By Madel Asuncion
As the 2013 elections fast approaches, the Church has been proactive
in informing, educating and re-instilling the faith among the Filipinos.
Consistent efforts have been done by the Parish Pastoral Council for
Responsible Voting (PPCRV) in order to prepare the nation and guide them
through a successful electoral process in keeping with the Catholic faith.
What is PPCRV?
PPCRV
serves as a citizen’s arm selected by COMELEC in 1991. The non-partisan organization
is a response to faith and advocates for good governance and authentic
democracy based on Catholic values. It is their belief that fear of God, love
for the country and respect for the environment are fundamental to anyone who
desires to govern. And with the right to vote, the citizens are empowered to participate
and direct the country’s future.
In
line with its goal to form the New Filipino Voter, the organization actively
promotes educating the Filipinos with regards to responsible voting. They aim
to make the voters understand that they have the power to determine the quality
of life that the nation could have as a result to the elections. And so it is
vital that they choose wisely and learn how to guard their votes.
Where is PPCRV now?
PPCRV’s
efforts to sustain their voter’s education program are mainly focused on
addressing the youth. This advocacy brings about the 1st PPCRV NCR
Campus Youth Congress with the theme “Kilos Kabataan”. The Diocese of Pasig was given the honor to
accommodate this momentous event last March 8 with Pasig Catholic College as
its chosen venue. Significant personalities such as COMELEC Chair Sixto
Brillantes, DepEd Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC, and PPCRV Chair Henrietta
de Villa graced the gathering to acknowledge the youth and to motivate over
2,000 students coming from different schools. The organization has also been
tapping universities such as FEU, Ateneo, UP and UST to conduct forums on
responsible voting.
Series
of conventions and trainings were also conducted to further develop and
implement the cause of PPCRV starting with the 3-day assembly of the
organization’s heads which took place last March 6, 7 and 8. The Diocese of
Pasig also called for representatives from each parish to attend a seminar on
voter’s education for three consecutive Saturdays (February 23, March 2 and 9).
These representatives then integrated their learning in a parochial level last
March 16.
Where does the Church and, moreover, the
Diocese of Pasig stand with regards to the coming elections?
The encyclical by Pope Paul VI
entitled Gaudium Et Spes talks about
the state of the Church in the modern world. Among its messages is the Church’s position in
association with the political community.
“The Church, by reason of her role
and competence, is not identified in any way with the political community nor
bound to any political system. She is at once a sign and a safeguard of the
transcendent character of the human person.” (GS 76)
But despite the independence of the
Church from the political community, she still actively voices out her concerns
especially when the means of the other institution counters the Gospel and her
doctrines. The Church has the liberty to preach and pass moral judgment especially
when the Catholic social teachings are being compromised. That is why the
Church is being proactive in providing education on responsible voting.
The Diocese of Pasig responds to this
by initiating a campaign called “I Choose God, I Vote Good” spearheaded by Fr.
Jhun Sanchez.
Why
is it so important for the Church to be involved in the elections and to have a
constant communication with voters?
According to the 2nd
Philippine Trust Index survey dated February 28, 2013, the Church is still the
most trusted sector of society with the academe, media and government following
behind. This means that the Church has a great capability to influence the
public. With this power, the Church aims to advocate the concept of “Charity in
Truth” in relation to responsible voting.
Charity is in fact at
the heart of the Catholic social doctrines. As stated in Pope Benedict XVI’s 3rd
encyclical entitled Caritas En Veritate,
charity in truth is the “principal
driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all
humanity”. To uphold charity is to prompt people to be courageous in standing
for social justice and peace.
Another
concept that is tied to responsible voting and good governance is moral
conscience. One’s conscience must be formed based on Gospel messages, Church
teachings and one’s own experiences. As mentioned by Fr. Jhun Sanchez in one of
his voter’s education talks, morality is deeply rooted in the “Law of
Reflection” which simply means that we are created in God’s image. Therefore,
everything we do must reflect God’s goodness.
These messages
must be relayed by the Church in order to guide the voters in choosing the right
candidates. The future of a nation has always been in the hands of the
citizens, and so it is the Church’s responsibility to walk them through this
process within the light of Catholic values.
How does the public respond to the
involvement of the Church?
As stated in the 1987 Philippine
Constitution, there is a law on the separation of the Church and the State.
Because of this, confusion and protests rise among the public. Many are saying
that the Church should not interfere with any political matters such as
lawmaking, policy regulations and influencing the people on who to elect. But
in this situation, the law is actually being misunderstood.
The Separation of the Church and the
State is labeled under Religious Freedom which therefore means that this law
simply protects the right of an individual to worship. The Church still has the
right to voice out her concerns and the duty to protect Catholic principles
whenever they are threatened in the political arena. The Church simply aims to
uphold morality and to defend the faith especially with the many challenges
presented by the modern-day world.
What
are the Church’s aspirations in view of the coming elections?
The Church, through PPCRV’s
initiative, ultimately hopes to obtain a C.H.A.M.P. (Clean, Honest, Accurate,
Meaningful and Peaceful) electoral process. To achieve this, PPCRV calls for
Filipinos who believe in change and are willing to uplift the nation by
guarding the people’s votes. The Church also looks forward to responsible
leadership wherein the persons elected to position shall use their God-given
wisdom to lead and serve a much stronger nation founded in charity and truth.
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