Oratio Imperata for Deliverance from Calamities

(Please pray at every Mass after the Post-Communion Prayer.)

Almighty Father, we raise our hearts to You in gratitude
for the wonders of creation of which we are part,
for Your providence that sustains us in our needs, and
for Your wisdom that guides the course of the universe.

We acknowledge our sins against You and the rest of creation.
We have not been good stewards of Nature.
We have confused Your command to subdue the earth.

The environment is made to suffer our wrongdoing,
and now we reap the harvest of our abuse and indifference.
Global warming is upon us. Typhoons, floods, volcanic eruption,
and other natural calamities occur in increasing number and intensity.

We turn to You, our loving Father, and beg forgiveness for our sins.
We ask that we, our loved ones and our hard-earned possessions
be spared from the threat of calamities, natural and man-made.
We beseech You to inspire us all to grow into
responsible stewards of Your creation,
and generous neighbors to those in need.
Through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

V- Our Mother of Salvation. (3x)
R- Pray for us. (3x)

 

ORATIO IMPERATA
PARA MAKALIKAY SA MGA KARATAN NIN PANAHON
(Pamibion sa lambang Misa pagkatapos kan Huring Pamibi)

Amang makakamhan, iniitaas mi an samong mga puso
sa pagpasalamat huli kan mga ngangalasan kan Saimong paglalang,
huli kan Saimong pangataman sa pagtao Mo
kan samong mga pangangaipo digdi sa daga,
asin huli kan Saimong kadunongan na nag-aantabay
kan lakaw kan bilog na kinaban.

Inaako mi na nagkasala kami Saimo asin sa kapalibutan.
Dai kami naging marhay na paraataman kan Saimong paglalang.
Dai mi nasabotan asin naotob an Saimong kabotan
na atamanon an kinaban.

An kapalibutan nagsasakit huli kan samong mga salang gibo,
asin ngonyan namamatean mi na an padusang-balik
kan samong pag-abuso asin kapabayaan.
Padagos an labi-labing pag-init kan kinaban.
Huli kaini nagdadakul asin nagkukusog an mga bagyo, baha,
pagtuga kan bulkan, asin iba pang mga natural na calamidad.

Dai kaming mabibirikan kundi Ika, mamomoton na Ama.
Sa Saimo kami minahagad nin kapatawaran kan samong mga kasalan.
Ilikay Mo kami, an samong mga namomotan, asin mga pagrogaring
sa peligro nin mga calamidad, natural man o kagibohan nin tawo.
Antabayan Mo kaming magtalubo na magin
mga responsableng paraataman kan Saimong paglalang,
asin mga matinabang na parasurog kan kapwang nangangaipo.
Huli ki Kristo, satong Kagurangnan.

Amen.

V- Nuestra Señora de Salvacion. (3x)
R- Ipamibi mo kami. (3x)

Pastoral Letter on the Most Recent Fish Kill in Rapu-Rapu

DIOCESE OF LEGAZPI
CHANCERY
P.O. Box 38, Legazpi City 4500, Philippines

PASTORAL BULLETIN NO. 10, Series of 2007

To: People of God in Legazpi, All Men and Women of Good Will and Faith
Re: ON THE MOST RECENT FISH KILL IN RAPU-RAPU

Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Never will I forget a thing they have done! (Amos 8,4-7)

On the morning of 28 October 2007, Sunday, the people in Brgy. Poblacion, Rapu-Rapu awoke to the sight and stench of dead fish everywhere littering their shores. Their shock and questions grew into gnawing anxiety, then into panic, as, in waves, they beheld their worst fears coming true.

That day and the days that followed, several people fell sick after eating fish and other food from the sea. With the health concerns, came the realization: they could not fish. Based from previous experience, full recovery of the fishing industry on the island would take several months. For the 70% of the island’s population whose livelihood is dependent on fishing, there could be no worse economic disaster than this. They could not bring home food from the sea. Soon they would have no more money left to buy food from elsewhere.

Several sacks of rice were distributed by the municipality. Food relief trickled in from the provincial government, the Church and non-government organizations (NGOs). But they seemed to be never enough – both the food and the justice they are seeking.

They blamed the Lafayette mine for unleashing yet another disaster upon them. It was not the first fish kill incident on this island. In 2005, despite repeated denials from the company, the Rapu-Rapu Fact-Finding Commission found Lafayette culpable of the mine spill that caused the fish kill and subsequent fish scare in nearby towns.

The mining company, in statements made by its representatives, denied culpability of the recent fish kill, claimed sabotage, called it a hoax, and even threatened to sue anyone suspected to be responsible for their proposed hoax.

A team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) made initial investigation and concluded, among other things, that:

1. The fish kill was limited only to Brgy. Poblacion, around 10 kilometers away from the mine site. Thus, it was too far away from the mine site.

2. No fish kill happened in the shorelines of Brgys. Carogcog, Sta. Barbara, Malobago, Pagcolbon and Binosawan. The Brgy. Chairmen of these five barangays issued certifications to the non-existence of any fish kill in their areas.

