Church issues sample ballots in Negros

BACOLOD CITY—Two Catholic Church dioceses in Negros Occidental are distributing sample ballots containing the names of their chosen candidates who are considered as prolife.

The Diocese of Bacolod began handing out sample ballots to churchgoers in all its churches urging them to vote for nine “prolife” senatorial bets and one party-list group. The party-list group favored is Prolife.

In the sample ballots titled “Conscience Vote 2013 senatoriables” lists: Lito David, JC de los Reyes, JV Ejercito Estrada, Gregorio Honasan, Marwil Llasos, Mitos Magsaysay, Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes  and Cynthia Villar.

“We are praying the people will vote for these candidates,” Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra said on Thursday.

The Diocese of Kabankalan also distributed sample ballots but it contained only eight names: Lito David, JC delos Reyes, Gregorio Honasan, Marwil Llasos, Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Christian Señeres.

Navarra has been spearheading the diocese campaign against the reproductive health law and calling for its repeal. Earlier, the Diocese of Bacolod put up a tarpaulin poster titled “Team Patay (death) Team Buhay (life)” in front of the San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City. It lists the senatorial candidates who voted for and against the RH law.

The bishop said he believed the candidates they listed would support the prolife, pro-God stance of the Catholic Church.