The phrase "people's power" was first used in the Philippines, a nation that had been led since 1965 by the corrupt regime of Ferdinand Marcos, who ran crooked elections to keep his power. Marcos was backed by the United States, which valued access to military bases on the islands. After the brutal assassination of opposition figure Benigno Aquino in 1983, people had had enough. His widow, Corazon Aquino, became the face of what became the People Power Revolution that overthrew Marcos and elected her president in 1986. The leader of the Catholic Church in Manila, Cardinal Jaime Sin, played a central role in guiding the Philippines toward nonviolent, democratic change. The independent Radio Veritas gave Filipinos a source of news free from government propaganda.
We all know how important these elections are. They are so decisive that their failure may plunge our country into even greater instability and violence. It is thus of the utmost importance that every voting Filipino does all in his power: 1) to vote in this election; 2) to assure that it is peaceful and honest in its conduct; and 3) to ensure that it becomes really an expression of the people's sovereign will. We know from past experience that all this does not come about automatically. Our elections... in the past 20 years have been marred by widespread violence and dishonesty...
So much is involved in these elections. The very future of our country is at stake. Let no one be uninvolved or indifferent....
By our vigilance and Christian involvement in the February 7 elections, let us prove... that there is an effective non-violent way to change the structures in our society. May the Lord God of history lead us all to a better future through the expression of, and respect for, the people's sovereign will.

Based on this excerpt, how does the cardinal urge Christians to conduct themselves during the elections, and why?