LP has lost all its moral ascendancy

The deadline for the filing of candidacies for the 2016 presidential and local elections is fast approaching and yes, no matter what the Liberal Party does, they just seem to fumble, tumble, and stumble even before the campaign period has started. Yes, I am referring to the issue that went so viral in the social media networks. It is spoken in the mouths of people in the coffeehouses all over the nation of what the people belonging to the Liberal Party is showing to the Filipino voters, that they have lost all morality.

As expected, even Malacañang has distanced itself from this incident instead of chastising those LP members who have soiled whatever reputation the LP has left. Last Saturday, The Philippine Star editorialized complete with a cartoon to boot, which should make anyone seeking public office under the Liberal Party feel ashamed to be part of the LP. Here's that excerpt from The Star editorial, entitled "Women as Gifts."

"After the country has been led by two women Presidents, and with women heading the Supreme Court and most of the constitutional bodies, you'd think male politicians would have more respect for the other gender. Instead, three scantily clad women were made to dance in front of members and supporters of the ruling Liberal Party. Video footage showed one of the women twerking in her underwear on stage and then, for the rousing finale, dry humping with a guest wearing the LP's trademark Yellow shirt.

An emcee announced that the three "playgirls" were a gift from Chairman Francis Tolentino of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to Laguna 4th District Rep. Benjamin Agarao, Jr. who was celebrating his 58th birthday and 40th year in government service. The celebration took place shortly after new LP members in Laguna took their oath at a party gathering earlier this week in Sta. Cruz town that was attended by LP Standard bearer Manuel Roxas, II. The video, uploaded on YouTube, has drawn flak particularly from women's groups. The ruling party has been on damage control, announcing that it had launched an investigation….

The public performance reinforces stereotypes of woman as playthings and objects to be given away as gifts to men---particularly men in positions of power. It's a mindset that the nation has been trying to eradicate, but even tough laws protecting women and discouraging domestic violence have failed to disabuse men particularly in underdeveloped communities from treating women like second-class citizens. This mindset, reinforced by politicians, has long emboldened women to subject their wives and partners to various forms of sexual, physical and psychological violence and abuse."

To date, I have not heard of anyone from LP especially here in Cebu who chastised this embarrassing event. I should remind those so-called Liberal Party stalwarts especially those who are running for positions under the LP banner, whether or not they condone such lewd acts by their fellow LP members or not? Remember what the Lord Jesus Christ said in Matt. 25:45, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." In James 4:17, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is a sin."

Let us be clear about this issue that the members of the Liberal Party who has not openly chastised or condemned the lewd behavior of their fellow LP partymates in Sta. Cruz, Laguna therefore they condone this condemnable act.

Shame on the LP for their silence is deafening! And for our readers out there, whenever your politicians especially belonging to the Liberal Party campaign (yes, they are campaigning already even if it is against Comelec rules) in your neighborhood, they should ask questions on their morality. Call me conservative, but we are living in an era where morality is non-existent with many of our people.

It is the right time to put our political leadership to the test and check whether they have the moral ascendancy to represent their constituents? It is high time that we vote into public office political leaders with a high moral standard, after all, they represent the Filipino people, where many of us are considered conservative Catholics where we put our women on the pedestal rather than look at them like what people did during the ancient times as chattel or as sexual objects and worse, like what happened in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, as "gifts" by political personalities.

Because of the flak and outcry by netizens, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino denied that he was involved in this incident, where the playgirls were given to Rep. Agarao as his "gift." As the report said, the LP will be conducting an investigation on this incident. But I would like to believe that the LP would merely play along and bid for time until the media forgets this incident, especially after another big breaking news comes into the front pages of our news and then all this will soon be forgotten.

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