The General Elections in the Philippines is over but the counting and so now the long wait for the winners although some have already taken their oath the one everybody’s waiting for is still up in the air. Some see this election as the dawn of a new day with Arroyo no longer President. All I can say is don’t get your hopes up. Remember Corazon Aquino? So many promises, so few realized. Not to mentioned some serious allegations of corruption. Lest you’ll be fooled, Mrs Aquino’s reign wasn’t all that good. And so with this next Aquino, don’t bet your life on it. By the way, he’s Catholic.

Election’s real winner: Iglesia ni Cristo unity!

But for me the biggest winner is once again the Iglesia ni Cristo. For once again unity was observed by its members. This unity caused some people to worry. As reported by GMA News, some “netizens raised suspicions over the election results shown in several clustered precincts in Rodriguez, Rizal.” To them it was suspicious that voters from certain precincts showed they all voted for Aquino! Upon further investigation, it turned out the precincts were inside housing resettlement of the Iglesia ni Cristo and 99 percent of the voters in those precincts are members. For some rabid anti-INC they say 99% is not unity because it’s not 100%. They exclaimed “there’s the crack”! Little do they know that not all of the people in the settlements are INC as some are converts from other religion and whose spouses or children are not yet members.

And in case there are still people who sneer at the INC unity in voting, know that the intention is not to make winners of candidates but rather to be one in judgment, a teaching of the Lord Jesus.

The Manila Standard continues it report thus:

Among the religious groups, it is only the Iglesia ni Cristo which has proven that it can provide the swing votes in close contests whether for national or local positions.

The contest for the presidency would probably have been closer if the INC endorsed former President Joseph Estrada instead of Senator Noynoy Aquino.

There are only guesstimates on the actual INC vote. Some say it is as low as one million but others say it could be as high as three million. Let’s assume the INC vote is two million. From the trend in the present count, Aquino will probably lead Estrada by 5 million votes. If you subtract two million from Aquino and add two million to Estrada then it could have been a much closer fight and Estrada would have enjoyed the bandwagon effect which could get thousands more votes.

The INC factor was probably most felt in the senatorial race. Of the 12 candidates endorsed by the INC, 11 are in the Magic 12. Of the winning senatorial candidates, only returning candidate—Sen. Serge Osmeña —was not endorsed by INC. The only INC-endorsed candidate outside the Magic 12 is Rep. Ruffy Biazon who in the latest count is in number 14 and apparently has no chance of making it.

It looks as though the INC vote is the only religious vote that can be counted on in Philippine politics.

Dynasties

Political dynasties are not new in the Philippines but it seems this year there are a lot more of them. Some are old dynasties like the Marcoses and Aquinos, others are new such as the Arroyos and Estradas. If I’m not mistaken, only Irene Marcos did not run and win in this last election. Bongbong and Imee both won not to mention Madam herself, the still lovely and graceful Madam Imelda. Good for them. For all the supposed greed they’re being accused of, they don’t compare to the Arroyos whom Catholics led by Jaime Cardinal Sin unconstitutionaly put into power. By the way, they’re all Catholics.

Catholics

The Manila Standard newspaper noted that only the Iglesia ni Cristo vote can be called a “religious vote”. The rest failed miserably. Remember the annointing of Villar by Quiboloy? Add to this the “implied” annointing of Villar by the Catholic El Shaddai of Velarde. So, it’s either the supposed numbers are bloated, or the members do not follow the instructions of their leader, or both. And what about Villanueva? He got 1 million votes! That’s all. Had anyone outside his church voted for him? If not and all his followers voted for him then it’s safe  to say there are only 1 million JIL members of voting age.

The dominant Roman Catholic church is even more embarassing! As the Manila Standard reported:

“Six members of the Philippine Catholic Church hierarchy —Archbishop Ramon Arguelles of Lipa, Bishop Joseph Nacua of Ilagan, Bishop Antonio Tobias of Novaliches, Bishop Antonio Palang of San Jose de Mindoro, Bishop Antonio Navarra of Bacolod and retired Bishop Teodoro Bacani—have come out to openly endorse the presidential bid of JC de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran party.