3. The quality of marine waters between the mine site and Brgy. Poblacion was found to be within DENR standards and showed no trace of cyanide contamination.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which analyzed some fish kill samples, reported that the fish they had, died not of chemical contamination but probably because of strong sea currents.

The conclusions submitted by the DENR-EMB and BFAR practically absolved Lafayette of any link to the fish kill, undermined the extent of its damage to the community and to the island, and made it a non-issue to the national government.

However, our consultations with the people of Rapu-Rapu and concerned individuals and organizations, revealed certain information that prompts us to seriously question the methods and motives of these government agencies’ findings and Lafayette representatives’ denials.

1. The fish kill was not limited to Brgy. Poblacion only. Cases of food poisoning took place not only in Brgy. Poblacion but in other barangays as well. Eyewitness accounts from the other five barangays testified to fish kill sightings in their areas, too. Several residents from Brgy. Binosawan even claimed that the fish kill started in their place as early as 26 October 2007. In one instance, a resident from Brgy. Carogcog, who was interviewed by a team from the EMB, also testified that he saw dead fish littering the shorelines of his barangay. This detail never found its way to the EMB report.

2. The contention that Brgy. Poblacion is too far away from the mine site did not take into consideration the direction and speed of the wind and water current at the time of the fish kill. Seasoned fisherfolks and astute observers not only point out this fact, but also how the EMB conveniently took this fact aside.

3. Is the quality of all marine and inland waters between Brgy. Poblacion and the mine site really well within DENR standards? Can this conclusion pass the scrutiny of credible independent scientific experts? Then as now, we have been receiving disturbing reports of researchers being harassed by barangay and private security personnel, and prevented from taking water and soil samples, or even pictures, near the mine site, even when the studies are being done outside company property.

4. The BFAR theory of fish drowning in the strong sea currents and not of chemical contamination strains credulity not only at the first instance but especially when one takes into consideration the following:

a. The sea has always been rough in these parts at this time of year. But the fish kill incidents only happened when the mining company started its operations. This appears to be a valid case of post hoc ergo propter hoc. It happened after it, therefore, it happened on account of it.

b. Several residents of the island fell sick after eating fish and other sea food caught around the same time as the fish kill. A dog even died in Brgy. Poblacion after eating some dead fish by the seashore. If the food they ate did not contain some chemical contaminants, could strong sea currents then induce the fish and crustaceans to produce toxins in their body?

The ultimate measure of the reality and extent of the damage of the fish kill lies in its effect on the people. Most of the island’s residents are poor and dependent on fishing. Now their existence has been made even more precarious. They worry about their food for the day, their health, their livelihood and their uncertain future. A 73-year old resident cried out in the vernacular: “Fish is our life! Kill them at the sea, and you kill us here living on dry land!”

They feel betrayed by the authorities who, they see, not only failed to protect them, in favor of the powerful, but still managed to publicly question their misery. Their voices and reactions speak in so many ways of anger and desperation. A woman recounted how her fears crept into her dreams; she dreamt of seeing her elderly father eating his fish net for lack of food.

As Pastors, it pains us to see so much suffering, especially suffering caused by man’s inhumanity to man and to the environment. Our response, as members of the One Body of Christ, should be to help alleviate their suffering and find ways so it would not happen again.

1. We strongly support the move by the Sangguniang Bayan of Rapu-Rapu to finally declare a State of Emergency on the island, in order to facilitate the granting of financial and food assistance from government and international funding institutions.

2. We enjoin our faithful in the parishes, schools and ecclesial communities to organize relief efforts for the people of Rapu-Rapu. Our Diocesan Social Action Center will coordinate the relief operations.

3. We condemn the violence, harassment and illegal detentions which have been the response of certain local authorities to the peaceful protest gatherings which the people of Rapu-Rapu have been regularly staging ever since the most recent fish kill happened.

4. We appeal to our government officials to conduct thorough investigations and public hearings on the fish kill, even as we reiterate our position that Rapu-Rapu island is not suitable for large-scale mining and that the most just and proper response is the closure of the Lafayette mine.

5. We ask our faithful and all concerned citizens to join this call by supporting a signature campaign which will be addressed to our leaders, policy makers, and other concerned individuals and institutions.

As Pastors, it is our duty to teach and remind our faithful, and all men and women of good will, of certain moral imperatives to this case that are important in the formation of our individual consciences.

1. Stewardship of God’s creation is everybody’s responsibility. God’s offer to subdue the earth is not a license to wantonly exploit it but a charge to take care of it so everybody, including future generations, may benefit from its bounty. Stewardship has no room for apathy and indifference in the face of very real threats to the environment and to the lives and livelihood of the poor. All of us, thus, are environmentalists by divine vocation.

2. Truth-telling is necessary for genuine development to happen. Truth-telling is crucial to the promotion of justice. Social justice, in turn, is the foundation of any program that seeks to achieve sustainable development, genuine prosperity and lasting peace. The issue of mining in Rapu-Rapu has unfortunately been marred by assertion of half-truths, suppression of evidence, corruption of witnesses, harassment of truth-seekers, manipulation of scientific data and plain deception.

