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Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Quiboloy names his 13 bets for Senate
By Carlo P. Mallo
DAVAO CITY -- Davao evangelist Pasto Apollo C. Quiboloy is endorsing 13 candidates for the 12-slot Senate race.
Quiboloy named the 13 candidates in a gathering at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ open field in Camp Catitipan. The gathering was attended by thousands of his followers.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage
Majority of the candidates are from the administration slate of Team Unity, four are from the Genuine Opposition, and one is an independent candidate.
The Team Unity candidates include Prospero Pichay, Miguel Zubiri, Edgardo Angara, Mike Defensor, Joker Arroyo, Luis Chavit Singson, Ralph Recto, and Tessie Aquino-Oreta.
Candidates from the Genuine Opposition are Francis "Chiz" Escudero, Manny Villar, Loren Legarda, and Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III.
Independent candidate Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan completed the magic 13 in Quiboloy's list.
Quiboloy said his choices were made after a study of the track record of the candidates, spiritual guidance through prayers and meditation, and mock elections among his followers all over the country, gathering as much as 70,000 respondents in the past week.
While he did not categorically say that his ministry is going for bloc voting, he described the process as follows: "Yung style namin dito sa (our style here) kingdom it is not from me to them, it is from them to me. They gave me the authority to choose from all of these candidates."
The pastor added that he endorsed the 13 candidates with the hope that whoever among them would get to serve the Filipino people would lead the country forward.
"I see the candidates as Filipinos who would lead this country forward, regardless of their party affiliations," Quiboloy said.
Quiboloy prays and believes that the candidates he has endorsed will be channels for the progress of the country.
"We have had enough of widespread poverty, of an economy immersed in crisis, and gross violations of human rights," Quiboloy said prior to his endorsement, adding it is already time for change.
When asked why 13, Quiboloy merely said that 13 sounds like a lucky number to him.
Since only 12 senators can be voted, he said, he is then giving his followers the choice to opt for either one in the end of his list.
"They have choices for the two. They are free to choose... Actually it's Oreta or Pimentel. Kasi Oreta came late," he said.
He hopes that his endorsed candidates will make it, but he will be happy with just 75 percent.
"If lucky, 10 is okay or even nine will be okay. That's almost 85 percent," he said.
The pastor further admitted that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo knows his list even before the endorsement rally.
"Three days ago I was in the Palace for a private call. I talked to her and told her about this," he said, adding that the President merely told him to do as he planned.
Quiboloy is unabashedly a staunch supporter of Arroyo but denies anyone, not even his friend City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, had a hand in his choice.
"Mula't mula (even then) pa that's what I appreciate about the mayor. Hindi talaga yan nakikialam sa (He doesn't interfere with my) choices ko," he said.
He understands, however, if the mayor is also pushing a straight administration ticket.
"Nasa Team Unity talaga siya eh, he's bound by party laws. Ako, I'm not bound by anything," he said.
Moreover, Quiboloy also endorsed the party-list group of AVE or the Alliance of Volunteer Educators. He said the goals of this party-list are in line with his--to raise the quality of education in the country.
Quiboloy said he has a voting populace of two million in his ministry although the membership is double this number.
Among those endorsed, only Pichay, Zubiri, Villar, Angara, Singson, Legarda, and Oreta made it to the endorsement rally. Defensor was represented by his wife, while Escudero arrived late. (With report from SAE/Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (May 8, 2007 issue)
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