Cebu Catholic laity names their candidates

After my trip to Bohol and got back to Cebu, I was surprised why the social networking sites and radio broadcasters in Cebu were agog over Presidential sister Kris Aquino? I belatedly learned that the Philippine STAR last Saturday reported about this incident about Kris. Reading that report got me into thinking. How could it be that Kris Aquino took a wrong exit at the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) when there is only one exit at the arrival area? This has been the subject of so many comments and the only way to find out what happened is for the MCIAA to show to the public what their CCTV cameras captured so we can decipher whether all that report was the truth or another drama Kris Aquino style?

Meanwhile Comelec Comm. Grace Padaca reported last Tuesday that vote buying has already begun in areas like Quezon, Cagayan de Oro, Isabela and Tawi Tawi. She didn’t know that it has also started in Cebu… as admitted by Kris Aquino that she gave the taxi driver P1,000 if he voted for Chiz Escudero, Grace Poe and her cousin Bam Aquino. Of course, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes would never dare file any vote-buying case against Kris, lest he get the ire of the man who appointed him to his post.

Indeed as what Chairman Brillantes announced, all is set for the May 2013 elections. What did you expect ,the computer illiterate head of our election agency publicly admit that they are not ready? For sure, the Comelec is holding its second electronic voting elections despite our incessant warnings of massive transmission malfunctions because of a serious lack of security safeguards. If at all, I’m sure the May 13th elections will be a peaceful one. However I cannot say this when the PCOS starts transmitting the results and candidates seeking their respective offices would cry out “Foul!”

Lest you already forgot, this is a nation where during elections there are only winners and no losers because everyone will shout to the world that they’ve been cheated. But this time, there’s a huge difference. Way back in the polls of 2010, we didn’t know how the PCOS machines would be used or misused. But since then, a huge majority of  Filipino voters already know how the PCOS can be misused thanks to the many columnists who have warned our people. I hope that by next week, I won’t be telling you that, I told you so. Either you didn’t believe us or you just didn’t care.

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While we are now on our last corner of this political race, all political candidates are now on an “Everyone to himself” mode. This means they are out campaigning where they can get a huge advantage over the other rival or fellow candidates. This is what I saw last Sunday evening during the Unity for Life Prayer Rally sponsored by the Lay Initiative for Elections (LIFE) 2013 held at the Plaza Independencia. I estimated the crowd to be some 3,000 people, but this time, it was with a difference… they were not a “hakot” crowd that you usually see during political rallies.

What LIFE 2013 had done was nothing short of historical for it was the first time ever that a lay organization with the support of the Catholic Church held its own huge rally to support the Pro-Life stand of the church. Yes, LIFE 2013 came up with the names of their Senatoriables and the local candidates for Cebu Province and Cebu City. Kudos to the officials of LIFE 2013 led by Dr. Rene Bullecer and Fe Barino for never had anyone involved with the Catholic Church come up with a huge rally of lay leaders to campaign for politicians supporting the church. This is the Catholic Vote!

There were 12 parish priests officiating the Holy Mass with Msgr. Emilio Bataclan, which means that this rally clearly had the blessings of the Catholic Church. Of course, the Catholic hierarchy still doesn’t to show its face for this election, but certainly they are fully behind LIFE 2013. 

That selected the candidates from the opposite sides of the political fence attended the rally was truly an act of unity…something rare in this country today. I was quite touched when the candidates signed a manifesto to support the Catholic Church in its battle against divorce; same sex marriage, abortion, euthanasia and yes, some even promised to repeal the RH Law. While the signing was going on, an elementary school choirwas singing the song, Pilipinas Kong Minamahal with the audience held a candlelight vigil as the priests and the Laity prayed over the candidates.

The Senatoriables present were former Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon, JV Ejercito, former Senator Migz Zubiri, Rep. Cynthia Villar. Represented by their families are Sen. Koko Pimentel, Rep. Mitos Magsaysay, Sen. Gringo Honasan and Nancy Binay. 1st Lt. Ashley Acedillo represented Sen. Antonio Trillanes. The group also supported the Buhay Partylist, represented by former Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza and ANAD Party List Rep. Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. But the Comelec just dropped ANAD despite a TRO from the Supreme Court. Well talk more about this issue in our next column.

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