MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 28 Apr) – A priest here, during his homily on Sunday mass, lamented the electoral candidates’ practice of destroying each other during campaign, later saying the “demolition jobs” are doing them no good.
Too much competition among candidates brings them to destroying each other’s dignity, which is not a good sign, according to Fr. Felizardo Tibayan, parish priest of Barangay Aglayan here.
Governance, he stressed, requires transforming both oneself and society and it can be done only if there is “will to love” and the “will to serve one another.”
“Let us not be slaves of pride, fear, and selfishness,” he added.
Tibayan later told MindaNews he is campaigning against candidates who use “demolition jobs” to gain advantage over their opponents.
The priest organized a candidates’ forum to let the people hear the politicians’ plans and platform, minus the dirt they throw in the campaign trail. It was held around 6:45 a.m., just before the final blessing is given for the early Sunday morning mass. The candidates were asked to limit their presentation of their plans and platform of governance to five minutes each.
Unfortunately, only two politicians attended the forum – incumbent Vice Mayor Victor Aldeguer (Aksyon Demokratikong Pilipino), who is one of three candidates for mayor, and City Councilor Roland Deticio (Bukidnon Paglaum Party or BPP), one of two candidates for mayor.
Mayoral candidates Ignacio Zubiri (incumbent mayor of BPP) and Estelito Marabe, a businessman running as independent, and vice mayoral bet Glorio Sajulga (Aksyon) did not respond to the invitation of the San Lorenzo Deacon Sub-Parish.
Tibayan, in his homily, encouraged mass goers to be guided by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ 10 Commandments for Responsible Voting, as follows: vote according to the dictates of your conscience; respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates; seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities, and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote for; strive to understand the issues, platform, and programs of candidates and parties campaigning for your vote; do not sell your vote; do not vote for candidates using guns, goons, gold, and glitter; do not vote for candidates tainted with graft and corruption; do not vote for candidates simply because of “utang na loob,” popularity, good looks, or pakikisama; do not vote for candidates living an immoral life; and always put the welfare of the country as top priority in choosing the candidate you will vote for.