A RELIGIOUS group composed of almost 600 priests, deacons and nuns have endorsed opposition presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Sen. Francis Pangilinan, veering away from the Catholic Church’s tradition of not endorsing candidates.
As of yesterday, 569 members of “Pari Madre Misyonero Para Kay Leni” have joined different Catholic groups in endorsing the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem, saying they have a “prophetic vocation to speak up concerning the big decision the Philippine nation will make on May 9, 2022.”
“All things considered, among the candidates who have laid out their political platforms and applied for the highest and the second highest posts of the land, we adjudge that it is Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo and Sen. Francis `Kiko’ Pangilinan who best fit the job to be the next president and vice president of the Philippines. With this, we express our full support for their candidacy in the upcoming national elections,” the group said in a statement posted on its Facebook page.
Among the members of the religious group is former education secretary Bro. Armin Luistro and activist-priest Fr. Amado Picardal who is a known critic of President Duterte.
The group made the endorsement a few days after Mike Velarde, founder and leader of the Catholic charismatic movement El Shaddai, endorsed the presidential bid of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
Velarde’s endorsement of the late dictator’s son earlier drew flak from El Shaddai’s spiritual adviser, Bishop emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr., who disowned the endorsement, saying it was not the decision of the group’s leaders.
The Pari Madre Misyonera Para Kay Leni said they reached the decision to endorse Robredo’s presidential bid after arriving at three qualities they believe the next president and vice president must have.
First, they said, is “moral ascendancy and aptitude to lead the country (marangal),” stressing that a leader must be known for his or her “moral integrity evinced in his/her life of civility, right conduct, virtue, and fear of the Lord.”
They said the next leaders must have “a track record of public service that is unblemished of corruption; eschew political dynasties and patronage politics; has demonstrated the intelligence, maturity, and capacity to lead and confront the large-scale and deep-seated problems of the land; and has the right program for the alleviation of poverty and the other pressing concerns the country faces in the contemporary and digital age.”
Second, the group said the next president must respect basic human rights and should have “resolve for universal equality (makatao).”
They said he or she “must value the life of everyone regardless of his/her socio-economic status or political affiliation; fight corruption in all its forms; make public servants accountable for their mismanagement of funds and services; stand against dictatorial rule that infringes on freedom of expression; and contest any policy that marginalizes and abuses the poor especially on their right to live and to have the means to survive as manifested in recent extra-judicial killings and inappropriate response to the pandemic.”
Last, they said, the next president and vice president must exhibit “a patriotism for the Philippine nation, ensuring the greater interest of its citizens (makabayan).”
The board of the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, the lay arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines which is headed by its president Raymond Daniel Cruz Jr. also endorsed Robredo for president.
“With our current political-economic turmoil and the pandemic situation in the Philippines, we firmly believe that Vice President Leni Robredo, a God-fearing person, is the most capable candidate for the Presidency, and we urge our constituents, if possible, to consider the same. Hence, we explicitly endorse Vice President Leni Robredo to the highest position of our land,” the group said.
SOGIE BILL
However, the group expressed reservations on Robredo’s position on some controversial issues since the Vice President is supportive of the SOGIE Equality bill, is favor of same sex “unions” and is open to discussions on the proposed decriminalization of abortion.
“Though there are still other issues which need further dialogue and cooperation, we are of the opinion that Vice President Leni Robredo, based on her track-record of service, dedication to good governance, ability to implement partnerships and programs for the advancement of the people especially the marginalized and her unassailable integrity, bested the others. With our current political-economic,” the group said.
Another group, the Council of Coordinators of the Catholic lay group “Ligaya ng Panginoon,” also explicitly endorsed Robredo’s presidential bid, the first time that the group has done so in its almost five-decade history.
“As leaders, we must take a stand today for the future. Therefore, after much prayer and discussion, in view of what we sense as exigent circumstances and recognizing that we are taking an unprecedented step, we, the members of the Council of Coordinators, choose to strongly support the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo for President,” they said in a statement dated February 7.
“As Christians, we cannot be silent in the face of systematic and continuing historical revisionism,” they added, denouncing the spread of disinformation and lies by some quarters in the guise of information.
Robredo began her two-day campaign in Panay Island with a visit in Roxas City Capiz yesterday where she told supporters that she has to work double time in the face of lies and disinformation being spread to benefit a certain candidate, obviously referring to Marcos Jr.
“Hindi ito pareho noong mga nakaraang eleksyon dahil ngayon po, napakaraming kasinungalingan ang pinaniniwalaan ng maraming tao (This is not the same as the last elections because now, people now believe in so many lies,” she said at the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center.
LACSON-SOTTO SORTIES
The campaign sorties of presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson and vice presidential aspirant Senate President Vicente Sotto III will stand out among the rest of the campaign rallies due to the strict adherence to the safety health protocols.
Lacson said this is how they distinguish themselves from their rivals as they run “a very disciplined campaign,” adding that they will never hold caravans which he said are super spreader events.
“We will run a very disciplined campaign. Disciplined in the sense na dahil may health protocols — I think doon kami mag-i-stand out, ano, makikita ‘yung diperensya compared sa ibang mga kandidato (That’s where we’ll stand out, where they will see the difference compared to other candidates),” Lacson said.
The Lacson-Sotto tandem has said they are prepared to find other ways to bring their platforms and advocacies to the electorate without endangering their health and adding to the country’s problems with the pandemic.
Sotto assured the public their tandem will never lose that sense of discipline as that is at the heart of the programs he and Lacson want to implement with the government.
Sotto clarified reports that said he and Lacson have dropped from their senatorial slate former vice president Jejomar Binay and Sen. Richard Gordon.
To start with, Sotto said, they have not officially endorsed Binay and Gordon. “So, to say that they are already removed from our line-up is totally wrong.” — With Raymond Africa
