Surge in ‘religious politics’ could lead to reforms

Why is there a surge of “religious politicians”?

Do the appearance and political prominence of Gov. Ed Panlilio of Pampanga, a Catholic priest suspended from exercising his priestly faculties (powers and functions)—and Protestant Brother Eddie Villanueva, leader of the Jesus Is Lord Movement, and Brother Mike Velarde of the El Shaddai Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement—improve Philippine politics and promote good governance?

Not only these leaders of religious groups have made the issue of “religion and politics” come to the fore.

The Kaya Natin! Movement for Ethical Leadership and Good Governance is associated with the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University’s School of Government. Kaya Natin! has gathered about 20 paragons of ethical politics and governance. Its champions—among whom is Gov. Panlilio—are elected officials who have proved they can run their local governments effectively and eradicate corruption. It is endorsing a list of candidates.

There are at least five or six more faith-based movements like Kaya Natin! And people all over the country are writing letters to the editor and giving speeches asking for churches and church leaders to become actively involved in politics because it seems to these citizens that Catholic and Protestant churchmen are the only persons to be trusted with running our country.

This phenomenon must be due largely to the pervasive lack of trust in the Arroyo administration and her allies in the regions who control most of the provinces and cities, as well as her allies in Congress who form the massive majority in the Lower House.

Gov. Panlilio seems to have decided to back out of his bid to run for president in 2010 as a result of the emergence of Sen. Noynoy Aquino as a dark horse presidential candidate. He was quoted last week to have said that he would drop his bid in favor of Noynoy.

Brother Mike of El Shaddai also seems not really keen on running for president. He has qualified the possibility of his entering the race. He would run only if the Catholic bishops endorse his candidacy.

That would be an impossibility, even if his charismatic prayer group—said to have 12 million members—has a bishop for a spiritual adviser. For the Catholic Church is allowed by Canon Law to endorse candidates or parties only under specific conditions that have to do with protecting the Church from definite harm from a hostile political party or politician who must be fought.

Brother Eddie Villanueva, if he runs again, would be doing it for the second time.

It is not true, as some think, that the political party advancing his candidacy for president is the political arm of the Jesus Is Lord Movement.

The Bangon Pilipinas Party, whose president is the former chief economist of the government under President Joseph Estrada, Mr. Cielito Habito, makes it clear that the party is an independent institution made up of Filipinos from various sectors of society, some of them being Catholics and others believers of other faiths, including Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s Protestant group.

Mr. Habito, who is a former Manila Times columnist, is a prac-ticing Roman Catholic as are many other members and supporters of the Bangon Pilipinas Party.

“Religious politicians” or churchmen and religious-group leaders running for office is not a new phenomenon in the Philippines.

In the 1935 election for the first president of the Philippines (when it was the US colony called the “Commonwealth of the Philippines) the Supreme Bishop or Obispo Maximo of the Philippine Independent Church, Monsignor Gregorio Aglipay, ran against and lost to Manuel L. Quezon.

The best-known political presence among the churches in the Philippines is the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC). In every election, and before making important political decisions, most Filipino leaders take into account the wishes of the bishops of the INC.

One of the country’s finest political analysts, having been in government and politics for decades, former Sen. Francisco S. Tatad, correctly describes the political influence of the Iglesia in these words from an essay titled “Church and State Relations—a Perspective.”

“The Iglesia Ni Cristo, for one, believes as a matter of doctrine that its members must exercise unity and discipline in the choice of candidates during an election. No other religious organization professes the same belief, But it flows from the INC’s own interpretation of scripture, not from any provision of law or forbearance of the state. It forms part of the belief upon which the whole INC is founded, freely proposed to and embraced by its members. It is not forcibly imposed. Those who do not believe that it is a correct or good thing will definitely not become part of the INC; they should be free to leave the fold, if they are already members; they would probably violate it, if they stayed.

“Some Comelec officials, like many others, do nor approve. But it is not for these others—or for us—to approve or not to approve what religious doctrine a religious organization shall hold. That is what freedom of religion is all about.”

The Roman Catholic Church is different. It does not want to impose political choices on its members for doing so would violate their freedom. (See Fr. Jaime B. Achacoso’s article “Catholic associations and partisan politics.”) As Fr. Achacoso explains, the Church has resisted calls for it to back up a “Catholic party” for good spiritual and practical reasons.

The Catholic Church also absolutely forbids priests from running for and holding political offices. This is why Fr. Panlilio’s faculties are suspended and he risks having to separate himself from the Church that he loves if he insists on running for president.

Most Filipinos can only hope that the surge of “religious politicians” will help awaken Filipino voters to importance of electing only men and women of a high moral caliber in addition to being qualified for the offices they week.

A Catholic group has formed the Ang Kapatiran Party, which demands that its members and candidates uphold the doctrines of the Church. It also requires candidates to be devoted observers of the Election Code. It will need a miracle for its candidates to win.  –Rene Q. Bas, Editor in chief, Manila Times