STRESSING the dangers of excessive politicking, Cebu Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy warned that personality-driven politics continues to weaken unity and stall social progress. He urged leaders and the faithful to anchor their unity in shared values inspired by the Santo Niño.
Uy delivered his message during his homily at the 6 a.m. Pontifical Mass on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, for the Fiesta Señor at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. This marked his first time presiding over the celebration as Cebu’s archbishop following his installation in September.
The cost of disunity
“Diha sa gobyerno, kon ang mga pangulo walay kahiusahan, mag-antos ang katilingban (In government, when leaders are not united, society suffers). Too much politicking is a major reason why we have not progressed until now,” Uy said.
He explained that unity becomes destructive when shaped by partisan loyalty rather than faith. He noted that political divisions often lead people to reject good initiatives from rivals while tolerating the mistakes of allies.
“When joy is shared, it becomes doubled. When grief is shared, it is cut in half,” he said. “Apan kon dili magkahiusa, ang sayon mahimong lisod ug ang lisod mahimong grabe kalisod (But if there is no unity, what is easy becomes difficult and what is difficult becomes extremely hard).”
Blind partisanship
The archbishop pointed out that a lack of cohesion in government directly results in social hardship, as leaders become distracted by party lines rather than public service.
“Kon ang pangulo dili nato kapartido, wala tay makita nga maayo. Ang tanan niyang buhaton atong sawayon. Bisan kon maayo, atong dauton kay kontra partido (If the leader does not belong to our party, we see nothing good in them. Everything they do, we criticize. Even if it is good, we discredit it because they are from the opposing party),” he said.
“But if they belong to our own party, we see nothing wrong. Even if what they did is incorrect or bad, we still defend it because they are on our side. That is very bad. Where distraction is the motive, even unity is dangerous,” he added.
A call to action
Drawing from the Fiesta Señor theme, “In Santo Niño, we are one,” Uy stressed that unity grounded in faith allows communities to bear challenges more easily.
He concluded by calling on political and government leaders to set aside partisan interests and work together for the common good of Cebu, guided by the values of the Santo Niño.
“Let us encourage our political and government leaders to unite and work together for the good of Cebu,” he said. (CDF)