CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— Tarpaulins are out; bulong (whisper) is in. Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of Pampanga said he chose a quiet approach in sharing information on who is on Team “Buhay” and Team “Patay” or senatorial candidates who supported or rejected the Reproductive Health Act.
“The bishop of Bacolod is courageous. He is not campaigning for or against any candidate. There’s a moral issue in the RH law. In Pampanga, we are not putting up billboards on Team Patay,” Aniceto said, referring to the move of Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra.
“We are doing it by bulong-bulong (passing the information by whispering),” the archbishop said in a homily at a Mass at the water district here on Thursday.
His remarks came as he discussed Lent and how this observance of the passion and life of Jesus Christ offers opportunities to strengthen the Catholic faith.
Culture of life
He said Navarra was defending the culture of life.
“Why persecute the bishop? He was expressing his religious conviction,” the 76-yea- old clergy said. “He is not afraid to tell the truth like Pope Benedict XVI. According to Aniceto, the church and the state should ideally have “healthy autonomy” but noted this was not absolute in situations where moral aspects in government decisions are ignored.
“There are always gray matters. Continuous discernment is needed,” he said. He said the bulong campaign is complemented by a voters’ education on traits of candidates and prohibited acts during election campaigns.
Tarp war in SC
The Supreme Court last week stopped the Commission on Elections from implementing the agency’s order to remove the Team Buhay and Team Patay tarpaulins placed in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City.
The high court scheduled the oral argument on the issue on March 19 in Manila. Navarra and the diocese filed the petition seeking to declare as unconstitutional the Comelec’s order, maintaining that it infringes on their right to freedom of expression and violated the principle of separation of Church and State.
“[The] petitioners’ position against the RH law is not only a matter of exercise of its freedom of expression and of conscience but is also a matter of Catholic faith, morals, belief and of duty,” petitioners said.
The Comelec issued a notice asking the petitioners to remove the tarpaulins for violating the regulation on campaign materials in private properties.
The Team Patay, per the Bacolod diocese’s list, consists of Juan Edgardo Angara, Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Risa Hontiveros, Teddy Casiño and Jack Enrile.
Party-list groups Gabriela, Bayan Muna, Akbayan and Anakpawis are also on the Team Patay list.
Those on Team Buhay, according to the diocese, are Joseph Victor Ejercito-Estrada, Antonio Trillanes, Gregorio Honasan, Mitos Magsaysay, Aquilino Pimentel III and Cynthia Villar.