CRISSCROSS

eddie rojo

Catholic-INC political race in Tagum

It’s not that a Catholic priest is running or an Iglesia Ni Cristo minister is vying for an elective post but it is that these two major Christian denominations are looked up by politicians as one big pocket votes for the May 13 polls.

Like it or not, religions in this lone Christian country in Southeast Asia have long become the first and last refuge of human souls in this part of the globe. They have deeply ensconced even to the heart of the most hardcore of scoundrels in the government or the underworld. Truth to tell, religion, or the exercise of it, constitute the “freedom to carry out one’s duties to a Supreme Being (as) an inalienable right”, our constitution stipulates.

But this religious exercise has taken another duty into its prayer book, the duty to dip its hands in the hot and dirty cauldron of politics. This has taken over personal conscience in the name of God or the messiah. And the funny side of it is that God appears to have whispered to one religious group’s ear the politician’s name to vote and another name to other religious flock.

Such is the case here in Tagum City and certainly to the rest of the country. It has been a long practice every elections season here when politicians trooped to the gates of the INC church to obtain the most coveted “blessing” from its church ministers as a way of endorsing to its church members the Right Guy to vote in the poll day.

In Tagum where three candidates are vying for the mayoralty post, the INC gives its “blessings” to LP bet for mayor Carlo Oyo Uy, son of former mayor Rey Uy. Uy’s tandem Mylene Baura also had her share of the Iglesia ni Cristo endorsement. This event is being considered as one big plus to Uy and Baura’s votes as the INC is perceived as a “one solid” vote.  We used the term “perceived” because the so called Iglesia votes have failed a number of times in getting the victory for its chosen candidates. And, in many instances, those rejected by INC instead won the biggest number of votes. No pun intended, but I just wonder if God—as represented by religion—missed His predictions here. In any way, such Iglesia Ni Cristo votes therefore remain in the realm of public perception.

Now let’s take the case of Oyo Uy’s closest rival in the mayoralty race, Allan Rellon. Rellon is the incumbent vice mayor of the city. His joining in the mayoralty contest is rumored as one that was hatched by and among members of the Catholic clergy.

The Roman Catholic Church is not a known endorser of political candidates. Unlike the INC, it has no “solid vote” to claim. BUT, consider this…once this church campaign for a certain candidate, even for a presidential race, in more likelihood the victory is certain. We had past Presidents Cory Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos to substantiate our claim.

And so in Tagum, the rejection of Rellon by the INC could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The same could be true for Boyet Gementiza, Mylene Baura’s close rival in the vice mayoralty bout. In effect, the INC’s endorsement of UY and Baura poses a challenge to the local Catholic Church’s own choices of candidates.

We should take to note that there is a thin line which separates ENDORSEMENT from CAMPAIGNING. The INC is a known political endorser while the Roman Catholic has proven its muscles to have welded victorious results in the past through massive campaigning. With the INC’s blessing on Oyo Uy and Mylene Baura it becomes almost automatic that the clergies and the faithfuls –who includes faith healers and faith defenders-- of the Catholic faith will rally behind Rellon and Gementiza if only to prove their dominance even in the sphere of politics. This is not of course to undermine the effect of a possible last minute vote-buying rush. Money, after all remains the most worshipped figure in politics. Unless it meets a snag, which usually comes from the courage of educated voters, purchased elections is never worth an expression of social freedom.

So by tomorrow May 13, as the voting public will storm the polling precincts nationwide expect to see three types of people casting their votes. The other type is those who vote as dictated by their conscience while the others are those whose votes are cast by the conscience of their church.  The third ones are those whose conscience are conditioned to function only after a little cash is received to lubricate its rusty nuts.  (eddierojo@interviewplainopinionblog)