The faith-based environment group Living Laudato Si’ Philippines has expressed support for the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo.
In a statement, the group said that “after a series of discernment,” it decided “to respond to the call of the Catholic Church for the lay people to engage in principled politics by supporting a candidate who stands for our beliefs, battles, and advocacies.”
“Living Laudato Si’ Philippines declares its support to the presidency of Vice President Leni Robredo,” read the statement released on Monday, March 21.
It said that it is its “resolve that it is more important to stand up and unite as a collective than to be safe.”
“As part of the larger environment and faith-based communities, it is our belief that hope, love, and faith will prevail over fear,” read the statement.
“Living Laudato Si’ Philippines chooses to be part of the ‘critical mass’ that acts and interacts to affect societal change and achieve the common good,” it added.
The group said that they have “freedom from doubt that Robredo has the following characteristics:
- (1) Respect for Life and Human Dignity
- (2) Integrity and Accountability
- (3) Care for the Environment
- (4) Conviction to the Empowerment of the Grassroots, Indigenous Communities and the Most Vulnerable
- (5) Openness to Dialogue and Criticism
- (6) Spiritual Commitment and Adherence to the Catholic Social Teachings
- (7) Respect to the Rule of Law.
The group said its expression of support “is not the usual endorsement.”
“This manifestation is also an assertion and a challenge to VP Leni that her administration needs to be more clear, progressive, advanced, ambitious, and prominent with its stands and actions on various environmental and climate issues, especially in renewable energy, coal divestment, mining, and environmental communication that are the core programs of our organization,” said the group.
