TWIN VIEWS ON THE CHURCH AND PROS AND CONS OF EP CANDIDACY

FROM JAIME GARCHITORENA, 25 JULY 2009

While the catholic church is indeed a large network, it is not a political network.

Priests owe their fealty to the church hierarchy but this only extends to
church matters.

And while the church can dictate the standards they feel are appropriate for
choosing a candidate the church cannot insist that all of its members
support much more vote for Panlilio. In the arena of politics and especially
in the activity of voting, a priest is imbued with the same protective
rights as any citizen and freedom to vote for whoever he chooses. If the
author is to imply that he would prefer that there would be a command vote
on the basis of a priest being part of the Church then the church is now
impinging on the FIlipino priests right to vote freely.

The church cannot use itself as the campaign network of Ed Panilio. Imagine
that EP is a product. Lets say toothpaste. While the church may be concerned
that rotten teeth and bad breath may be detrimental to the audience and to
attendance I dont think it would be right for a priest to promote Colgate or
Close up or even isist that all parishoners brush their teeth. Perhaps in
his personal capacity he might take a parishoner who may be offensive and
promote the virtues of oral hygiene but to ask the church to endorse a
temporal product would be wrong. The Church speaks for god only in church
matters and matters of scripture. To speak of a temporal product in his
capacity as a priest, he unintentionally imbues the temporal product (
whether toothpaste or a candidate) with the same authority from god and his
church. Not good and if ever I got to mass (minsan naman napipilitan ako)
and I hear a priest endorse a candidate from the pulpit I promise that I
will walk out of the Church.


With regards to Centro Catolico, I would argue that this is not necessarilly
true. Id wager that There are more priestS accused of sexual molestation than
there are Baranggay Chairmen so I would never assume that the Church, by
virtue of being the Church, is imbued with higher than average moral
standards. Nor is the Church untouched by corruption. A high church official
told my father (dec) that if the Catholic church were to stop accepting
contributions from corrupt politicians the Catholic Church as we know it
would collapse.

While the church, to forward its own agenda, must create the scenarios and
mood to get a candidate ( who is friendly with church policies) elected it
is wrong to assume the members of the hiearchy has no right to think
differently and vote otherwise.

Rather than being sad, I am actually gratefull that certain priests and
bishops do not feel that Ed Panlilios bid for the presidency is flawed because
this means that there may be a fundamental flaw in EPs bid that is specific
to his peers.

My personal motto? Whats good for the Church is not necessarilly good for
the citizenry and the state.


Jaime Garchitorena

ON AMONG ED PANLILIO FOR PRESIDENT
by Dean Vergara 25 JULY 2009

I live here in the USA for 15 years now. But I follow closely the political
developmentin the motherland. May I add, too, that I am a former seminarian from .Nueva Caceres.
I decided to write you this piece in reaction to Fr. Shay's article on Among
Ed, "Penniless Priest for President".

Fr. Shay expressed it well and effectively.
I will add that his lack of political baggage or in the absence of political
patronage in his campaign is a fundamental factor that is unique to him to
effectively get rid the country of graft and corruption.
It is sad to note, however, that some Catholic bishops are chiding Among Ed
as a mere dreamer and asking him to get real as he has no war chest to wage
a nationwide presidential campaign. But the reality is this:
Among Ed can command the support of more than 60% of the Catholic clergy to
breakaway as a winner. He only needs the support of at least 60% of the
clergy to wage a campaign as effectively as any moneyed presidentiable to
end up ultimately a winner. The Catholic clergy is found in every town or
parish and in every barangay there is a Centro Catolico who is more
credible than any barangay chairman.

The reality is that the access of Catholic Church is more extensive than any
political party in the Philippines. The Catholic hierachy, however it
deflects the issue of being apolitical, has no alternative but carry out its
moral authority to speak for, guide and mobilize the faithful to vote for
the right candidate. The right candidate points to the direction of Among Ed
campaign.

In my job as a Supervisor, I am gaining ground from pinoys here to convince
their remittance beneficiaries in the Philippines to vote for Governor Ed
PANLILIO.