Wanted: Endorsers

After a disastrous season of indifference many voters and celebrities in the United States have awaken to the realization that “If you don’t use it – You lose it” meaning if you don’t use your vote, your power to influence and campaign for your candidates or the “right” people in an election, chances are you will end up being ruled by the wrong people. It would be safe to say that many Filipinos also experienced and learned the same lessons in the Philippines especially those who now keep asking the question: How did Duterte win? Needless to say that’s water under the bridge and all they can do now is cry for lost opportunities and the bitter lesson that “If you don’t use it – you lose it.”

Sometime next week I’m hoping to assemble a couple of people to come on my TV show AGENDA on Cignal TV and talk about the need for celebrities and influencers to use their status to promote, campaign and support the right kind of people running in next year’s elections. Whether you are an actor, actress, singer, sports personality or celebrity it’s about time we all stop making money from giving our endorsement to people we barely know or who don’t really stand for anything except being TRAPOS or traditional politicians. For the record, I have never accepted payment or agreed to campaign for or support any candidate in exchange for anything. I have never even been requested or agreed to do PR or publicity work for a candidate. Any support expressed for any candidate/s in the past was purely because I believed in them or knew them in a personal manner. 

It is bad enough when celebrities endorse or promote products they don’t use or know anything about, but converting your celebrity status into cash by supporting a politician who does not have a track record of promoting public good or public interest makes you nothing less than a paid service provider, a mercenary or hired witness without credibility. Right now there is a post on Facebook that goes:

“A PEOPLE THAT ELECT CORRUPT POLITICIANS, IMPOSTORS, THIEVES AND TRAITORS ARE  NOT VICTIMS BUT ACCOMPLICES”  – George Orwell.

One of the Ten Commandments tells us: Thou shall not bear false witness. Endorsing or testifying on the credibility, competence or integrity of a candidate you have not fully checked on or know personally is effectively bearing False Witness because you are saying a candidate is someone you don’t even know. Unfortunately, it is also said that “for evil to reign all that is needed is for good men to do nothing.” So those who choose to be neutral or indifferent effectively support “wrong” by omission.

From there, let’s all move forward and work together at consciously and intentionally learning about candidates that people talk about, write about or even bitch about. Don’t settle for what your parents, guru or the experts say, go to Google and fact check a candidate’s competence or qualifications first. Is he applying as a legislator or lawmaker? If so, is he even a lawyer or has experience in government or the judicial branch? Does the candidate have executive skills to be a good local executive at the LGU level?  Does he have enough experience for a national position or is he just for local politics? What does the person bring to the table in terms of expertise, network, resources, connection and maturity or is he or she simply recycled family trapos with an ancestry of enriching themselves in public office.

Whenever elections roll in, many evangelical Christian churches remind their congregation about what St. Paul wrote to Timothy concerning how to choose overseers and deacons of the church. We have to remember that back then, when St. Paul talked about “church” he did not refer to the institution, building or a religion but rather the community of Jews who believed in God and Jesus Christ. He was talking about leaders and overseers of the people, meaning everybody. So just as it was then, the guidelines and instructions of St. Paul on how to choose leaders and elders remain relevant in 2018, whether in Israel or in the Philippines. This is what St. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:

“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.”

Let us all step out of the neutral zone, pick and choose the good and decent, qualified and competent individuals we want in public office. Be an Endorser not a follower. Move forward – don’t stay in neutral!

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