In the latest Comelec count from 88.95 percent of clustered precincts, de los Reyes was ninth of the nine presidential candidates with only 34,833 votes. The five active bishops head dioceses with more than three million votes and all de los Reyes was able to get is a mere fraction of this number. Either the bishops didn’t campaign for de los Reyes or their flock do not heed them at all when it comes to partisan politics.

This is not to say that the Catholic Church did not play a key and crucial role in this election. It did, through the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) which was the Comelec’s citizen arm in the last election.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the PPCRV played a key role in the success of the last election by providing some 500,000 volunteers to help in the voters’ education campaign, render assistance in the actual elections and conduct a count based on the copy of the returns that they are officially entitled to get.”

De los Reyes would be lucky if he gets 100,000 votes! Endorsed and embarrassed by the CBCP. And the Philippines is 80% Catholic. By the way, he’s Catholic too.

So there you go. May 10 elections in a snap.

So said a rabid anti-INC catholic blogger who goes by the alias losav. That’s his opinion and he’s free to have one. But is it really a myth? Here’s some news report. I’m not even going add my comment on them. You decide.

Aquino maintains huge lead

Agence France-Presse
First Posted 08:13:00 05/11/2010

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Benigno Aquino III was poised Tuesday to be proclaimed as the next Philippine president after an updated election count showed he was on course for one of the biggest wins in the country’s history.

His nearest rival, former president Joseph Estrada, was well behind with 25.4 percent, or 4.48 million fewer votes, according to the commission’s figures.

Iglesia to deliver 5 million votes to Noynoy, Mar

Thursday, 06 May 2010 00:00

BY BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON Reporter

THE Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) on Wednesday formally endorsed the bid of Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd and his running mate, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas 2nd, saying that the church believed this was “the best for our country.”

The INC, which votes as a bloc, could reportedly deliver four to five million votes to its chosen candidates.

Breaking News

‘Walang kapalit,’ says Noynoy of INC support

By Jjun Bana (philstar.com) Updated May 05, 2010 04:20 PM
MANILA, Philippines – Liberal Party standard bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III said the support that the Iglesia ni Cristo gave his and Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II’s candidacies came without anything in return.

“There’s no quid pro quo,” Aquino said when asked whether or not there had been any offer either from the LP or the INC for the latter to throw its support behind the candidacies of the LP presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

During its worship service this morning, the INC said “it [is] for the betterment of the country that [we] are supporting Aquino and Roxas, who are campaigning on a platform of freedom from corruption, the foremost cause of povery and injustice” in the Philippines.

“Ipinapasiya namin na iboto si Noynoy Aquino at Mar Roxas para sa presidente at bise-presidente [We have chosen to vote for Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas as our President and Vice-President],” said Ka Eduardo Manalo, INC executive minister in a statement.

At a press conference this afternoon, Aquino read his joint statement of gratitude to INC with Roxas.

Erap ‘saddened’ by INC decision to endorse Noynoy

GMANews.TV – Thursday, May 6

Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino standard-bearer former President Joseph Estrada said on Wednesday that he was “saddened” by the Iglesia ni Cristo’s decision to endorse the candidacy of Liberal Party presidential bet Senator Benigno Aquino III. Estrada, who received INC’s endorsement when he ran for president in the 1998 national elections, said that not getting the religious group’s backing in the upcoming polls will be “a big loss” for his candidacy.

He added that he was “saddened” by the decision because he has very close friends in the INC.

The former president however said that he respects the INC’s choice, and vowed to work harder during the last days of the campaign.

Erap won’t concede, waits for official canvass

abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 05/11/2010 4:34 PM | Updated as of 05/11/2010 5:13 PM

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) – Former president Joseph Estrada on Tuesday said he will not concede to presidential frontrunner, Liberal Party presidential bet Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, until after Congress finishes the official canvass of the results of the country’s first ever nationwide automated elections.

The younger Estrada said his father could have been assured of victory if the powerful Iglesia ni Cristo had endorsed him instead of Aquino. The INC sect is the only religious group in the country that practices bloc voting.

“Had the Iglesia ni Cristo voted in favor of President Estrada, it would have been a good fight,” he said.

