‘Fr. Reyes also accused certain poll officials of virtually paving the way for another massive rigging of the elections in May.’
FR. Robert Reyes, one of the convenors of the Alyansa ng mga Nagkakaisang Mamamayan (ANIM), has claimed that most priests and bishops of the Catholic Church have turned out to be protectors of corrupt provincial governors, mayors and congressmen.
At the media forum “Agenda” at Club Filipino last Friday, he said that several priests like him who wanted to expose the cases of graft and corruption among local officials have often been admonished and ordered to keep quiet by their superiors.
Fr. Reyes deplored that his fellow priests did not want to lose the regular and substantial donations from their governors and other local officials to the Church. This, he said, is the major reason why corruption in government and political dynasties that feed on corruption persist and worsen.
He also named several political families from the north to the south who have virtually pockmarked their provinces with their names and faces emblazoned in countless government projects, structures, and projects The blatant and wasteful use of the people’s money is so common and widespread.
The people do not care much about the thievery of government funds and other numerous cases of abuse of political dynasties and have been content with endless dole-outs, financial and medical assistance and other aid programs, such as the popular and the widespread “Ayuda”
Fr. Reyes also accused certain poll officials of virtually paving the way for another massive rigging of the elections in May. He claimed that the almost-expected huge failure of the new voting machines is no different from the palpably questionable Smartmatic machines.
With little doubt, the party-list system has become a farce with most groups founded as cronies of political dynasties. There has been persistent talk about corruption being committed by nominees who have almost full control over campaign funds. For some party lists, Comelec accreditation came at a huge cost, with at least two groups claiming to have paid certain poll officials millions to be officially recognized.
Most members of other party-list groups have kowtowed to the tarnished leadership of their sitting nominees who have pocketed millions of pesos from supporters and donors.
The initially disgruntled members have turned strangely quiet and indifferent to their own pestering gripes. Other members would swear that bribery was involved in exchange for their silence.
