The impossible dream

It's election season again in the Philippines. With the many candidates presenting themselves full blast with the use of tri-media, and don't forget the campaign sorties even in far-flung villages, we are presented with an array of candidates, so many that it makes my head ache just to think of the ballots I have to fill up.
What is my point? It is hard to make a choice. We have grown more and more disillusioned with the kind of politicians we have, it seems like the Philippines is going from bad to worse. And so we blame the woes of our country to these people, but they would not have been there in the first place if we haven't placed them where they are. Oh well, of course, there are exceptions like for those who are where they are because of their astuteness. But then again maybe we are also responsible for letting them dupe us, and dupe us again and again for a long time.
Anyway, since I am not very young anymore and my experience in life has made me more sober (I hope), I'd like to just throw out there my own reflections. Let us turn away from our tendency to make decisions based only on practicality or convenience. Let us make choices based on what is GOOD. This coming elections is a struggle between Good and Evil, as my favorite Conrado de Quiros loves to say.
We would do well to remember these words of Thomas More, executed by the king because of his unwillingness to compromise his principles:
"When a man deserts his private conscience for the sake of public duty, he betrays himself and leads his country by a short road into chaos."
One practical and solid criterion for this coming elections? Don't vote for people who have a history of compromise. They don't have principles. Their interest is only for themselves.
Freedom has a price to pay, that is, holding fast to our principles. We may not see the fullness of freedom for our motherland in our lifetime, but we are consoled that we have planted the seed. We have left behind for our future generations something for which they will forever be thankful for.