The Philippines is on the verge of a major upheaval. With all the presidential candidates going all in and betting everything including the kitchen sink, it isn’t hard to imagine a strong reaction will not be displayed for any hint of a failure of election. Pray for peace.

INC flock urged to pray for peaceful, honest elections
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:47:00 04/27/2010
Read original here.

MANILA, Philippines—Even the leader of the Iglesia ni Cristo is wary of a failure of elections.

INC executive minister Eduardo V. Manalo sent a pastoral letter to all of its churches nationwide which was read last Saturday and Sunday urging his flock to pray for peaceful and honest elections. The INQUIRER obtained a copy of the letter from its Bel-Air Makati locale.

“We join the nation in aspiring for a clean, honest, and peaceful election and in hoping that there will be no problems so serious as to result in a failure of elections that others might use to instigate public unrest. In view of this, we are instructing you not to get involved in any baseless speculations that could only cause fear and apprehension,” said Manalo, the son of the late Eraño “Ka Erdie” Manalo who transformed this Christian sect into a major force in the elections with the disciplined, bloc-voting of its members.

Manalo and the INC elders are currently holding deliberations until Wednesday on who will be endorsed by the influential religious group.

Manalo has echoed the fears expressed by another religious leader, Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, who said he has been getting “blurred visions” of the May 10 elections that could indicate an ominous sign of a failure of elections.

This was the reason why Quiboloy, who claims to have six million followers, has yet to name his “chosen one” in the elections which he was supposed to announce during his lavish birthday celebration on April 25.

A majority of the leading national candidates led by Liberal Party bet Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and civil society organizations have expressed fears that the automated polls was vulnerable to cheating and sabotage by forces that do not want the results of the voting to prevail.

Manalo urged his followers to continue to pray for peaceful and honest elections “from the casting and canvassing of votes to the proclamation of winners so that the nation’s decision will be respected by everyone.”

Since this would be the country’s first automated elections, the INC leadership has felt it necessary to send guidelines and information to its members on how to vote in a computerized system. “May all of us be able to exercise correctly and peacefully our right to vote in accordance with our faith,” said Manalo

A few malcontents are criticizing the INC “bloc voting” saying it is undemocratic! Talk about being ignorant. Let me set a few things straight based on my own personal take guided by what I’ve learned in my life.

Bloc voting?

It is not “bloc voting” per se. What outsiders think of as “bloc voting” is in truth a body of faithfuls agreeing on one judgement and executing that one judgement. It makes perfect sense based on Christian precepts found in the bible that a “one body” makes one decision and moves only in one direction. That’s all I’m going to say about “bloc voting”.

Democracy, in the Philippines? Really?

- Joseph Estrada won in the 1998 presidential elections by a landslide! It was the second landslide victory of any presidential election in the Philippines, with Magsaysay v Quirino being the first. By one estimate, he won by a margin of 6+ million votes. As most observer say, the INC vote matters more during tight elections where the margin is between 2 to 3 million votes. This means that Estrada had the majority of non-INC votes as well, and would have won even if the INC voted for his opponent. Truly impressive! He clearly had the mandate of the people and a testament to the beauty of democracy.

- In 2001, “Edsa Dos, a well orchestrated scheme to steal the seat of power from the filipino people was put into action by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Fidel Ramos, elitist business including major media networks, and Cardinal Sin and Cory Aquino, of course. Foreign media saw through the smoke screen and reported it for what it was: a coup. Phil Browning of the Internation Herald Tribune called not a victory for democracy, but actually the death of democracy in the Philippines. Some called it a lynching with all its negative connotation. Even Lee Kuan Yew, well respected Prime Minister of Singapore called it for what it was, “unconstitutional”.

- 2008. Cory Aquino, the “inspiration”, “joan  of arc” of all Edsa apologized for her role in the ouster of Mr Estrada and basically invalidated all the reasons they used to force him out of office. All of that down the drain. I wish she apologized to the poor Filipinos who’s dreams and aspiration as well as their trust of the democratic process went down the drain with Estrada at Edsa Dos. Philippine democracy still dead.