Those who know the truth but speak and act otherwise, either by invoking official documents that lie or succumbing to the influence of unscrupulous superiors or lobbyists, are guilty of being party to the cause of the suffering of the people of Rapu-Rapu.

3. Public office is at the service of the people. Any public official who considers his personal interests, or the confidence and predispositions of his political patrons or foreign investors, above the rights and wellbeing of his constituents, especially the poor, has misguided priorities and misplaced loyalty. He may, for some time, escape accountability from the people, but never from God. For the highest sovereign in a democracy is not the people, it is God.

As Pastors, we join ourselves with the aspirations and labors of the people of Rapu-Rapu, and all men and women who are committed to the protection of the environment and of the poor. Though we may feel the hardship of our task at hand, yet we do not lose hope for God is with us.

Let us continue to pray with greater fervor the Oratio Imperata, our Prayer for Deliverance against Calamities – natural and man-made. For God is not deaf to our cries and blind to our afflictions.

The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest
till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw
till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right.
God indeed will not delay, and like a warrior, will not be still
till he breaks the backs of the merciless
and wreaks vengeance upon the proud;
till he destroys the haughty root and branch,
and smashes the scepter of the wicked;
till he requites mankind according to its deeds,
and repays men according to their thoughts;
till he defends the cause of his people,
and gladdens them by his mercy.(Sirach 35:17-24)

Sincerely in His service,

(Signed)
+LUCILO B. QUIAMBAO
Apostolic Administrator

With 73 signatures of the Clergy in the Diocese of Legazpi gathered in a Diocesan General Presbyteral Assembly.

Rev. Fr. Rex Paul B. Arjona

Chancellor-Secretary

20 November 2007
Please Keep on File

sa kambas ng lipunan

On Society's Canvas

when joey velasco painted his version of the last supper, "hapag ng pag-asa", he made yet another testament to the old truth: a picture is worth a thousand words. to say the least. his masterpiece has since then led many to discover many more poignant words and sublime truths.

4 violent deaths

about a week ago i was invited to say mass at the last night of the wake of s/sgt. gerardo licup . s/sgt. licup was one of 14 marines who were slain in an ambush in basilan. the incident was banner story in the media for several days. in a way, s/sgt. licup was more fortunate; he was one of the 4 among the slain who were not beheaded by alleged milf/abu sayyaf operatives. a comrade from libon, albay, was reportedly hacked in several places. amidst the swirl of relatives, neighbors and friends, the raucous drinking and petty gambling, the family of the deceased played gracious hosts and grieved. his mother and an aunt had their blood pressure constantly checked. they have much to cause them grief. a few months earlier, s/sgt. licup's father lost his life at the height of supertyphoon reming.

in april, deep into the election season, i was also called to say mass at the wake of 'tsip' enrique bausa, a retired police town chief & a candidate for municipal councilor of daraga. he was felled down by suspected npa rebels while attending a santacruzan katapusan in a barangay. at that time, the family was in doubt if it was really the npa who did the crime. the comelec though didn't want to call it technically as election-related. later, a daughter-in-law carried his name & won in that election. in june, police arrested 2 suspected npa rebels & charged them with the murder of tsip bausa.

sometime in march, an activist friend texted me with a request to say a wake mass for don imperial. don was 28 yrs old (same age as mine), a husband and father to a 1 yr-old son. don's death came about this way: one evening while his small family was having dinner at their home in castilla, sorsogon, several men in black military uniform, their faces masked by black bonnets, entered their home. in the presence of his wife and son, they accused him of being an npa member, manhandled him, then riddled his body with bullets from several high-powered rifles. don was a victim of what has come to be known as extrajudicial killing, another numbing number in the statistics of death.

entering the funeral home, i instantly felt a palpable mix of heady emotions among those present there - his family and friends. there was anger, like slow-burning coal. there was pain and mourning. there was a search for answers, a longing for meaning at the senseless death of a loved one. there was also much fear. don's extended family hails from castilla yet they chose to hold the wake at a funeral home in legazpi, far from other relatives and friends, in the hope that somehow there was safety, if not in number, then, at least, in distance.

this 3 august will be the anniversary of yet another victim of extrajudicial killing in albay, that of pastor isaias sta rosa. he was a methodist pastor involved in agrarian advocacies. one evening, his wife let in the his ashen-faced brother who was knocking at their door. it turned out, a gun was being pointed behind his back. when the pastor's brother entered their home, several armed men with face covered by bonnets came along too. they assaulted him, accused him of being an npa member, and terrorized his family. they tied his hands and shoved him inside one of the rooms where they proceeded to interrogate and beat him some more. the rest of the family were ushered into the adjoining room. after sometime, they led him out of the house, his hands still tied. a few minutes later, several gunshots were heard. when they came to venture out of their homes and looked for him, the neighbors and family of the pastor found his lifeless body by a nearby creek. a few meters away was another body, that of a man who was later identified as pvt1c pastrana of the phil army, via his wallet and mission order document. the pastor's family also identified him as one of the armed men who entered their home.

