Nay vote

The Diocese of Bacolod launched last Sunday the protest against the Reproductive Health Law that Bishop Vicente M. Navarra tagged as an evil law. Former Senator Francisco Tatad, who joined in the launching, echoed the bishop’s description of the law.

It was a gathering for the “nay vote” against the RH Law and those who pushed for it.

The opening of the protest coincided with the celebration of the Mass on the occasion of the feast of St. Sebastian, the patron saint of Bacolod City and the diocese. He was, in the words of the main celebrant, Msgr. Louie Galbines, Vicar General, an example of what it is to be a witness to the faith, offering his life for God.

After the Mass, chairman of the Citizens Alliance for the Protection of Human Life, Atty. Lyndon Caña, read the Manifesto that was signed by the faithful even before the official launching.

The reading of the manifesto caused several people to complain, not because Caña is a Protestant which he made clear, but because he is running for Congress in the city and thus the diocese, perhaps, inadvertently, gave him a lot of political mileage in an overflowing cathedral.

During the press conference on Friday, the question of campaigning for a “nay vote” for those who voted or advocated for the RH bill was raised. The consensus was that a list of those who voted “Yes” to the bill will be rejected and those who voted “No” will be supported.

In the case of senatorial candidates, this is not a problem because they are national candidates. Since most of those who are in the line-up of the Liberal Party are allies of President Aquino who pushed for the approval of the bill and even “coerced” congressmen to vote for it, there was a suggestion that they will all be junked. A campaign for a “nay vote” will be waged.

Included in the “nay vote” are the party list candidates, either for the Senate or for the House. A list is being drawn up and will be published so those who support the opposition to the RH law will have a basis on whom not to vote for.

A list of senatorial candidates and congressmen who voted “No” to the RH bill will be published.

In the case of local congressional candidates, the congressmen who voted for the bill will be junked but the faithful will be asked to support those who voted against the bill.

It was made clear, however, that junking a local candidate who voted for the bill does not automatically mean support for the opponent or opponents.

In the case of Bacolod where the incumbent congressman, Anthony Golez voted “No, it does not mean CAPHL will support him because his two opponents, Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Caña, are also against the RH law.

In this case, the faithful will be left to decide to vote for the candidate they want.

Thus the presence of Caña at the cathedral should not be understood to be an endorsement for him, although the prominence given to him gives him a plus. He certainly is riding on the situation, but it was a situation not of his own making.

He read the manifesto which he helped draft because he has been with CAPHL when it was organized last year and before there was any inkling he would run for Congress. If he is exploiting the situation, that would be unfair for the others. We shall leave that to his wise discretion.

To repeat, it is not Caña’s fault or is there any intention to endorse him. This was made clear during the press conference although some broadcasters tried to play up the situation and Caña has already been criticized for not just reading the manifesto as he should have, but translated the manifesto into Hiligaynon and added explanations. That riled a lot of people who he felt went beyond what he was announced to do.

That is, however, coincidental because he just wanted to make the manifesto clearer although he needed not to because all the others spoke in English. One can really get carried away with such an audience.

The launching attracted some local candidates of all stripes. Mayor Leonardia was represented by his wife, Elsa because the mayor was in Aklan for the annual celebration of the Ati-Atihan. He had explained this before - that his annual devotion and panaad to the Santo Niño take precedence over politics.

There was a point raised – those that will be junked can still win. True, but one votes not because a candidate is going to win – a herd mentality – but one must vote in conscience. Will you vote for the instruments or conduit of evil as the RH law?*

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