Roxas comic book ‘dirty politicking,’ says bishop
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles. Photo from southernluzoninquirer.com
“Dirty politicking” was how a Catholic bishop described a comic book that depicted Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II as a hero during the height of super typhoon “Yolanda” in the Visayas.
Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles on Thursday lamented that the comic book was a way of uplifting a politician despite not accomplishing anything aside from “photo ops.”
READ: Church exec: Roxas comic book ‘shameful, unacceptable propaganda’
“I think that it is very critical at dirty {politicking] na ginagamit dito, wala naman silang ginawa. Sapagkat noong pumunta nga doon ayon kay Fr. Ramil ay nagpa-photo ops in the midst of misery when people are hungry, katulad nitong comic nitong politician na kunwaring nagmamando pero walang ginawa,” Arguelles said over church-run Radyo Veritas.
(I think that it is very critical and that they are using dirty politicking here, despite having done nothing. Because, according to Fr. Ramil, when they went there, they just took photos in the midst of misery when people are hungry; like this comic book of a politician depicting him taking control of the situation but actually having done nothing .)
Arguelles said that helping poor people and victims of calamities and all acts of charity should be done not for show or to woo voters but as a mission.
“Kapag tumutulong ka, gumagawa ka ng mabuti, kapatid mo ang tinutulungan mo kahit hindi mo kilala ‘yan. Sapagkat meron tayong Diyos na common father natin. Hindi na natin hihintayin na mangyari ‘yan, kaya kapag nagyari sa iba, responsibilidad natin ‘yan hindi sapagkat gusto nating maboto, hindi dahil gusto nating mapuri,” Arguelles said.
(When you help others, do good, you are helping your brother even if you don’t know them. Because we have a God who is our common father. We don’t have to wait for [calamities] to happen, because if it happens to others, it’s our responsibility, not because we want to be elected, not because we want to be praised.)
“We are not after recognition; we are just doing our duty as a fellow laborer in this world,” he added.
READ: Roxas on comic book: I didn’t approve it, but it’s accurate
The comic book titled “Sa Gitna ng Unos” (In the Eye of the Storm) went viral on social media and drew flak from the public after it showed Roxas in a heroic light at the Yolanda aftermath, amid allegations that the administration was slow in its rehabilitation efforts.
Roxas said the comic book was an initiative of his supporters, adding that the scenes in the book were accurate. CDG
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