Bishops on Duterte (?)

The pastoral letter of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines is long-winded and difficult even for the more literate members of the Catholic laity. I wish the bishops will find ways to communicate their message in simple and direct terms that all the Catholic laity – regardless of income and education – can fully understand and appreciate.

After reading the pastoral letter, my conclusion is that the letter is actually a warning not to vote for a specific candidate. In the section entitled “Discerning our Choices,” my interpretation is that this is not a guide on how to choose the right candidate. My conclusion is that it does tell us who not to vote for. Here are the essential parts of the letter:

“ The nationally telecast debate as well as the publicized utterances and actuation of our candidates, particularly those who vie for the high office of the President of the Republic have given us all a glimpse of who they are, what they represent and the causes they represent...or reject.

There is a fundamental difference between right and wrong, and not everything is fair game in politics. A choice for a candidate who takes positions that are not only politically precarious but worse morally reprehensible, cannot and should not be made by the Catholic faithful and those who take their allegiance to Christ and his Kingship seriously. One cannot accept Christ as King and at the same time accept the governance of one whose thoughts, speech and demeanor are diametrically opposed to the demands of submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”

It is in the last lines of the section “Discerning our Choices” that it seems very clear to me the person that the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines is asking us NOT to vote as President. Here are those lines:

The desire for change is understandable. Our people have suffered from incompetence and indifference. But this cannot take the form of supporting a candidate whose speech and actions, whose plans and projects shows scant regard for the rights of all, who has openly declared indifference, if not dislike and disregard for the Church especially her moral teachings.  The Catholic Church has never asked any political candidate to seek its endorsement, but the Catholic has always demanded of Catholic voters that they cast their votes as an act not only of citizenship but also as declaration of faith. We seek this most earnestly of all of you, Catholic brothers and sisters, in the forthcoming election.”

It seems to me that the Catholic bishops are asking us, as an act of Faith, not to vote for the Mayor of Davao. If I am wrong in my interpretation, I will await the admonition of the Bishops.

The problem with this message is that it avoids language that can be clearly understood by the Catholic laity. It is this failure to explain its moral stand in concrete terms that has partly led to the current situation where only two presidential candidates accepted the invitation of Cardinal Tagle while every candidate made a bee line to seek the blessing of the INC head Manalo.

The other problem is that if the Bishops want to stop the front runner from being elected, they must face the political reality that the biggest problem is the lack of political unity. There is a wrong impression that there is overwhelming support for Mayor Duterte. The surveys, however, shows that he has the support of at most only a third of the electorate – a definite minority. But the division between the forces of Grace Poe and Mar Roxas have made a minority candidate the frontrunner. This is evident among business leaders and civil society who could have ensured a winning candidate, as they did in 2010, if they were only united.

Perhaps, the Catholic Bishops are right that at this time, with only a few days before election, the Filipino people can only “...pray that the Lord may show by His signs His chosen leader for this nation, this nation at the crossroads of its national life.” We can continue to pray that the Filipino people will vote wisely and choose a leader that will “...heal our land.”

Unite for Leni Robredo

The 2016 vice presidential election could very well be the most important vice presidential election in Philippine history. One reason is that if a Marcos is elected as vice president, this country could become the laughing stock of the world.

A family name that is associated with dictatorship, martial law, and ravaging the economy is returned to power. This makes the martyrdom of heroes like Ninoy Aquino, Evelio Javier and thousands who have disappeared, suddenly meaningless. It would be different if the Marcos expressed sorrow for the victims of martial law and apologized to the Filipino people. Instead, Bongbong Marcos has defended martial law as being justified because of a presumed “communist” insurgency.

Another reason this vice presidential election is so critical is because the nation may need to go through a healing process after election. If the president-elect cannot be the instrument for healing, the nation will need another national leader – the vice president – who could provide the symbolic leadership to rally the people to look for a non violent path towards unifying the whole country.

It is important for every Filipino who believes in the rule of law, in non-violent change, and a government that unifies rather than divide, not only to vote but also to work for the election of Leni. She is also the one candidate that can appeal to all voters and gain support across party lines.

It is time to unite for Leni Robredo.

Summer Creative Writing Classes for Kids and Teens

Young Writers’ Hangout : May 21, 28 and June 4 (10:30am-12nn except June 4, 1:30pm-3pm) Classes will be held at Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street.  For registration and fee details, 0917-6240196 / [email protected]

Email: [email protected]