when the commission on human rights investigated, the extent of the phil army's cooperation consisted of declaring pvt1c pastrana as awol. they would not give anymore info on him or his mission order. to make things more interesting, the daraga pnp declared the crime as a simple case of robbery with homicide.

s/sgt. licup.
tsip bausa.
don imperial.
pastor sta. rosa.

soon their names, transcribed on official records, would melt into numbers, the building blocks of statistics. war deaths. election-related violence. extra-judicial killing. when a person's name and a lifetime's memory join the ranks of grim statistics another injustice is being committed.

on my part i will remember their names & their stories for as long as i can. for it is through their names and stories that their deaths retain that potent force to effect needed social change. only by a firm remembrance will they eventually achieve the earthly justice that they & their family's seek.

an unusual valedictory speech

i have received this email forward recently, introduced by 'This is an unusual valedictory speech'. the valedictorian is Mikaela Irene Fudolig. the 'unusual' tag may, at first glance, refer to the fact that ms fudolig graduated summa cum laude from UP, bs physics, & she is only 16 years-old.

graduation speeches and valedictions from the country's premier universities seem to become email staples. (last year gawad kalinga founder tony meloto's speech at UP made the rounds.) maybe because they easily fit the description of being 'inspiring'. ms fudolig's speech certainly continues the tradition. what makes it properly unusual, i think, is that she delivered it wittily, succinctly, with a wisdom expectedly well beyond her years. & then she announced she's putting her money where her mouth is: she'd like to teach at UP.

high score for idealism! except (& here my nitpicking begins) for the apparent show of disdain to the present administration's critics and the 'perverse sense of satisfaction' they get 'from vilifying our state of affairs'. endless political squabbling & vilification do indeed dampen the youth's, or for that matter, anyone else's, idealism. then again, what alternative does the critics' critic offer?

do whatever you can with the best of intention, imagination and effort, and steer clear of politics in this country as much as possible? never mind if a major reason why this country could not find its longed-for redemption, in spite of the 'bravest' efforts of the best of its individuals and groups, is that this very government is hell-bent on convincing us not to mind them while they proceed to lie, cheat and steal from the rest of us. my words, of course.

incidentally, this was, in a way, the same line of value-reorientation that the much-esteemed mr. meloto proffered in his speech last year. focus on the positive. don't mind too much the negative. think about the good you can do. not the bad that some people are doing.

when the best of us moves on convinced of this spin, the rest, of course, will try to catch up but stay in wonder as to why we just can't make progress.

still it’s an inspiring read.

Mikaela Irene Fudolig / BS Physics
Speech at the Commencement Exercises, University of the Philippines in Diliman
April 22, 2007

One of the things that strike me as being very "UP Diliman" is the way UPD students can't seem to stay on the pavement. From every street corner that bounds an unpaved piece of land, one will espy a narrow trail that cuts the corner, or leads from it. Every lawn around the buildings sports at least one of these paths, starting from a point nearest to the IKOT stop and ending at the nearest entry to the building. The trails are beaten on the grass by many pairs of feet wanting to save a fraction of a meter of traveling, no matter that doing so will exact some cost to the shoes, or, to the ubiquitous slippers, especially when the trails are new.

What do these paths say about us, UP students?

One could say that the UP student is enamored with Mathematics and Pythagoras, hence these triangles formed by the pavement and the path. Many among you would disagree.

Others could say that the UP student is naturally countercultural. And the refusal to use the pavement is just one of the myriads of ways to show his defiance of the order of things. This time, many would agree.

Still, others will say that the UP student is the model of today's youth: they want everything easier, faster, now. The walkable paths appeal to them because they get to their destination faster, and presumably, with less effort. Now that is only partly true, and totally unfair.

These trails weren't always walkable. No doubt they started as patches of grass, perhaps overgrown. Those who first walked them must have soiled their shoes, stubbed their toes, or had insects biting their legs, all in the immovable belief that the nearest distance between two points is a straight line. They might even have seen snakes cross their paths. But the soiled footwear, sore toes, and itchy legs started to conquer the grass. Other people, seeing the yet faint trail, followed. And as more and more walked the path, the grass gave in and stopped growing altogether, making the path more and more visible, more and more walkable.

The persistence of the paths pays tribute to those UP students who walked them first ? the pioneers of the unbeaten tracks: the defiant and curious few who refuse the familiar and comfortable; the out-of-the-box thinkers who solve problems instead of fretting about them; the brave who dare do things differently, and open new opportunities to those who follow.

They say how one behaved in the past would determine how he behaves in the future. And as we leave the University, temporarily or for good, let us call on the pioneering, defiant, and brave spirit that built the paths to guide us in this next phase of our life.

