Politicians urged not to campaign in graduation exercises

MANILA, Philippines - An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday urged politicians not to use commencement exercises as jump off points for their election campaign.

CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) chairman Masbate Bishop Joel Baylon told Church-run Radio Veritas that while there is nothing wrong for politicians to be invited as guest speakers in graduation rites, it would be prudent for them not to take advantage of the opportunity to promote their election bids.

“This should not be used as an occasion for them, pretending to be benevolence in patronage, wherein the people would vote for you only because you were there at their graduation and that you were a guest speaker. My appeal to all politicians is to deliver the right service and give political experience that the community deserves,” Baylon said.

The bishop also advised students to make their summer vacation productive and fruitful by being active in the information drive in the forthcoming 2010 elections.

Many of today’s youth would be first time voters next year. 

“I believe that the youth would bring change in government. I just hope that they would be able to perform their fundamental duty such as voting on election day and invite their peers to register,” Baylon said. – Evelyn Macairan