Apr 152013
 
Malacañang on Monday urged voters in next month’s midterm elections to consider that candidates are more than a single issue, following El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde’s endorsement of several senatoriables.

“He focused only [on] a single issue and I think each candidate is more than a single issue,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a briefing.

Velarde, an influential and charismatic religious leader, has announced that his group supports six candidates who have opposed the passage of the controversial Reproductive Health bill, which President Benigno Aquino III signed into law December last year.

Of the six, three — Sen. Koko Pimentel, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, and former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar — are from the Liberal Party-led coalition. The other three — San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito, Sen. Gringo Honasan, and Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay — are from the opposition United Nationalist Coalition.

Lacierda reminded the public that when elected, senators will have to tackle a wide array of issues, and as such, voters should look at the complete package.
 
“You also have to look at their different advocacies. And it’s their right, if they want to endorse a candidate based on a single issue. But does it better the people that you’re going to elect? That’s a big question if you’re going to focus only on one issue,” he said.

The so called White Vote Coalition initiated by the Council of the Laity of the Philippines include El Shaddai, Couples for Christ–Foundation for Family and Life, Catholic Women’s League, Focolare Movement, and Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon.

However, Lacierda said the administration wasn’t convinced that the position taken by White Vote reflects the sentiments of the entire Catholic Church, adding that in a statement, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Soc Villegas urged Church leaders to avoid endorsing candidates.
 
“Pangasinan Bishop Soc Villegas disagrees with the position taken by the White Vote. So, obviously, there is no single main position taken by the Catholic hierarchy,” he said.

The Philippines is the largest Catholic country in Asia, with 80 percent of the population belonging to the religion. — Patricia Denise Chiu/KBK, GMA News

Apr 102013
 
Bishop Socrates Villegas opposes White Vote movement

Following the launch of the “White Vote” movement, a coalition of church groups that will endorse between six and eight senate candidates for the upcoming elections, archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese said on Wednesday that he does not agree with church groups endorsing candidates for the upcoming elections. “‘Block voting tayo, eto yung iboboto natin.’ Mali yun,” said Archbishop Villegas in a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras.” “Dadalhin natin sa ating konsensiya, at yun ang standard natin sa pagpili ng kandidato, that’s the Catholic vote. That’s the correct Catholic vote,” he explained. In an earlier “24 Oras” report, Bro. Mike Velarde, founder-leader of the El Shaddai group which is one of the proponents of the movement, said that the candidates they will endorse have to be pro-family and pro-life. He also said that they will also consider the candidates’ stand on issues such as the RH Law, divorce, same-sex marriage, and euthanasia. The “White Vote” movement will announce its first batch of endorsed candidates on Saturday, the report said. — Amanda Lago/DVM, GMA News