We have been warned time and again. Our new world that they call "adulthood" is one that's full of compromises, where success is determined more by the ability to belong than by the ability to think, where it is much easier to do as everyone else does. Daily we are bombarded with so much news of despair about the state of our nation, and the apparent, perverse sense of satisfaction our politicians get from vilifying our state of affairs. It is fashionable to migrate to other countries to work in deceptively high-paying jobs like nursing and teaching, forgetting that even at their favored work destinations, nurses and teachers are some ofthe lowest paid professionals. The lure of high and immediate monetary benefits in some low-end outsourcing jobs has drawn even some of the brightest UP students away from both industry and university teaching to which they would have been better suited.

Like the sidewalks and pavement, these paths are the easiest to take.

But, like the sidewalks and pavement, these paths take longer to traverse, just as individual successes do not always make for national progress. The unceasing critic could get elected, but not get the job done. The immigrant could get his visa, but disappear from our brainpower pool. The highly paid employee would be underutilized for his skills, and pine to get the job he truly wants, but is now out of his reach. And the country, and we, are poorer because of these.

Today, the nation needs brave, defiant pioneers to reverse our nation's slide to despair. Today, we must call upon the spirit that beat the tracks. Today, we must present an alternative way of doing things.

Do NOT just take courage, for courage is not enough. Instead, be BRAVE! It will take bravery to go against popular wisdom, against the clichéd expectations of family and friends. It will take bravery to gamble your future by staying in the country and try to make a prosperous life here. It might help if for a start, we try to see why our Korean friends are flocking to our country. Why, as many of us line up for immigrant visas in various embassies, they get themselves naturalized and settle here. Do they know something we don't?

Do NOT just be strong in your convictions, for strength is not enough. Instead, DEFY the pressure to lead a comfortable, but middling life. Let us lead this country from the despair of mediocrity. Let us not seek to do well, but strive to EXCEL in everything that we do. This, so others will see us as a nation of brains of the highest quality, not just of brawn that could be had for cheap.

Take NOT the road less traveled. Rather, MAKE new roads, BLAZE new trails, FIND new routes to your dreams. Unlike the track-beaters in campus who see where they're going, we may not know how far we can go. But if we are brave, defiant searchers of excellence, we will go far. Explore possibilities, that others may get a similar chance. I have tried it myself. And I'm speaking to you now.

But talk is cheap, they say. And so I put my money where my mouth is. Today, I place myself in the service of the University, if it will have me. I would like to teach, to share knowledge, and perhaps to be an example to new UP students in thinking and striving beyond the limits of the possible. This may only be a small disturbance in the grass. But I hope you'll come with me, and trample a new path.

Good evening, everyone.

sabi ni bishop soc

ano nga ba ang masasabi natin tungkol sa nakaraang hangalan, este, halalan? understatement na yata ng taon ang sabihing may nangyaring dayaan nitong eleksyon. walang understatement sa mga pahayag ni bishop soc at ng kaparian ng balanga. halos nasabi na ang lahat nang masasabi. ang nangya(ya)ri sa bataan ay nangya(ya)ri din sa albay at sa iba't-ibang lugar sa bansa. magawa na rin sana ang dapat na magawa.

.......

DIOCESE OF BALANGA

Sulat-Pastoral Ukol sa Nakaraang Halalan sa Bataan

ANG KABANALAN NG HALALAN

Nagsalita na ang balota subalit hindi tinig ng konsensiya ang lubusang narinig. Ang nanaig sa karamihan ay ang nakasisilaw na pera. May sigla sa buong bayan subalit ang siglang ito ay kahiya-hiya at kalapastanganan sa Diyos. Ito ay katulad ng pagsasayaw ng mga Israelita sa harap ng ginintuang diyus-diyosan sa ilang. Bagamat tayo ay nanalangin at nangarap upang maging malinis ang halalan, hindi ito ipinagkaloob sa atin dahil na rin sa ating sariling kabuktutan at kanya-kanyang pagkukulang.

Parami nang parami ang hindi na nababagabag sa buhay ng panlilinlang at ginagawa na lamang nating katatawanan. Sa maraming bahagi ng ating lalawigan, lantaran nang humahanay ang ating mga kababayan upang tanggapin ang kanilang bayad sa botong dapat sana ay banal at walang kasing halaga.

Nagsimula na rin nating maranasan ang matalim na sungay ng karahasan sa ilang bahagi ng ating lalawigan na nagdulot ng takot sa ilan sa atin. Masugpo na sana ang mga binhing ito ng karahasan at huwag nang lumala pa sa susunod na halalan.

Ano ang nangyari sa atin at humantong tayo sa ganitong kababang moralidad? Para sa isang lalawigang halos lahat ay naniniwala sa Diyos, paano natin nagawa na hamakin ang sarili nang dahil lamang sa tukso ng madaliang salapi? Para sa isang lalawigang kung saan ang lahat ng simbahan ay napupuno sa dami ng nagsisimba linggu-linggo, paano natin nagawang itapon ang ating dangal bilang mga anak ng Diyos at makipag-ulayaw sa mga manlilinlang at buktot na gawi ng ihahalal na pinuno ng bayan? May malaking bangin na naghihiwalay sa buhay pansimbahan at buhay panlipunan.

