I CANNOT tell you who to vote for. That is for you to decide. You have your free will to discern your choices.
We live in a society where we have information-overload through the internet. The most I can share with you are my values and how they can translate into policies. We have our free will for choosing, not what our leaders choose for us. I oppose groupthink. To my readers, do your own personal research.
First, I’m a Catholic charismatic and a Filipino. I look at candidates from the lens of Catholic social teachings (CST).
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of her social teaching. In our society, human life is under direct attack from abortion, extra judicial killings, and the intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks.
The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society—in economics and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community and the nation. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. I believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.
We are one human family, rich and poor, men and women. I am a keeper of our brothers and sisters, wherever they may be. At the core of the virtue of solidarity between Catholics and non-Catholics in the pursuit of justice and peace. Pope Paul VI taught that if we want peace, work for justice.
A basic moral test is how our leaders treat most vulnerable members after the elections. The Catholic tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first. Do the candidates have track records on pro bono work, universal education up to the tertiary level?
These values translate to candidates who by their track record of defending life from womb to tomb can assure the ordinary Filipino citizen of respect for their human rights and human dignity. No to EJKs, no to abortion, but yes to the Constitutional Bill of Rights.
I am also an environmentalist. I expect candidates to respect, protect, and defend the integrity of creation. They have to b conversant with ecological hot button issues on climate change, biodiversity losses, and water pollution.
What’s their stand on fossil fuels? Renewables? Plastic pollution? Deforestation?
Based on these values, will I choose my candidates as my representatives in the different halls of institutions?
I realize many candidates, especially those entertaining voters with songs and dances, are unfit to govern. No to them. Let it be and may the Holy Spirit guide Filipino voters along the path of Christian values. (bqsanc@yahoomail.com)