Vice President Leni Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Those who choose to not get involved amid blatant abuses in the country are “enablers,” Vice President Leni Robredo said Monday.
In an interview, Robredo was asked about how the line should be drawn on when the Church can use its position to speak up and get involved in issues faced by the country.
Robredo said the Church speaking up on societal issues is “aligned” with its mission to influence public officials to be better and to encourage the public to use their voice.
“Sobrang aligned iyong pag-i-influence na iyong ating government officials maging matino at mahusay. At kung sila ay hindi nagiging matino at mahusay, bahagi ng misyon ng Simbahan na i-call iyong kaniyang attention at i-encourage iyong flock na maging empowered to call them out,” Robredo said.
(The Church influencing government officials to be better is aligned with its mission. And when public officials are not being effective, it is also the mission of the Church to call the attention of its flock to be empowered and call them out.)
“Kasi alam natin na kapag naging empowered iyong constituency, iyan iyong nagiging dahilan para iyong abuses hindi naki-keep in check. Kapag marami nang pang-aabuso and yet iyong ating stance ay ayaw kong makialam, ultimately nagiging enabler tayo,” she added.
(When the constituency is empowered, the abuses are kept in check. When there are many abuses and yet our stance is to not get involved, ultimately, we are becoming enablers.)
Robredo said the Church should not be viewed as being “political” when it is speaking up on societal issues.
Members of the Church have previously spoken up about issues faced by the government, such as its response to the coronavirus pandemic and the controversial policies of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration such as the bloody campaign against illegal drugs.
In February 2019, Duterte said the Catholic Church would “disappear” in 25 years.