After urging clergy to stay out of politics, Marcos campaign says blessing from priests a 'refreshing change'
MANILA, Philippines — Bishops who prayed over UniTeam candidates Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte are a "refreshing change", the campaign said in stark contrast to a spokesperson's statement last week that religious leaders should refrain from "meddling with politics".
After bristling at religious leaders who warned against historical revisionism of Martial Law, the Marcos campaign on Thursday said that a "number of church leaders recently embraced the call for unity of UniTeam."
They said that Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian of the Diocese of Bangued in Abra prayed over the UniTeam candidates in front of other priests and their parishioners.
Earlier this week, the UniTeam also paid a courtesy call on the Jesus Christ The Deliverer Church in Guiguinto Bulacan, where Bishop Ted Malangen called Marcos the next president of the country.
Marcos said the Jesus Christ The Deliverer church shares their advocacy of unity.
"Iyon lang naman ang aming sinisigaw, kaya’t marunong na marunong naman ang mga Pilipino, na tumingin kung ano ba talaga ang tama na dapat gagawin ng ating mga leader ng ating mga sarili," he added.
(That’s the only thing we want, and Filipinos know what they and their leaders should do.)
Mayor Duterte meanwhile thanked them for the opportunity to be with them and asked that they pray to God for unity.
Rodriguez: Church should not meddle with politics
Last week, campaign team was singing a completely different tune on religious leaders talking about political matters.
On March 4, Marcos’ spokesperson Vic Rodriguez said "men and women of cloth" should be “more circumspect, refrain from openly meddling with politics and stop making reckless imputation or statement that only serves as spiritual, moral, social and cultural poison."
"While presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos Jr. calling for unity, we are saddened by the men and women of the Catholic clergy who are doing the exact opposite and have abused the pulpit, allowing it to become a platform for hateful and negative campaigning," Rodriguez added.
This despite El Shaddai leader Bro. Mike Velarde endorsing the tandem weeks earlier. The UniTeam also got the backing of Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy.
It is unclear which incident Rodriguez was referring to but he gave his statement days after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines released its pastoral letter calling Filipinos to stand up for truth.
On the 36th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, the CBCP said in its pastoral letter that they are "appalled by the blatant and subtle distortion, manipulation, cover-up, repression and abuse of truth, like: historical revisionism."
The CBCP called on the Catholic faithful, especially the youth, "to examine carefully what is happening in our quest for a true and just society."
Marcos’ rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, has also received endorsements from Catholic leaders. She also urged the Church to join her in her fight against disinformation.
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