Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle beams with pride at the launching on Thursday of “I am here to be with you,” the official book on the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines. The book contains photographs on the visit and a story written by Cardinal Tagle. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines is urging voters not to vote for candidates who are “notoriously corrupt” while also warning against the work of spin doctors who malign deserving candidates.
In a pastoral letter, CBCP president and Archbishop Socrates Villegas reminded Filipinos to vote “for the right reasons” and not allow “demolition jobs” to influence their decisions to choose the deserving candidate.
“Just as the discerning voter will not be easily won over by all the flattery in favor of one candidate, neither should a voter allow demolition jobs to dissuade him from choosing a person who is truly fit for office,” Villegas said.
“Reject the notoriously corrupt, but neither should one readily jump on the bandwagon of condemnation in the absence of incontrovertible evidence, for, these days, one’s reputation, so painstakingly built by sincerity and honesty over the years, can so easily be tarnished by the truly evil work of ‘spin-doctors’ in the payroll of one or the other political aspirant,” he added.
Villegas’ pastoral letter was read in different parishes all over the country on Sunday.
Fr. Erik Adoviso, parish priest of Most Holy Trinity Church, said the CBCP president also warned the public against voting candidates who are part of political dynasties who just run for different electoral positions.
“Ang pulitika ay hindi monopolya ng isang pamilya o isang clan. Ito ay para sa lahat,” he told ABS-CBN News.
The CBCP president also reminded voters that lawmakers are support to make laws and not have their own projects.
“Do not demand to know a congressman or a senator what his or her local projects have been. Legislators are not supposed to have local projects. They are supposed to legislate, to attend congressional sessions, rise to debate and actively take part in committee hearings,” he said. (MNS)