Diocese of Legazpi laity endorses Leni-Kiko

By Rhaydz B. Barcia

Barely two months before the May 9 national and local elections in the country, the officers and members of the Diocesan Council of the Laity of the Diocese of Legazpi endorsed the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate Senator Francis Pangilinan on Wednesday, March 23.

In a statement released by the Diocese of Legazpi through the Diocesan Council of the Laity, it said that they are endorsing the candidacy of Robredo and Pangilinan due to her track-record of service, dedication to good governance, ability to implement partnerships and programs for the advancement of the people, especially the marginalized, and their unquestionable integrity.

“We are also of the opinion that VP Leni, based on her track-record of service, dedication to good governance, ability to implement partnerships and programs for the advancement of the people, especially the marginalized, and her unquestionable integrity, bested the others,” the statement said.

Together with the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, we unanimously endorse with strong conviction the candidacy to the presidency of Vice President Leni Gerona Robredo and her running mate, Senator Francis Pangilinan as Vice President, the statement said.

As stated in the statement of the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, issued last Feb. 5, 2022, “With our current political-economic turmoil and the pandemic situation in the Philippines, we firmly believe that Vice President Leni Robredo, a God-fearing person, is the most capable candidate for the presidency.

“Hence, we urge our fellow Lay faithful to consider the same. Let us vote intelligently based on the dictates of our conscience, not on popularity, personal loyalty, or past and potential benefits, and let us consider first and foremost the interest of the nation,” the statement said.

“Furthermore, we urge everyone to diligently examine every candidate, their character, integrity and track-record, competence and love for God, country, and people, as this election is a crucial moment in our history. We entrust everything to God, through the intercession of Our Lady of Salvation,” it added.

A good Catholic once said “the Church is non-partisan, but never neutral. One cannot be neutral when it comes to good versus evil, one can never be neutral when it comes to truth versus falsehood. One can never be neutral when it comes to corruption versus good governance”.

Hence, Pope Francis himself in “FRATELLI TUTTI” stressed that Catholics must be active in politics… A good Catholic meddles in politics, offering the best of himself, so that those who govern can govern well.

Catholics should not be indifferent to politics, but should offer suggestions, as well as prayers, that their Leaders may serve the common good in humility and love. “Politics, according to the Holy Father, is a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good.”

Taking all these into consideration and in the exercise of our prophetic role, after having undergone a process of discernment through a series of meetings, dialogues and consultations among officers and members of the Diocesan Council of the Laity endorsing Robredo and Pangilinan for remarkable track record in public service.

“We, the officers and members of the Diocesan Council of the Laity of the Diocese of Legazpi stand in conformity with the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas’ commitment to live up to our Mandate to be agents of social transformation. As provided in the decree “Apostolicam Actuositatem”, which stresses that the “renewal of the “temporal order” must be taken up by the Laity as their own special obligation. It is the primary task of the Lay Faithful, formed in the School of the Gospel, to be directly involved in political and social activity (Pope Benedict XVI, verbum Dei), the group cited.

The laity also cited the PCP II Art. 8 # 1, saying, the Laity, to help form the civic conscience of the voting population and work to explicitly promote the election of leaders of true integrity to public office.

It will be recalled that the Diocese of Legazpi led by Bishop Joel “Bong” Z. Baylon conducted a penitential walk for truth calling the electorate to vote for dignity citing that vote buying is an insult to man’s dignity.