Easter political unity

It is not yet too late. With God, it is never too late. As His people, as His nation, we can still experience new life after all the passions we have been going through. If we keep listening to God’s voice within us as we prepare and finally go through the May elections — which must be free, honest, and God-inspired, then, we can look forward to a post-Easter political unity that will throw away partisan politics and work for the common good of our people.

This is our Easter mission from the Lord. To work for the common good that is pro-God, pro-poor, and pro-Pilipino. Maka-Diyos, maka-maralita, at maka-Pilipino.

Pro-God. Maka-Diyos. This means breaking through the barriers of denominational religion and experiencing instead an interfaith presence of the one and only God of all creation. To ultimately recognize in every human face, the face of a brother, and the face of a sister — for we are all brothers and sisters under the one and the same God of all mankind.

Pro-poor. Maka-maralita. As we gradually become aware of God’s presence in every human person, we cannot but feel deep compassion for our poor and deprived brothers and sisters in the Lord. Like the rest of us, they, too, were created to experience the fullness of life. To live decent, human lives. To liberate them from economic and social injustice is one of our most urgent missions from God after the May elections. This will mean a profound repentance and atonement from our past lives of selfism and moral corruption. A dying to the old self and a rising to a new life. The real meaning of Easter in our own lives.

Pro-Pilipino. Maka-Pilipino. As I have often expressed in the past, we were created by God as Pilipinos and were entrusted with this land called the Philippines. This is the land that feeds us and shelters us. It is our responsibility before God to love and care for our country, so that it remains rich and productive, according to God’s law of nature.

After the May elections, our local and national leaders must implement more effectively these two national needs: inculturation and contextualization. Inculturation precisely means Pilipi-nization. We must keep in balance and control the never-ending pressures and influences of Westernization, particularly in our lifestyle. We must learn to really love and promote our own native products, from food to clothing and others. All this must be implemented and supported by proper legislation of balance and control.

Contextualization means responding to our situation as a developing country, and not blindly adopting the ways of a developed Western culture. Here in our country, the giant gap between the small, minority rich and the big majority poor is a blatant consequence of social injustice. A liberal, laissez-faire capitalistic system which we maintain will not solve this major problem. A more socialistic system must be our goal for the future.

And so, let us be the citizens that we are called to be, starting with next month’s elections. The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and the Simbahang Lingkod Ng Bayan (SLB) have promulgated the "10 Commandments for Responsible Voting." Let us put these into practice and spread them to as many others within our moral influence. Here they are:

1. Thou shalt vote according to the dictate of your conscience.

2. Thou shalt respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates.

3. Thou shalt seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote for.

4. Thou shalt strive to understand the issues, platform and programs of candidates and parties seeking your vote.

5. Thou shalt not sell your vote.

6. Thou shalt not vote for candidates using guns, goons, and gold.

7. Thou shalt not vote for candidates with records of graft & corruption, and human rights violation.

8. Thou shalt not vote for candidates just because of utang na loob, personal appearance, popularity, or pakikisama.

9. Thou shalt not vote for candidates living an immoral life.

10. Thou shalt put the welfare of the country above all else in choosing the candidate you will vote for.