Malacanang today urged the electorate to vote wisely in the coming elections, saying the fate of future generations rests on the decision that will be made by Filipinos in May.

“We should never yield our rights and responsibilities as independent thInking voters to anything else whether it’s the power of surveys or the blandishment of candidates,” said Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Gary Olivar in a media briefing this afternoon.

Olivar was reacting to pronouncements made by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), in a pastoral letter on Sunday, calling for more vigilance and involvement by Filipinos in the electoral process.

In that pastoral letter, the CBCP urged voters to let their conscience, not survey results or perception of winnability, guide them in their decisions.

“We owe it to ourselves to support this process through COMELEC. We must set aside second guessing and intrigues and focus instead on helping in the conduct of a successful election,” Olivar said.

The CBCP had also called on election officials to come up with an alternative in case of glitches in the automated system being implemented in the country for the first time.

It is always prudent and sensible to have a fall back position,” Olivar said.