Bishop calls on voters to reach out to all political affiliations

MANILA, Philippines - Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, S.J. yesterday appealed to voters and candidates to be “pan-partisan” in the May election, reminding that the poll is a  “time for choice and decision-making.”

CBCPNews reported that Ledesma said in his four-page pastoral letter that voters and candidates must exercise pan-partisanship, “which means reaching out to all political affiliations.”

“To be partisan in Philippine politics does not necessarily mean to side with one party only... voters are expected to follow their conscience in choosing public officials that will serve the common good and help in the development of their community,” Ledesma explained.

The 70-year-old Jesuit prelate added that in Cagayan de Oro, to be pan-partisan also means to be against vote-buying, vote-selling and political dynasties and to care for the environment.

“More profoundly, vote-buying as well as vote-selling are offenses against the dignity of the voter himself who ‘exchanges’ his reasoning and freedom for a fleeting sum of money,” Ledesma said.

The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro launched the “Our Votes are Not for Sale” campaign, which asks traditional politicians not to practice vote-buying.

On March 3, Ledesma also led the Mindanao launch of the Movement Against Dynasties at the St. Augustine Metropolitan Cathedral.

“Political dynasties are co-related with corruption because there are no longer checks and balances when people from the same families are in office and helping one another,” Ledesma said in his homily during the launching.

He added that studies done by the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and the Asian Institute of Management show the correlation of political dynasties with corruption, poverty and violence.

“The more and larger the political dynasties in government, the more poverty seems to persist in our economy,” Ledesma said, citing another study that showed that at least 70 percent of public officials in the Philippines today belong to political dynasties.

“It is, I think, a sad commentary that our leadership cannot be more widely spread among people who are perhaps more competent, more conscientious and more committed than members of political dynasties,” the prelate lamented.

Ledesma also reminded everyone that the 1987 Constitution has inscribed provisions against political dynasties.

“As monopolies in business, monopolies in politics limit the entry that can bring in new ideas and better services. Political dynasties breed corruption and ineptitude,” Ledesma said. “A related advocacy is the campaign against pork barrel allocations - which impels political dynasties to expand to control the largesse of public funds.”

As to the care and conservation of the environment, the prelate urged everyone not to forget the lessons of tropical storm Washi (Sendong), which devastated the city in December 2011.

“Typhoon Sendong has taught us the bitter lessons from the wanton degradation of our watershed areas surrounding Cagayan de Oro River and other tributaries,” Ledesma said.