The Archdiocese of Manila’s Council of the Laity has expressed support for the candidacies of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan for president and vice president, respectively.
“In our collective discernment, we, the overwhelming majority of the Vicariate Lay Representatives constituting the core group of the [Archdiocese’s] Council of the Laity, have come to the conclusion that Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan are the persons most qualified to lead our nation as president and vice president, respectively,” read the council’s statement released to the media on Friday, March 25.
“At the same time, we acknowledge with due respect the preferences of some of our colleagues as well as the constraints of our colleagues in government service,” added the statement.
The statement, which was signed by Teodoro G. Santiago, interim president of the council, called on the lay Catholics in the archdiocese “to express their support for this undertaking in their parishes, organizations, neighborhood and places of work.”
“At the same time, it is our hope that religious congregations and our dear clergy would also support and to pray for us,” it said.
The council also sought the “prayerful blessing” of Cardinal Jose Advincula, archbishop of Manila, “as we make this crucial choice for God-loving servant leaders.”
The lay Catholic council of the Archdiocese of Manila is among the latest religious organizations that have endorsed the candidacy of Robredo and Pangilinan.
Early this week, the Diocesan Council of the Laity in the province of Tarlac also endorsed the candidacy of Robredo and Pangilinan.
“We advocate for a leader who has clear convictions about what is right and wrong and respected for being genuine, principled, ethical and consistent,” read the statement issued by the executive committee of the Tarlac Diocesan Council of the Laity.
The statement said the organization “supports a leader who is morally trustworthy and acts responsibly for the good of all.”
“We support presidential candidate Maria Leonor “Leni” Gerona Robredo,” said the Church group, adding that it is choosing “a leader that holds a history of addressing poverty and justice issues.”
“Our decisions on May 9, 2022, have real ramifications. It matters who will lead. The wrong leader can ruin our country and destroy liberties. A painful part of the history of the Filipino people should never be repeated,” added the statement.
The group also expressed support for the Buhay Hayaan Yumabong Party-List (BUHAY Partylist) and urged the faithful to support “a party-list that acknowledges the sanctity and value of human life.