Kung walang pandaraya sa bilangan ng balota, ang sinumang makatanggap ng pinakamaraming boto ang siyang ituturing na nagwagi ayon sa batas ng pamahalaan. Subalit ayon sa pamantayang moral, ang sinumang manungkulan batay sa panlalamang, panlilinlang o pagbabayad ay may mabigat na kasalanan sa harap ng Diyos. Ang panulukang bato ng kanyang panunungkulan ay hindi Diyos kundi kasalanan. Ang pagbebenta ng balota na dapat ay banal at walang kasing halaga ay mabigat ding kasalanan sa Diyos.

Alam natin ang nangyaring panlilinlang, pagsasamantala sa mga dukha at pagpapagamit natin sa mga buktot na kandidato. Tayo lang ba ang nakakaalam? Hindi natutulog ang Diyos. Ang bayang walang takot sa Diyos ay isinumpa na sa pagdurusa dito pa lamang sa mundong ito. Sa mga kandidato na walang kahihiyang nagtataguyod ng kabuktutan ay mayroon ding nakaumang na kaparusahan. Ang kanyang panunungkulan ay siya na ring sumpa sa bayang nagbili ng boto. Tiyak na babawiin niya ang kanyang pinuhunan mula rin sa kaban ng bayan o kaya ay sa pagtataguyod at pagpapalaganap ng jueteng o iba pang bisyo.

Matahimik nga ang ating halalan subalit ang katahimikang ito ay hindi maka-Diyos. Walang namatay sa Bataan nang dahil sa halalan. Salamat sa Diyos. Subalit maraming konsiyensya ang namatay, maraming utos ng Diyos ang sinuway at maraming kaluluwa ang nawasak. Bumalik tayo sa Diyos at pagsisihan ang katatapos na halalan. Ito ang pinakamarumi sa lahat ng halalang naganap sa Bataan at walang kapantay sa bilihan ng boto, panlalamang at panlilinglang sa mga mahihirap. Ang talunan at ang nagwagi ay kapwa may kasalanan. Ang naghalal at ang nahalal ay kapwa may bahid ng maruming halalan. Ang simbahan at lipunan ay nagluluksa sa ganitong katayuan ng Bataan.

May pag-asa pa ba tayo?

Mayroong pa tayong pag-asa at dapat pa rin tayong umasa. Ang mga bumoto nang ayon sa kanilang konsiyensya at tumangging ipagbili ang kanilang boto ay mga tanda ng pag-asa. Dagdag pa rito ang mga masisigasig na PPCRV volunteers. Sila ang pinagkatiwalaan ng maraming mamamayang maka-Diyos pa rin ang pangarap. Mayroon ding ilang mga kandidato ang nanindigan para sa malinis na kampanya. Ang mga tapat at masisipag na guro sa ating paaralan na nagtiis ng gutom at puyat, pagod at init ng panahon upang makapaglingkod sa Inang bayan. Silang lahat ay mga bayaning tunay.

Pag-alabin natin ang pag-asa ng Bataan. Wakasan na natin ang makasalanan at maruming halalan at ibabalik natin ang paghahari ng Diyos sa ating pamahalaan at lipunan.

Mula sa Katedral ng San Jose, Lungsod ng Balanga, ikalabing anim ng Mayo, 2007

ANG OBISPO AT KAPARIAN NG DIYOSESIS NG BALANGA

Pinoy Voters' Academy (PVA) - Legazpi Edition // Session 1: PILIPINAS, NAG-GROW KA NA BA?

Diocese of Legazpi Voters’ Education Module for the May 2007 Elections

PAGPOON

Sabi daa, igwa nin tolong season sa Pilipinas: dry season, wet season, election season. Election season na naman! “The circus has come to town”, sabi kan headline kan Inquirer sa pagpoon kan campaign period sa national level. May kantahan, may baraylehan (boom-tarat-tarat!). May padurukutan ki posters (itanim sa semento!). Kanya-kanyang gimik para marumduman (K’ na ‘Tol? Corecto! Pero kung bad ka…) Pero may naghaharapot man: “Arog na sana kita kaini pirmi?”

Dai manenegaran an importansya kan eleksyon sa satong buhay demokrasya. An pagtiripon ta ngonyan sarong pag-aadal kun gurano man nanggad kahalaga an gigibohon ta sa Mayo 14 asin kun ano na an nangyayari matapos tang manusnusan an satong balota. Mag-iristoryahan kita kan kan drama sa likod ng halalan. Game ka na ba?

A. PILIPINAS, NAG-GROW KA NA BA?

Opening Activity: Eleksyong Pinoy II (VCD)

Tryad: Maggrupo sa 3 asin mag-iristoryahan. Simbagan:

a. Ano an pinaka-dai-ko-malingawan duman sa pasali?

b. Ano an makusogon na naiisip o namamatean ko mantang naghihiling?

