Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma has reiterated his strong stand against vote buying, highlighting the need for more concerted efforts by groups advocating clean, honest, orderly and credible elections on May 9.
“People should realize this is a very serious task and a golden opportunity to really discern and reflect on who to choose as leaders whom we think could journey with us towards a better tomorrow”, said Archbishop Palma, who visited Dumaguete this week to cap the three-day retreat of the Diocese of Dumaguete clergy.
There are many bad practices being employed by the political candidates, such as vote buying, that people need to be aware of and must reject, Palma stressed.
It is imperative, therefore, that voters’ education be at its highest level, reaching out to as many people as possible to urge them to vote according to their conscience, the Cebu prelate said.
Palma expressed his appreciation to the many efforts undertaken by various groups to study the background, platform, track record, election strategy and supporters of the political candidates, which he said are factors to help the people choose their next leaders.
He disclosed that in their diocese in Cebu, the parish priests are “encouraged to participate and look for ways to ensure that the will of the people and their votes are respected”.
Archbishop Palma rallied behind the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, saying that despite being aware of the many complaints raised against the group he still believes it is the best that can be had and he is fully supporting it.
“Unless we have more credible proofs that certain associations are no longer of service and unless there are better alternatives, let’s just as well settle for what we have now,” said Archbishop Palma, referring to PPCRV.
This is what is needed at the moment, and unless the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), from whom recommendations are taken, will say that the PPCRV no longer performs as expected, “then at the moment, I would say let us give this agency our trust”, Palma added.
The PPCRV is a citizens’ election watchdog accredited by the Commission on Elections and is non-partisan, independent and non-sectarian.
Meanwhile, Bishop Julito Cortes of the Diocese of Dumaguete has urged the parish priests to actively participate in the coming May polls especially through voters’ education campaigns, disclosed Monsignor Julius Heruela, convenor of the Diocesan Electoral Board.
Around 250 parish coordinators are expected to attend a whole day seminar-workshop on voters’ education and the Automated Elections System on March 5, Heruela disclosed.
During a recent PPCRV-sponsored training in Manila attended by at least 18 archdioceses and dioceses in the Visayas, a prominent aspect of the discussions centered on a common problem where certain parish priests had “lost their trust and confidence” in the said election watchdog.
Nevertheless, without the help of their parish priests, the participants assured to find ways to organize volunteers at their local levels to campaign for a Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful and Peaceful elections. (PNA)
