An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an

individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which
modern representative democracy has operated since the 17th century. Elections may fill
offices in the legislature, executive , and for regional and local government.

Philippine Elections are of several types. The president, vice-president, and

the senators are elected for a six-year term, while themembers of the House of
Representatives, governors, vice-governors,members of the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan (provincial board members),mayors, vice-mayors, members of the
Sangguniang Panlungsod/members of the Sangguniang Bayan (city/municipal
councilors), barangay officials, and the members of the Sangguniang Kabataan (youth
councilors) are elected to serve for a three-year term.

The Congress or Kongreso has two chambers. The House of

Representatives or Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan has 292 seats as of 2013, of which
80% are contested in single seat electoral districts and 20% are allotted to party-lists
according to a modified Hare quota with remainders disregarded and a three-seat cap.
These party list seats are only accessible to marginalized and under-represented groups
and parties, local parties, and sectoral wings of major parties that represent the
marginalized. The Constitution of the Philippines allows the House of Representatives to
have more than 250 members by statute without a need for a constitutional amendment.
The Senate or Senado has 24 members which are elected on a nationwide at-large basis;
they do not represent any geographical district. Half of the Senate is renewed every three
years.

The Philippines has a multi-party system, with numerous parties in which no one
party often has a chance of gaining power alone, and parties must work with each other
to form a coalition government. The Commission on Elections(COMELEC) is responsible
for running the elections.

Under the Constitution, elections for the members of Congress and local positions
(except barangay officials) occur every second Monday of May every third year after May
1992, and presidential and vice presidential elections occur every second Monday of May
every sixth year after May 1992. All elected officials, except those at the barangay level,
start (and end) their terms of office on June 30 of the election year.

Indeed, election is one of the vital rights conferred upon on every Filipino citizen.
It enable them to exercise their right to suffrage granted by the 1987 Philippine
Constitution. Each can has the freedom to select their own representatives whom they
think can best serve the public interest. Unfortunately, in reality, the sanctity of the election
is sometimes taken for granted. When the exercise of this sacred right is rendered futile
at the expense of those wicked citizens who are more concern of their private interest
that that of the public. Verily, corruption this time is rampant. Likewise, vote buying is also
practice. When the choices made by the citizens are no longer reflected but results were
already manipulated by interests of some group through capricious whims.

But, things are not yet doomed. Change can still happen. The sanctity of the
election in the Philippines may still be respected. In fact it is just a matter of holding to the
that right with conviction where Filipino voters will not be wavered by any means not in
violation with the sanctity of execising the right to suffrage.