Court arguments on political endorsements open today

The Supreme Court (SC) will hear arguments today on whether religious leaders may endorse political candidates to their flocks without the risk of being charged with coercion or violation of the election code.

It was El Shaddai leader Bro. Mariano "Mike" Velarde who filed a petition seeking freedom to ask followers to support certain candidates during elections.

Velarde went to the SC after a Manila regional trial court issued a decision to stop the practice of religious leaders in influencing their flocks to vote for particular candidates or call for "bloc voting."

The lower court cited violation of the constitutional provisions on separation of Church and State. It said religious leaders may also face charges of violating the election code and coercion once found to have deliberately pressed their flock to vote for certain candidates.

Also impleaded in the case were former Manila archbishop emeritus Jaime Cardinal Sin, Iglesia ni Cristo executive minister Eraño Manalo, Jesus is Lord leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva and Bro. Eli Soriano of the religious group Ang Dating Daan.

In a one-page resolution on March 30, the Court en banc said the oral arguments will be held at 11 a.m. today at the session hall of the SC building in Baguio City.

Velarde earlier asked the SC to reverse the Manila RTC ruling that arose from a petition filed by a political party, the Social Justice Society (SJS) on Jan. 27, 2003 seeking the court’s declaration on whether or not the act of religious leaders endorsing a candidate for elective office or urging or requiring members of their flock to vote for a specific candidate, was violative of the Constitution.

Velarde sought the dismissal of the case but the Manila RTC, in a resolution on June 12 last year denied it.

Velarde argued that it is part of the religious leaders’ duty to guide their flock on whom to vote for during elections.

"Ecclesiastical affairs may refer to a thousand and one acts, matters which may touch social, political and even economic issues," Velarde said.

Velarde pointed there is no controversy that exists to warrant the filing of the petition but that the SJS merely posed hypothetical issues.

"The SJS speculates in its petition that the active participation of the Church or religious leaders, using the awesome voting strength of its faithful flock, will enable them to elect men to public office who will in turn be forever beholden to their leaders, enabling them to control the government," Velarde said.

In seeking the SC’s dismissal of the SJS petition, Velarde said the issue of religious leaders’ endorsement of candidates is a political issue over which the court has no jurisdiction.

Velarde said an order against the religious leaders is an intrusion into the affairs of the Church or religious organizations, citing Section 5, Article III of the 1987 Constitution.

In a comment, Sin has also defended before the SC the religious leaders’ freedom of speech in giving pieces of advice or opinion to their flocks as to the kind of political candidates they should vote for.

Sin denied having participated in any partisan politics during his term contrary to the claim of the SJS.

He said the allegation made by SJS that he and other religious leaders have been actively involved in partisan politics was merely based on conjectures since there was no election yet at the time the petition was filed before the Manila RTC.