With less than a week to go before the May 9 elections, nuns have a good reason to keep on praying for clean, peaceful elections and for the public to make appropriate choices of leaders, presidential aspirant Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said on Tuesday.
“Nuns have a good reason to fall on their knees,” she told editors, reporters and the rest of the panel during the Meet the Inquirer Multimedia forum in Makati City.
The Catholic Church parishes, religious congregations, and several groups have started praying and fasting for divine intervention for peaceful elections and for the voters to choose the right leaders.
READ: Nuns all over PH pray for divine intervention
It doesn’t mean that the nuns should be praying against the presidency of tough-talking Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the front runner of this year’s elections, Santiago said.
“I don’t think they will do that; they never choose sides. They only pray for discernment, the power from spiritual sources to distinguish between right and wrong,” she said.
The senator admitted, however, that “there are many unanswered questions with the Duterte candidacy.”
READ: Santiago: PH not ready for a Duterte presidency
The mayor is facing allegations of ill-gotten wealth and is accused of keeping bank accounts with millions that he failed to declare.
“With respect to the bank accounts, why are there so many bank accounts? What did he use them for? He didn’t use them for houses because every time I visit him in Davao, his houses are very humble,” Santiago said.
Duterte served as a ninong or godfather at the 40th wedding anniversary of Santiago.
At the rate things are going, the senator said that she fears that she might be cheated in the upcoming elections and one of the candidates might not be able to accept defeat.
“I’m worried because the elections might not be fair and free choice of candidates presenting themselves and their programs of government, but it might be one person desperately seeking the presidency.
“Baka kailangan bayaran niya ang mga utang niya. Nagpapagawa siya ng presidential posters niya. Marami ‘yun eh. Kaya kung ganun ang capital, hindi siya papayag na walang return of investment,” she said, but did not identify who among her rivals could possibly do it.
(Maybe they need to pay off their debts. They might be printing out their presidential posters. It could be many things. If the capital is big, they won’t agree to have no return of investment.) JE/rga
