The decision to choose the country’s next leader is best left to Filipino voters, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Saturday amid fresh attempts by the pro-administration Liberal Party (LP) to convince his running mate, Senator Grace Poe, to withdraw from the presidential race in favor of its candidate

“Ang eleksyon dapat pinagpapasyahan ‘yan sa pagitan ng taumbayan at ng kanilang konsensya. Hindi po ‘yan dapat sinisindikato ng ilan lamang. Hindi po ibinibigay sa iisang tao lamang ang monopolya ng magandang intensyon para sa ating bansa,” Escudero said in a radio interview.

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(The election should be a chance for the electorate and their conscience to make a choice. It should never be dictated only by a few people. One person does not have the monopoly of good intentions for the country.)

He was reacting to calls by some quarters for Poe to pull out from the five-way presidential race and give way to a “united front” led by LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas to stop survey frontrunner Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte from winning the May 9 polls.

READ: President asks Roxas, Poe to join forces vs Duterte

Escudero insisted that he would not allow the country’s “elite,” which he said is composed of powerful businessmen and politicians, to continue to dictate the course of politics and election in the Philippines.

The decision to pick the country’s next set of leaders, he said, rests with the electorate.

“Let the people decide because that’s the essence of democracy,” he said.

“Sa araw ng eleksyon, pantay-pantay tayo. Tigi-tigisa tayo ng boto. Presidente ka man o senador ka man, tricycle driver ka man o tsuper man, tigi-tigisa tayo ng boto pagdating ng eleksyon. ‘Yan ang kagandahan ng isang demokrasya.”

(On Election Day we’re all equal. We all have one vote each. Whether you are the president or a senator, a trycicle driver or a jeepner driver, we all have one vote each. That is the essence of a democracy.)

READ: Binay urges Aquino: Call for clean polls instead of unity vs Duterte | Marcos: Aquino’s call for anti-Duterte alliance a desperate move

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With two days left before the general elections on Monday, Escudero stressed the importance of people’s participation in the democratic process.

He then urged the electorate to use their vote as an important precursor for change.

“Monday’s election gives the people the opportunity to send a clear message to those in government that they demand a much better government that is willing to listen and address the needs of every Filipino,” Escudero said.

“We are urging all voters to use their vote wisely in this election and to be an advocate for the change, which we as a nation both want and deserve,” further said. IDL

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