(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA)
BACOLOD CITY – Bishop Patricio Buzon of the Diocese of Bacolod has directed the creation of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPC-RV) chapters in all parishes and chaplaincies in preparation of the May 9, 2022 elections.
In a pastoral letter released on March 6, Buzon expressed the Church’s commitment to ensure an honest, fair, and peaceful elections as well as the need to educate voters on the qualities of a good leader.
“Through the years the PPC-RV has proven her non-partisan stance that enabled the Church to work effectively with the government in making the elections credible,” Buzon said.
The prelate’s pastoral letter was read in all masses in churches and chaplaincies in the Diocese of Bacolod on Sunday.
The Diocesan Social Action Center and the Pastoral Office will take the lead in the implementation of Buzon’s directive and all the diocesan programs regarding the elections.
Aside from safeguarding the sanctity of the ballots, Buzon said the PPC-RV also engages in the education of voters.
“The importance of the elections can never be over-emphasized since it will greatly impact the life of the whole nation for better or for worse,” he said.
“We are badly in need of renewal as a people, both as voters and candidates. We need to move from an old politics that is toxic to a new kind of politics that is life-giving,” he added.
“As a people, we need to put to death traditional politics characterized by patronage, vote-buying, corruption, dynasty, deception, fake news, and bring to birth a principle of politics grounded on truth, goodness, justice and peace.”
While the Catholic Church is non-partisan, Buzon said the laity should actively participate in the political arena as candidates or voters.
“I enjoin all our lay people to be active in actual campaigning, not just for some ideological or party-based platform of governance, but for candidates who are discerned to be worthy of support because of their commitment to the common good and to the Gospel values,” the bishop said.