CBCP tells voters: Turn to prayers for clean polls

Dreaming of a clean election this May 14? Turn to prayer.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has asked the faithful to pray in a collective bid to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful polls.

Lagdameo has tapped basic ecclesial communities and parishes all over this Catholic predominated country to hold holy hours or prayer vigils from May 5 until election day.

CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said Filipinos should seek the guidance and blessing of God as they work together in bringing back credibility of electoral process in the country to be able to finally move forward from unresolved issues from the 2004 presidential elections.

"May the hand of God stop evil from getting in control. We need the Lord’s help, without which our best efforts will come to nothing. Thus, we urge everyone to invoke the grace of the Holy Spirit to guide our people in this electoral exercise, for the renewal of our country towards genuine common good," Lagdameo said in a pastoral exhortation on the coming national and local elections.

The prelate from Jaro, Iloilo said prayers should also be offered for the success of operations of the Commission on Elections, poll watchdogs National Movement for Free Elections and Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting as well as the military and police institutions in ensuring credible results of elections.

"Humble and trusting prayers are needed to safeguard the sanctity of the ballot and of the entire electoral processes. May our Blessed Mother Mary, the Mediatrix of all grace, and our Guardian St. Joseph the Model of honest and prayerful work, intercede for our beloved country as we face a new transition in our history," he stressed.

In the same message, the CBCP head also appealed to Filipino voters to be "extremely vigilant" during the elections, saying public participation is necessary to ensure the elections would be clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful.

"We must disapprove, reject and condemn as immoral all acts of violence and cheating, including evil of vote-padding and vote-shaving in favor of or against any candidate. Let candidates of both camps and their supporters face the judgment of democratic election with humility and magnanimity."

500,000 volunteers

Meanwhile, the PPCRV said yesterday it is on its way to gathering the needed 500,000 volunteers to monitor the May 14 polls.

PPCRV chairwoman Henrietta de Villa revealed they already have over 350,000 volunteers as of May 1.

"We are confident we will get this number we need before May 14. This has always been the case – more people would join us as Election Day draws near. Our parishes are very hyper in this mobilization campaign," she said in an interview with The STAR.

De Villa, former ambassador to the Vatican, admitted PPCRV is dealing with a few difficulties during the recruitment and training period: "We sometimes have problems in logistics and security. But they are manageable so far."

While recruiting more volunteers, the PPCRV, the Catholic Church’s election watchdog, has also started training its poll watchers. It has also joined an alliance of 10 other groups called "V Force" that aims to gather a million volunteers for clean elections this May.

A paid advertisement of the multi-sectoral alliance published in another newspaper yesterday read: "We are looking for one million people who will fight for this country."

The alliance, which was initiated by anti-Charter change group One Voice, said the volunteers would be deployed in different tasks, including voters’ education, poll watching, vote count and quick count monitoring and other education and monitoring works.

De Villa said she sees nothing wrong in the partnership even if it includes One Voice, which is specifically identified with the campaign against the administration’s earlier Charter change initiative.

Other groups in the alliance are: Pinoy Bantay Bayan, Bantay Eleksyon ’07, Makati Business Club, Legal Network for Truthful Elections, National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections, National Secretariat for Social Action, Peace and Justice, Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan, Integrated Bar of the Philippines and Pera’t Pulitika.

Last month, Muslim groups have committed themselves in monitoring the conduct of May 14 polls in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by joining PPCRV to help restore credibility of the electoral process in the country.

In an unprecedented move, twelve groups in ARMM signed a memorandum of agreement with the PPCRV for joint election monitoring operations in the region at the conclusion of a two-day conference in Davao City on Tuesday.

The groups include: Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID), Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms, Concerned Alliance of Professors and Students Inc., Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, Electoral Reform Advocates, Maguindanao Foundation for Good Governance and Development Inc., Maranao People Development Center, Muslim Mindanao Consumers Association Inc., Muslim Women Peace Advocates – Sulu Council, Sulu State College Master in Public Administration Alumni Association Inc., Tulung Lupa Sug Inc., and United Youth for Peace and Development Inc.

This alliance of Muslim groups specifically for peaceful and honest elections in May is spearheaded by Amina Rasul–Bernardo, who also heads PCID.

In a copy of the MOA obtained by The STAR, the groups said they wanted to change "a sarcastic perception that the ARMM is the cheating capital for elections."

Those interested to join the PPCRV as volunteers for its election monitoring operations can call 5242855 or 5215005.