Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are enshrined in the 1987 Constitution. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances” – without this right, there is no democracy.

Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines specifies no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech or expression. However, this freedom is not absolute and there are certain restrictions. Freedom of the press is the right to circulate opinion in print without censorship by the government. In the United States, freedom of the press is legally protected by the first amendment of the United States Constitution. This amendment is generally understood to prevent the government from interfering with the distribution of information and opinion.

Nevertheless, there are a lot of “onion-skinned” public officials who are fond of circumventing the law by using the guise of libel to indirectly curtail press freedom. The essence of press freedom is to seek the truth – inform the public of the truth, and nothing but the truth. If the truth hurts then that’s the problem of the politician using their power to silence those who criticize them – if this happens, then democracy is dead.

While there are many ways for them to implement their plans, the people are still the best judge come election day.

That is why the public must select the best person for whatever position this coming election. Credibility and integrity are very important tenets of those seeking public office. Check their public service record and, if they are seeking reelection, review their performance, track record, and what have they done to benefit the majority of their constituents.

It is only on election day when the public is on equal footing with the rich and famous. It is incumbent upon the electorate to vote wisely and never rely on the propaganda machinery of politicians who can afford to pay for airtime on radio stations.

Focus on the performance, integrity, and credibility of the candidate. Never decide based of money. Money is important but, for the future of the youth, vote for a candidate based on criteria that is acceptable and follows the old adage: “Public office is a public trust.”/WDJ