Philippine bishop urges Filipinos to vote wisely in May

Manila - The Philippines' top Catholic bishop Sunday urged Filipinos to wisely choose the country's next leaders in upcoming elections in May.

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said the May 10 elections should "lead to a new life and a new encouraging service" coming after Easter, which marks Jesus Christ's resurrection.

"After the resurrection, it can never be business as usual," Rosales said in his Easter message. "After the resurrection, no more shall there be compromising with deceit, dishonesty and worship of money and power."

"Discern with prayerful judgment as to who the nation should entrust with the task of new and inspiring honest leadership that leads to unity and peace," he added.

The Catholic Church does not publicly support candidates in elections in the Philippines, but usually issues guidelines in choosing who to vote for.

Nearly 18,000 national and local positions are up for grabs on May 10, including president, vice president, senators and members of the House of Representatives.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who is running for a seat in the House of Representatives, called for unity in her Easter message.

"Let us unite as one nation and collectively work toward a new future for our country - a future rich with hope and possibilities for everyone of us," she said.

Easter is a major religious event in the Philippines, where more than 85 per cent of the estimated 90-million population is Catholic.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/317029,philippine-bishop-urges-filipinos-to-vote-wisely-in-may.html.