The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists, reminded Filipinos to choose candidates who possess the qualities of a “servant leader” in the coming national elections.
The religious congregation said the candidate must have “good conduct, moral integrity, respect for human dignity, and care for creation. He or she should be “a servant leader” who has “clear economic, social, and political platforms.”
A good leader must also have “competence,” a “proven track record, adequate knowledge, and skills, and “a system of accountability and transparency.”
He or she must also have “love for the people and will work for the empowerment of the poor.” He or she must be “corruption-free” and “law- abiding.”
The congregation, which is known for its work among the poor, said in a statement released on April 6 that the country “has gone through a dark period of our history” in the past six years.
“We have witnessed the ‘war on drugs,’ which claimed the lives of many poor Filipinos, the militarization of lumad communities, the red tagging of human rights defenders, the press under attack while fake news proliferated in the social media, the millions of Filipinos badly affected by COVID-19, and the corruption that continues to plague many branches of our government,” read the statement.
It said that as the elections draw near, “we are at a critical juncture which will determine whether the reign of darkness will continue or our country will finally see the light.”
The missionaries said that “everything depends on the choice we will make.”
“As Redemptorists, it is our duty to guide the faithful to make the right decision based on an informed conscience,” read the statement, adding that “although we avoid partisanship, we cannot remain neutral in the face of evil, deception, and suffering.”
“This is no longer simply a matter of politics but of moral judgment — a choice between good and evil, between light and darkness, between truth and lies,” said the religious congregation.
“Ultimately, we will vote according to our conscience,” it added.
“We must choose the leader who can lead our nation out of darkness into the light. This is our moral obligation. This is our prophetic mission.”
