The president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Tuesday released 10 guidelines to all faithfuls who are set to vote in the national and local election on May 9, 2016.
In a statement, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said that the “Guide to Catholic Voters” is meant to offer guidelines to all Catholic voters based on the moral teachings of the church.
“As the rhetoric and the noise traditionally associated with Philippine politics and elections reach higher levels of intensity, we wish to offer some guidelines to our Catholic voters deriving from the moral teachings of the Church,” Villegas said.
Villegas advised all Catholic voters to reject any candidates who claim they are endorsed by the CBCP, or any diocese, or a particular bishop, noting that, in practice, the Church never campaigns for any aspirants.
“Church doctrine has remained consistent: Partisanship is an arena into which the Church should not venture,” he added.
Although the Church acknowledges each and every one’s right to choose their own candidates, the bishops or prelates are prohibited from personally urging their faithfuls to vote for any particular aspirants.
“We bishops commit to desist from any action or statement that may give the appearance of persuading the faithful to vote for a particular candidate,” he said.
“While bishops, as a citizens of the Republic, have the right to make their own choices, our office in the Church as well as our stature, of which we are all unworthy, urge upon us that circumspection that should prevent misunderstanding and confusion among our flock,” Villegas said.
Villegas called on all Catholic voters to evaluate candidates according to morality, and a good model of Christ, who have desire to run to serve and not to be served.
“They must look for the realization of Gospel values in the lives, words and deeds of those desirous of public office, realizing that there are no perfect candidates, there is a crucial difference between one who has been wrong in the past and is willing to amend his ways, and one who exhibits stubbornness and obstinacy,” Villegas said.
Villegas also advised them not to base their votes on survey results, trends, and herds.
“Surveys and polls show trends, and they are as limited as the methodology that is used to conduct them. The Catholic therefore cannot make his or her choice depend on who is topping or trailing in the polls and surveys,” Villegas said.
In choosing the right candidate, Villegas also advised against those candidate “who vows to wipe out religion from public life.”
“While we expect every public officer to give life to the constitutional posture of benevolent neutrality in respect to the attitude of the State towards religion, the Catholic voter cannot and should not lend his support to any candidate whose ideology binds him or her to make of the Philippines a secular state that has no tolerance for religion in its public life,” he stressed.
Villegas said that a Catholic voters must not, in good conscience, support a candidate whose legislative or executive programs include initiatives that contradicts the Church moral teachings such as abortion, euthanasia, the return of the death penalty, divorce, and the dilution of the character of Christian marriage.
He also said that the Catholic Church is open to supporting non-Catholic candidates as long as his or her vision is in line with the teachings.
Villegas advised Catholics not to vote those candidates who spent his time and money to destroy or demolish the reputation and tarnishing the good name of his or her fellow candidates.
“He may have nothing positive to offer, and he debases the level of political discourse by calling attention to the shortcomings of his rivals and competitors, rather than on the programs and projects he or she might have,” he said.
Villegas also warned those candidates against the use of government resources.
“We warn against the use of government resources, the power of government offices and instrumentalities and subtler forms of coercion and intimidation to promote the chances of a particular candidate. It is God’s will to provide his people with shepherds after His merciful heart,” Villegas said.
Aside from the warning, the CBCP also appealed to the Commission on Elections to insure that all security measures mandated by the Automated Election Law be implemented diligently.
“The credibility of the elections and the stability of our democracy is at risk if the security and sanctity of every ballot is compromised,” Villegas said.