WITH the hope that anti-life and anti-family bills stay dead, pro-life advocates yesterday said they will support either of two presidential candidates that they believe will help them in their cause.
The Task Force for Family and Life (TFFL), an organization composed of pro-life, pro-family and pro-church members, said they are officially endorsing Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party or Gilberto Teodoro of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
The group also endorsed Mar Roxas of the Liberal Party (LP) to be its vice president.
Catholic ‘lineup’
In the senatorial race, TFFL endorsed Kit Tatad of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), Jo Aurea Imbong of Ang Kapa-tiran, Franklin Drilon of LP, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile of PMP and former senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III of LP.
In the party-list race, TFFL endorsed the Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka, Mangagawang Bukid at Mangingisda and Adhikain at Kilusan ng Ordinaryong Tao Coalition.
The endorsement was based on voting and debate made by more than 40 leaders of pro-life and charismatic groups across the country.
Though there is no such thing as a Catholic vote, TFFL hopes to create a Catholic voice that will allow the church to actively participate in the coming elections, said Dr. Rene Josef Bullecer.
Bullecer, who is Cebu’s TFFL head, told reporters in a press conference yesterday that although the clergy of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) can’t formally endorse any official, it has issued guidelines for who the laity should vote.
Bullecer said Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal told the group last Monday that he (Vidal) and the clergy cannot formally endorse any official or they will forfeit their poll-watching privileges given to them by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the Cebu-Citizens’ Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation.
Blessings
However, Vidal also gave members of the laity his blessings to choose candidates that support pro-life legislation, Bullecer said.
Bullecer, along with TFFL president for the Visayas Douglas Gacasan, said the names they announced were the only ones who passed the qualifications set by the CBCP.
He said they will announce their list of local candidates after Lent.
Last Monday, Bullecer and more than 40 leaders of the TFFL nationwide met in Cebu to conduct a two-day meeting regarding their so-called victory against alleged anti-life legislators.