Catholic schools hit candidates' 'brazen' efforts to show 'benevolent' martial law

A national network of private Catholic schools in the Philippines has criticized the "brazen" efforts of political candidates to portray the martial law years as a "benevolent" part of the country's history.

In a statement titled "A call to moral courage in the 2022 elections", the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) chided candidates running for office in this year's national and local elections who use disinformation on social media.

"We vehemently reject the candidates who run under this platform of lies and historical distortion," said the CEAP in the statement signed by the association's board of trustees led by its president, Sr. Marissa Viri, RVM. "We value truth, and thus we deplore the massive disinformation that is deceiving our people, especially our youth, in a way that is unparalleled in our history."

At the same time, the CEAP said it rejected candidates who have supported the "unjust acts" of President Rodrigo Duterte's administration, particularly its drug war "and the blatant lack of remorse and accountability from the country's leadership."

The organization also said it was rejecting candidates who dismissed the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands on the arbitration case the Philippines lodged against China and supported the current administration's policy toward China's aggression within the Philippine territory.

On the other hand, the Catholic schools said they will support candidates that have no record of corruption, have proven competence in participatory governance, and transparency and accountability in public service.

The CEAP said it valued integrity and also supported candidates who have love for the poor and their empowerment, ability to sacrifice for the sake of the common good, and readiness to fight for values of truth, social justice, and democracy.

"We support leaders who wield power as social responsibility and not self entitlement, and who can connect to the spiritual in their lives, through their conscience, discernment, and faith in God," it added. "Our society is now languishing in the darkness of lies, injustice, authoritarianism, and dysfunctional leadership and governance. The May elections is the opportunity that will break this darkness," CEAP said.

The CEAP is the national association of Catholic educational Institutions in the Philippines founded in 1941. It has more than 1,484 member-schools and more than 120 superintendents of Catholic Schools. It is a voluntary organization which operates through regional educational associations nationwide.

Source: TheManila Times