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Monday, December 29, 2003
Nalzaro: Is there a religious vote?
By BOBBY G. NALZARO
EVERY presidential candidate would always seek the support of various organizations especially religious groups to ensure their election bid.
That is why we always hear and see presidential hopefuls court acknowledged leaders of these organizations. But is there really a religious vote?
How solid is a particular denomination in supporting a candidate? If, indeed, there is really a particular religion that imposes an order to vote for a particular candidate, is this tantamount to dictatorial policy?
Is this particular religion taking away from its members the right to exercise their freedom to vote for a candidate which they think can be a good leader? Is it not a sign of cultism that church members have to follow the order of their religious leaders?
Leaders of the Roman Catholic Church would not actively campaign during election time or impose an order to its flocks to vote for a particular candidate. Through the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), it would only come up with guidelines.
But there are some Catholic religious leaders in the lower echelon who are engaging in partisan politics, especially in the local level. Maybe some parish priests are doing this because of their social and civic commitment to help their parishioners elect good leaders. But their actions do not necessarily reflect the Church stand on politics.
The El Shaddai headed by Brod. Mike Velarde and Manalos’ Iglesia Ni Cristo are often regarded as the force to be reckoned with. Most if not all candidates seeking national elective positions would always seek an audience with these two men to ask for their support.
Deposed president Joseph Estrada won by a big margin in the last 1998 presidential elections because of the support from these groups. Was it really the religious votes that played a major factor in Erap’s victory? Or was it because of his popularity being a screen actor?
If there is, indeed, a religious vote, how come the late Ramon Mitra Jr., a Catholic, and business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, who was reportedly supported by the INC, were defeated by Fidel Ramos, who is a Protestant, in 1992 elections?
Now, here comes Brod. Eddie Villanueva, the leader of Jesus is our Love Movement, a born-again Christian group. He is also eyeing the presidency. He is solely banking on the support of his seven million members.
Well, given the possible scenario that it will be a five-cornered fight between Arroyo, Raul Roco, Fernando Poe Jr., Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Villanueva, I think that seven million solid votes will make him (Villanueva) a sure winner.
Ramos became a minority president in 1992, when there were seven serious presidential candidates. Erap got eleven million votes in 1998, a landslide victory against the six other candidates.
If there is, indeed, a solid religious vote, I am afraid that Ruben Ecleo Jr., the supreme master of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, will become our next president. Why? Because he claims to have 15 million faithful members throughout the country.
Unya ug simbako ug masudlan ug bakukang iyang utok ug modagan siya pagka-presidente, di siguradong daog.
(E-mail address: Bobby@ sunstar.com.ph. My cell phone number, 09193181404)
(December 29, 2003 issue)
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