Palma: Help good politicians

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma urged the faithful to continue to believe and remain hopeful that they will attain the things they hope for, including the upcoming national and local elections.

“We have to be hopeful in our  undertaking in the journey to attain the things we hope for, for ourselves and for our people that we do something that we have the power to do and capacity to do,” said Palma in his inspirational message during the Media Orientation for the upcoming May elections.

“To hope is to believe that despite setback, something good is still in the offing. To hope is to believe that there is something good now and in the future,” Palma added, as he reminded the participants of the theme of the recently concluded 51st International Eucharistic Congress—”Christ in you, Hope of Glory.”

Palma said that continuing to hope is to believe in the Lord and in the goodness of people despite the human weaknesses.

Palma said that election is an opportunity to come together, to gather resources and prayers in activities that would ensure the values to uphold electoral process.

“Politics is one of aspect of our life that as of the moment we have not harness to really become a blessing to our people. Time and again we missed the opportunity to make good use of the choice of candidate and capacity to vote and opportunity to assure that votes are respected,” the Archbishop said.

Palma, who is the chairman of Cebu-Citizens Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation Foundation Inc. (C-CIMPEL), a non-government organization of the Province of Cebu, said that people should help good politicians running for office, as well as help others to discern to vote for these politicians.

“Helping one another to help discern, reflect and point out and help make people aware that this is our serious and sacred obligations,” Palma said.

He, however, reminded the priests not to engage in partisan politics as they are prohibited from doing it.

“We have reminded priests not to get involved in the arena of politics because that is not their scope,” Palma said.

He encouraged the media to report to him any priests engaged in partisan politics.

“We remind them (priests) of this Church policy. I will really be grateful (if) some of you could report and tell us because in such case, there is a corresponding sanction,” Palma told the members of the press.

Election Officer Ferdinand Gujilde briefed the members of the media on the “Dos and Don’ts” for the May elections.

Gujilde said that the media should be aware of the airtime limit for national and local candidates including the right-to-reply.

He, however, admitted that the right-to-reply remains to be a prerogative of newspapers whether or not to publish the reply of a candidate and give the same prominence

“We still respect the editorial prerogative of the newspaper. They just have to explain. Whether or not the explanation is justifiable or not, it stops there.  There is no penalty,” Gujilde said.

Executive Justice Gabriel Inglis of the Court of Appeals also talked about the “Court Procedures for Election Related cases,” emphasizing the special remedies on Quo Warranto and other cases constituting election offenses.

Marilu Chiongbian, executive director of C-CIMPEL, said that one good vote is a vote for good governance.   (FREEMAN)