Talk: Nat-Sit: An Sitwasyon kan Nasyon

1. Ekonomiya

· Presyo nin barakalon: halos nadoble na asin padagos pang naglalangkaw (NSCB)

· Unemployment rate na 8.2% = maabot 3 million jobless Filipinos (NSO, April 2006)

· National debt P3.89 Trillion na, boot sabihon, kun kwentahon sa 84 milyon na populasyon, maluwas na, kada pamilya, may bayadan na P46,309.50 (FDC)

· 33% kan kayamanan kapot kan 5% na elite, mantang 6% sana kan kayamanan na ini an nagagamit kan 25% kapobrehan (World Bank & Tatsulok ni Bamboo ;-)

· 42 milyon Pilipino an nabubuhay sa P100 daily subsistence budget (World Bank)

· 73% pamilya an nagsasabing mas pobre sinda ngonyan kaysa kan nakaaging taon

· 3 sa 10 Pilipino an muyang maghale sa Pilipinas (Pulse Asia, October 2005)

2. Pulitika

· Grabe an pagkabaranga sa satong pulitika

· Pigkukwestiyon pa man giraray kun talagang lehitimo an liderato ni GMA

· People’ Initiative & Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) na pigsulong para gamiton sa Charter Change (Cha-Cha), nahihiling na piggagamit sa pansadiring interes kan mga pulitiko

· P1.2 Trillion an nawara dahil sa graft and corruption sa nakaaging 5 taon (Transparency International); maabot P100 Million an nawawara aroaldaw sa corruption sana (Office of the Ombudsman Report, 2005) ; 48% kan PDAF kan mga Senador asin Congressmen an napasiring sa mga “kumisyon” (Former DBM Secretary Salvador Enriquez)

· #1 most corrupt country in Asia an Pilipinas susog sa pinakhudyan na survey kan PERC.

· Dakulonon na, nagdadakul pa, an biktima kan political and extra-judicial killing

· May mga LGU na nagpapahiling nin maray na trabaho maski dakul an limitasyon

3. Kultura asin Sosyedad

· Dakul an nalilibongan. Dakulang dahilan kaini an hampangan na pag-utik kan mga pulitiko, asin an manipulasyon kan impormasyon, na pigpapaagi sa media.

· An kadaklan habo nang makiaram sa mga problema kan satong banwaan.

· Minaluya an moralidad kan satong sosyedad, minalabog an kaibahan kan sala asin tama. Minsan an sala nagiging tama, asin tama nagiging sala. Minaroro an kunsensya kan indibidwal asin kan bilog na banwaan.

· “Philippine politics, the way it is practiced, has been most hurtful to us as a people. It is possibly the biggest bane in our life as a nation and the most pernicious obstacle to our achieving full development.” (CBCP 1997 Pastoral Exhortation on Philippine Politics)

4. Eleksyon

· Top 5 answers on Who People Voted For (SWS-IPC)

1. Madaling lapitan 4. Kakayahan: Competence

2. Pinagkaka-utangan ng loob 5. Kabutihan: Moral integrity/Decency

3. Kamag-anak

· How Albayanos Voted for their Leaders (Albay Pulse)

Qualities	1st District	2nd District	3rd District	Legazpi City	Albay Province
Credibility / Integrity	8.8	33.3	34.9	25.9	25.6
Dependability and Reliability	17.6	43.9	15.1	19.0	21.9
Capability and Competence	39.2	47.0	34.1	51.7	40.9
Approachability and Compassion	56.9	36.4	30.2	25.9	38.4

5. Simbag kan Simbahan

· “We are to provide moral and religious guidance to our people. This is what we offer in the present crisis… Not to do this would be an abdication of our duty.” (CBCP, “A Plea for Moral Values in Philippine Politics”, July 2005)

· “We have to intensify our commitment to build in our land a ‘civilization of love’ by

o prophetically critiquing and denouncing injustice; and

o prompting positive actions that will promote a ‘society befitting mankind because it befits Christ’ (CSP 8,63).” (CBCP, “Building a Civilization of Love”, May 2006)

· We commit ourselves to a threefold program of pastoral action of

o building character through a continuing advocacy of fostering moral values in public life;

o building capacity through programs that empower our people, especially the poor, to participate in their own development and in the continuing work of creation; and

o building community through the promotion of a spirituality of citizenship, which is a concrete way of living out in our country the “fundamental social virtue”– solidarity.

· “We seek only one thing: to apply the values of the Gospel to our electoral process. We are calling every parish organization and institution – and the BECs most especially – to be mobilized to the utmost to do what each can do towards that end. This means, too, that they must form linkages with one another and with other like-minded civic and religious associations that are working to help clean the dirt from our easily corrupted electoral process.” (CBCP, “Letter to Dioceses and Parishes”, January 2007)

Pinoy Voters' Academy (PVA) - Legazpi Edition // Session 2: ANG TANONG SA BAYAN: DEAL OR NO DEAL?

