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Father Shay Cullen is an Irish Columban missionary who has worked in the Philippines since 1969. In 1974, he founded the Preda Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to protecting the rights of women and children and campaigning for freedom from sex slavery and human trafficking.

Voting for a false messiah in the Philippines

Voting for a false messiah in the Philippines

Supporters of Philippine presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte attend a campaign rally in Manila. (Photo by Joe Torres)

Published: May 06, 2016 07:19 AM GMT
Electorate is on the verge of backing candidate least suited for political leadership

What is it that drives voters, the common people, to cry out and vote for a false messiah to be president and leader? Some voters are drawn away from virtuous leadership and favor unrealistic and fantastic promises of the bombastic candidate.

Even if such a candidate promotes hatred, racism and violence, and approves and practices womanizing, insults religions and church leaders, and supports vigilante killings, he arouses a rabble of extremist followers. Can such a candidate be trusted to serve and lead a nation?

In the United States and the Philippines, there are candidates who share such positions and attitudes. They are not the ideal leaders who aspire to be caring, compassionate, and who respect the rights and dignity of all.

Good honest Republicans in the U.S. are outraged and disavow the extreme policies of Donald Trump, now the Republican Party presidential candidate who will likely run against the Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton.

He will ban Muslims from entering the U.S., and illegal immigrants will be deported. Thousands of Filipinos will be affected. Trump has insulted women, mocked a disabled person in public, and vowed to strike the enemies of America with overwhelming force. If elected president, he will tear up every free trade treaty.

For Trump, it is America first and to hell with the rest of the world. For him, corporate America and big business should rule the U.S. and the world, not the regulatory agencies of government, not the U.N. And yet he has reached a popularity that boggles the mind and troubles the heart.

But it won't happen. Most American voters are wiser, smarter, and more compassionate. They are good people and are generally nonracist, tolerant, caring, compassionate, and respect the views of others.

We hope it will be the same in the Philippines on May 9. The vast majority of Filipinos are also good people, intelligent, compassionate, caring, loving, and self-sacrificing. They should vote in a responsible manner for a candidate who has a history of respect for human rights, concern and action for abused children, compassion for the poor, and unblemished integrity, free from scandals.

Who among the candidates meet these basic criteria and are competent to lead and inspire a nation of over 100 million people? Is there anyone with dignity of human person and true respect for this beautiful but suffering country, anyone who has not enriched himself? Is there a candidate who can lift up the downtrodden?

The candidates ought not to have a history of corruption or should have not advocated death squads as a path to power. I hope voters who have been hurt and ignored, and left desperately poor and hungry by the government will not favor the vengeful threats of gun-slinging candidates. 

Unfortunately, the failure of government officials to serve the public with compassion gives extremists popularity. Dissatisfaction is aroused when government officials become part of the sick system that ignore the hardship and abuse of the trafficked and enslaved and incarcerated women and children.

Responsible voting ought to be for candidates who can be trusted to have the integrity and strength to respect, enforce, serve and protect the rights of every citizen with equality and fairness.

Irish Father Shay Cullen, SSC, established the Preda Foundation in Olongapo City in 1974 to promote human rights and the rights of children, especially victims of sex abuse.

 

 

 

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