SENSING how crucial the forthcoming May midterm polls is, the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas (Laiko) declared on Thursday, April 25, its decision to shun being non-partisan and perennially adopting a vague position every elections.
In a statement, Laiko president Julieta Wasan urged all lay organizations to also reconsider their long-standing stance of being non-partisan and relying on the “conscience votes” of their members.
“As we enter the last few weeks of this midterm elections’ campaign period, we call upon all lay groups and Christian organizations to pause and consider their non-partisan stance in this particular and very crucial elections,” said Wasan.
“In this election, when the sovereignty of the country, the lives of our people, and the honor of the Philippines are at stake, we cannot anymore remain as non-partisan organizations,” she added.
Maintaining their non-partisan stance, the Laiko pointed, would mean exposing Filipinos to more harm, thereby making it a “harmful non-partisanship.”
It added that continuing to be apolitical in order to keep members united is tantamount to espousing “unpatriotic loyalty and false unity.”
The Laiko said remaining to be vague as an organization and bowing to calls for “conscience votes” of their members would also be similar to having a “defeatist mentality.”
And in shunning their old stances, the lay leader said other members of the laity must be willing to take the risk and make a definitive stand for the common good.
This, she said, means adopting the 10 choice candidates of the People’s Choice Movement.
“Let us win this election through our principled and patriotic organizational action for this is for common good. Let us vote straight the People’s Choice Movement’s discerned and selected 10 best candidates,” said the Laiko head.
“For our country, we need to win. We must win!” added Wasan.
Earlier, the PCM announced its support for the senatorial bids of Senator Grace Poe, former congressman Neri Colmenares, and all eight candidates of the opposition’s “Otso Diretso”, namely Gary Alejano, Bam Aquino, Chel Diokno, Samira Gutoc, Florin Hilbay, Romy Macalintal, Mar Roxas, and Erin Tañada. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)