Catholic prelate urges voters to elect good candidates

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MANILA — With less than one year before the 2016 national and local polls, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Permanent Committee on Public Affairs (CBCP-PCPA) is urging Filipino voters to elect good candidates and also shun less-evil ones.

In a radio interview over Church-run Radio Veritas on Wednesday, Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the CBCP-PCPA, asked the electorate to support only those politicians who are worthy.

“…Huwag lang tayong pipili sa less-evil. Kung wala tayong makitang good, huwag na tayong bumoto,” he said.

The Catholic prelate added, “Hindi kailangang punuin ang balota, at saka nakalagay lang diyan yung mga karapat-dapat. Dapat bumoto tayo hindi lang sa mga mananalo, kahit bumoto ka sa mga mananalo, talo ang boto mo kasi bumoto ka sa masama,” Pabillo said.

With this, he said that people should vote based on their conscience.

“Dapat iboto natin ‘yung konsensiya natin. Kahit walang bumoto o alam mong hindi lulusot, iboto mo pa rin. So hindi nasayang ang boto mo, kasi ang konsensiya mo ang ipinahayag mo,” the Manila Auxiliary bishop said.

He added the electorate should not believe in surveys and look at the characteristics of the candidate.

“Dapat maging mapili tayo sa pulitika, nag-iisip tayo para sa ating bayan, naghahanap tayo ng tao na karapat-dapat na iboto sa ating bayan. Huwag tayong magpadala sa mga survey…gimik lang yan, kundi tingnan ang katangian nila (pulitiko),” the CBCP official added.

Filipinos will be electing the new leaders of the country in the May 9, 2016 elections.