And so I return to the title of this piece. The leadership of the INC are totally opposite of those of other religion. If one would observe how the INC go about this necessary evil called election you can’t help but admire them. Unlike other religious leaders who calls a press conference to flaunt their “influence” over candidates, the INC leadership do with the least amount of fanfare. I’m even convinced that if it was up to them the INC leadership would rather not meet with politicians. In fact, Mrs Arroyo was famously snubbed for crashing a meeting.

I pity those of other religios leaders, especially EDSA DOS, for allowing their flock to be used in an illegal and undemocratic ouster of a sitting president only to find out that the one they put in power was a far more corrupt that the one they removed.

On the contrary, the Catholic church, even from it’s earlier years is always been fragmented. Factions within the Catholic church gain support and eventually separate and a new church is created.

Schism

Schism is defined as a rejection of  “communion” with the authorities of a Church, or to put simply, rebellion.  Supposedly, schism is different from heresy because the former does not involve any dispute about doctrines. Apparently, the Catholic church has no doctrine about unity so it is perfectly within doctrine that a member of this church would just, well, up and go and create a new church but still be catholic church.

Among the major schism in the Catholic church are:

• the East-West Schism which split the Catholic church into the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church.
• Papal Schism wherein three(3) Popes claimed to be the true pope.
• the Reformation

Fast-forward 2010

Currently, this dis-unity is being displayed in the political arena when two supposedly leaders of the Catholic church, a priest and a catholic charismatic(?) made known their intent to seek the same political position. BTW, most of the candidates for President in the 2010 elections are also catholics. The majority of Filipinos are assumed to be Catholics and yet come election time, all eyes are on the candidate chosen by the Iglesia ni Cristo.

“The Lord made me do it”.

Ah, the all too familiar excuse “religious” leaders use when they want a piece of another pie, that is politics.

Mike Velarde of El Shaddai

Mike Velarde, leader of the Catholic sub-sect El Shaddai wants to be president in 2010. He’ll be joining other so-called “religious” leaders who chose to delve into politics, people like “Father” Ed Panlilio the current Governor of Pampanga and Televangelist Eddie Villanueva. Velarde said that it has been his dream to become president of the Philippines,

El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde on Wednesday revealed that he wants to run for president in 2010 and is “consulting” with the core members of the worldwide charismatic movement on his plan.

Velarde said he wants to get the approval of the religious group’s supposed seven million followers in the country because without their support, his dream may not materialize.

“My entering politics lie in their hands because we believe that the voice of the people is the voice of the Lord. That dictum is not just for any people. It should be for the voice of the people of God,” he said.

“I am in the process of consulting our members nationwide and worldwide what to do in the 2010 elections,” he added.

source: gmanews.tv

Ed Panlilio

But if Velarde is banking on his supporters to ensure his victory he needs to think again. Traditionally, the Catholic vote in fragmented at best.

A political analyst doubts El Shaddai’s estimated 3 million following would deliver the votes in the event that its leader, Mariano “Brother Mike” Velarde decides to run for president next year.

Professor Edna Co of the University of the Philippines’ National College for Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) said the Catholic church — under which the El Shaddai is a sub-sect — has no tradition on bloc voting unlike the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC).

Co said while El Shaddai members are more solid and bonded compared to the rest of the Catholic church and its other sub-sects, a politcal mechanism is needed to consolidate support and deliver votes for Velarde or his chosen candidate.

She also said that even if there are attempts to introduce bloc voting in El Shaddai and other similar movements, it would take some time before this is embraced by its followers.

“Sa kasaysayan kasi ng botong Katoliko, wala namang puwedeng masasabing isang solidong Catholic vote. So sa kalagayan ng El Shaddai, palagay ko, mahirap magkaroon ng kaagad na translation into votes, hindi katulad nung sa Iglesia,” she said.

Co said it’s different with the INC because it has practiced bloc voting from the start, and its ideology stresses unity of the flock.

“Hindi kasi religious following yung basis talaga. Kailangan pa rin ng isang political machinery, kailangan ng isang political education at saka yung isang pagkumbinse dun sa mga miyembro ng mga religious sect,” Co added.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Eddie Villanueva

Whether a “higher” power delivers the presidency to Velarde or the other two “Godly” candidates is to be seen. One thing is sure, there will be a lot of drama as these three and the other candidates uses every advantage to get to that post.