its pool for its “Pambato sa 2022” or the opposition’s contenders for the presidential and vice presidential elections next year.
Vice President Leni Robredo, former senator Antonio Trillanes, Sen. Grace Poe, Rep. Bro. Eddie Villanueva, lawyer Chel Diokno and Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto make up 1Sambayan’s pool of possible candidates for president and vice president. The final determination of candidates will be through a rigorous selection process that includes online consultations and deliberations, the group said in a statement to media.
The nominees were announced during the 1Sambayan event titled, “Isang Boto, 1Sambayan: Piliin ang Ating Pambato,” which coincided with the observance of the 123rd Independence Day.
“We in 1Sambayan believe that these six people all have the qualities of a leader who can give our citizens a better future and lift our country from economic ruin. We are confident that the people can choose from this list of qualified candidates who can successfully challenge whoever Duterte anoints in 2022,” said retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, one of the lead convenors of 1Sambayan.
“The people have reached their breaking point, and they deserve better leaders who can turn our economy around, create more jobs for the people, defend our territory and undo what this administration has done under its authoritarian rule,” he added.
Selection process
The event kickstarts a selection process that involves consulting the people when making the final decision on who to support as candidates for president and vice president. From now until the last week of July, an online 1Sambayan questionnaire will be made available to its members and allied organizations, which will include choosing candidates for president and vice president, and a ranking of priority issues that the next leaders of the country must address.
At the end of the allotted period, the Convenors Group of 1Sambayan will collate, synthesize and evaluate all the available data to help in their deliberation and decision. This complex process will be enriched, the group said, by the inputs coming from the members of 1Sambayan General Assembly.
By the end of July, 1Sambayan said it will announce its final choice for its presidential and vice presidential candidates. These two candidates, in turn, will help in the selection of candidates for the Senate.
In answering the questionnaire, especially when choosing candidates, 1Sambayan said the people should be guided by these set of criteria:
• The first is character. The candidates should possess “tapat na pagkatao.” The candidates’ personal and public integrity should be unquestionable, and they should have good physical and mental health. Cultural and patriotic values are also important must-haves for the candidate.
• Second is competence: “mahusay na pinuno.” They should have a dynamic vision for the country; a viable platform, problem analysis, and strategies for finding solutions; and can recruit competent and dedicated staff.
• Third is track record, or “marami nang nagawa.” Their past performance should show their form of governance, as well as their educational background, be it formal or informal. Their projects and advocacies should also play a major role in determining track record.
“We hope this exercise will allow us to make one of the most important decisions for the sake of our nation. We are confident that whoever we choose as candidates for president and vice president, they will represent the common aspirations of the people behind 1Sambayan,” Carpio said.
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