Opening Activity: Albayano, Ikaw ba Ito?

Kan 2004, sa pag-aadal kan SAC na “Albay Pulse”, 72.8% kan mga hinapot an nagsabing tinangro sinda nin lagay o sample ballot na may paipit. Sa mga tinangro, 4 sa 5 an uminako kan kwarta, asin labi sa kabanga an buminoto man nanggad sa kandidatong nagtao sainda nin kwarta.

Nakasurat sa papel an mga minasunod na pahayag. Sa big group session, pagborotohan kun arin an “pinaka-convincing” na pahayag. Magpili nin Top 3. Magdiskusyon nguna kun nata ta iyo an pinili.

1. Akoon mo na ta an kwarta sa bulsa, an boto sa balota.
2. Maski iboto ko su maray, su makwarta magana man giraray.
3. Su kwartang nakua, binakal ko ki para sa pamilya.
4. Dai man ki mangyayari sa prinsipyo pag-tios an tawo.
5. Kun dai ko kuahon, kanogon sana ta su lider an mabulsa.
6. Para saro-saroe man sana an boto ko.
7. Parte na iyan kan satong eleksyon, pabayae na.
8. Ano man kun tawan ako ki kwarta, iboboto ko man sya talaga.
9. Dipisil magsayuma ta tibaad makulgan an boot kan iba.
10. An dai minaako sa grasya, nabubuta.

Talk: Pwera Bola, Mas Marhay Talaga an Magsayuma

Sabi kan sarong para-tricycle, “Maski siisay an manggana, para-tricycle man giraray ako, kaya maboto ako sa pinakahalangkaw magtao.” Pano ta daw ini masisimbagan? O baka ngani kumbinsido pa kita kaini. Pangana an vote-buying sa satong rona. Dipisil na daang mawara. Dapat daa an bagohon, iyo an batas sa eleksyon. Pero an sakuyang tuga: Pwera bola, mas marhay talaga an magsayuma.

1. Sabi daa, “An kwarta sa bulsa, an boto sa balota”.

· Sala. Labag ini sa batas (Omnibus Election Code, R.A. 881, Art. 23, Sec. 26.1a-b) asin kasalan sa Dios nin huli ta bako ini paggalang sa pagkasagrado kan balota asin kan deretso ta sa pagboto.

· Pagmag-ako kita nin kwarta sa kandidato pigpapabakal ta an diretso ta sa maray na paggogobyerno. Makareklamo ka pa kun nabakal ka na? Arin an papaorogon ta: an dikta kan kwarta o dikta kan kunsensya?

· An kwartang pambakal kan boto mo, babawion sa kurakot pagmakapwesto!

2. Pero sayang kan kwarta, pwedeng makatabang, makabakal ki kun ano pa…

· Pero marhay daw na magpakaogma o magpakaon sa pamilya na bako sa marhay na paagi nakua?

· Saen pigkukua kan kandidato an kwartang pigtatao? Nata ta minagibo siya nin siring para sana manggana? Ano man an balos na katukal kan balotang pinabakal?

· Dakul pang mga tawong marhay, may kakayahan asin pagmakulog sa banwaan, alagad dai minadalagan ta daing kwartang pantao. Kun presyohan pa an pagboto ta, siisay na sana an matatada na boot magserbe sa banwaan ta?

3. Pero sayang ta kun dai ko kuahon, iba an makua...

· Pero bako mas sayang su pagrumpag kan satong integridad asin prinsipyo? O su epekto kaini sa mga kaakian na natatangadan an mga gurang?

· Kun mag-ako kita nin kwarta, naku-corrupt kita. Pigku-corrupt ta man an mga kandidato. Parte na kita kan pagdanay asin paglakop kan corruption sa satong nasyon.

· Gusto ta ki pagbabago? Tama na an reklamo. Igwa kita ki magiginibo: DAI IPABAKAL AN BOTO. Kun dai na ki mag-ako, dai na man ki matao.

4. Pero saro-saroe man sana ako, su kadaklan iyo pa man giraray...

· Maski saro, maski diit may impact an satong pagsayuma para sa mga tawo sa palibot ta – kapamilya, kabarkada, kamidbid. Dangan bako man kita solo, kairiba ta si Kristo. Sa pasaro-saro, sa padiit-diit, madakul man kita. May 16.2% na nagsayuma kan nakaaging eleksyon, susog sa pag-aadal na “Albay Pulse”. 16.2% kan 72.8% na mga botanteng tinangro nin lagay = 11.8%. Idagdag digdi an 27.2% na dai tinangro nin kwarta = 39% sa mga botante an dai nakakua nin kwarta kan nakaaging eleksyon. Bako ini diit asin pwede ta pa dagdagan.

· Pipaabot ta man sa mga kandidato na dai kaipuhan magbakal nin boto para makatukaw sa pwesto.

· AN PAGBAGO KAN SATONG PULITIKA, MAPOON SA SATO MAN SANA. KUN BAKO NGONYAN, NUARIN PA?