Let us be stirred by the words of Pope Francis

Six days from today, citizens will troop to the polling places to cast their vote for 12 senators, the representative of their district, and the head of their local government. The citizens’ choices for senators will determine to a large extent the state of the nation in the next few years.

Seven incumbent senators — Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano, Francis Tolentino, Imee Marcos, Bong Go, and Bato dela Rosa, — are seeking re-election to the Senate. Five former senators — Tito Sotto, Ping Lacson, Kiko Pangilinan, Bam Aquino, and Manny Pacquiao — are asking voters to return them to the Senate. A number of other public officials like Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar, Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, and former Mandaluyong Mayor Benhur Abalos are also running for senator.

The late Pope Francis said, “Every man, every woman who has to take up the service of government must ask themselves two questions: ‘Do I love my people in order to serve them better? Am I humble and do I listen to everybody, to diverse opinions in order to choose the best path?’ If you don’t ask those questions, your governance will not be good.”

No candidate will say anything negative about himself. We, the voters, should ask ourselves if those who aspire for a place in the Senate really want to serve the people better because they truly love them, that they are humble enough to listen to the pleas of the people.

It will be recalled that when Pope Francis visited our country in January 2015, he called on President Noynoy Aquino and political leaders to root out widespread corruption in the country, to support struggling families, and to “hear the voice of the poor.”

“As many voices in your nation have pointed out, it is now, more than ever, necessary that political leaders be outstanding for honesty, integrity, and commitment to the common good.”

Reminding the president that the bishops in the Catholic-majority country had designated 2015 as the “Year of the Poor,” the Pope said the country needed to reform social structures “which perpetuate poverty and the exclusion of the poor.”

“I hope that this prophetic summons will challenge everyone, at all levels of society, to reject every form of corruption which diverts resources from the poor,” he said.

Many of those now running for senator were senators or in high places in government in 2015. Were they outstanding for honesty, integrity, and committed to the common good? Did they reform the social structures which Pope Francis said “perpetuate poverty and the exclusion of the poor.” Did they reject every form of corruption?

Senator Bong Revilla’s stint in the Senate is remembered more for his involvement in the Napoles pork barrel scam, which led the Sandiganbayan to issue an arrest warrant against him. While he was acquitted of plunder, he was required to return to the government P124.5 million in civil liability, which he has not done.

Senator Lito Lapid was accused of involvement in the 2004 Fertilizer Fund scam when he was governor of Pampanga, although the case was dismissed due to “inordinate delay” in the investigation.

In February 2022, Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, released the report that recommended the filing of plunder, graft, and other criminal charges against high-ranking government officials for their use of pandemic funds to purchase from Pharmally Pharmaceutical overpriced and substandard quality of goods, such as face shields. Pharmally Pharmaceutical was established only at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with a small paid-up capital yet received contracts worth billions of pesos from the government.

The members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee who did not affix their signatures to the report were Senators Pia Cayetano, Bong Go, Francis Tolentino, Imee Marcos, Lito Lapid, and Bong Revilla.

Senator Pia Cayetano is the principal author and the main sponsor of the POGO Law and her co-author is Imee Marcos.

Those who voted in favor of the POGO Law were Tito Sotto, Manny Pacquiao, Ronald Bato dela Rosa, Bong Go, and Bong Revilla. The Anti-Money Laundering Council Report indicated that POGOs have been identified as susceptible to money laundering, fraud, and other illicit financial activities.

Senator Francis Tolentino, along with his brother Abraham, was charged by his former executive assistant of amassing some P500 million in ill-gotten wealth in the form of real estate properties, business, vehicles, and bank deposits when he was mayor of Tagaytay City. Tolentino said, “This is political. When I was mayor there were no cases filed against me.”

Plunder complaints against Senator Bong Go were filed by former Senator Antonio Trillanes in connection with the alleged anomalous award of 184 government contracts worth more than P6 billion. Trillanes alleged that President Rodrigo Duterte and Bong Go facilitated corrupt practices in the awarding of contracts exceeding their allowable project cost limits to companies owned by Go’s father and brother. Senator Go downplayed Trillanes’ allegations, describing them as “black propaganda.”

It will be recalled that during the impeachment trial of President Joseph Estrada, then Senator Tito Sotto voted “No” to the opening of an envelope believed to contain damning evidence that would have led to Estrada’s conviction of illegally accepting payoffs from jueteng as well as from the government price subsidy for the tobacco farmers’ marketing cooperative.

During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation in August 2017 of the P6.4 billion worth of shabu smuggled into the country, Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte, son of Rodrigo Duterte, was mentioned as being behind the shipment. Then Senator Manny Pacquiao quickly dismissed the allegation as hearsay as he himself admitted to just hearing talk about the so-called group behind the shipment.

In 2018, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo placed about P60 million worth of advertisements on PTV4 that ended up in her brothers’ (Ben and Erwin Tulfo) program Bitag. The Commission on Audit flagged the deal for conflict of interest. Ms. Teo claimed she did not know that the P60-million ad was placed in her brothers’ show. But she eventually resigned because of that audit report.

The advertising expenses of Imee Marcos and Camille Villar breached the P1 billion mark sometime back. The TV coverage of the basketball game between San Miguel and TNT Sunday night looked at times a contest between Marcos and Villar as every commercial break in the coverage of the basketball game was filled up with either a Marcos or a Villar advertisement. Oh, Benhur Abalos was able to sneak in his new commercial.

Francis Tolentino and Abby Binay, already big advertising spenders, have also stepped up their ad efforts lately. When candidates spend enormous amounts to win a place in the Senate, one cannot help but think the monetary rewards of winning a government post are more enormous than the advertising expenditure.

Willie Revillame has become a billionaire through his television shows. Yet, he has given up his show to run for the Senate. He admits he knows nothing about governance, he just wants to do good and help others. Well, he has done good and helped others as he has entertained millions and given lots of money and jackets through his shows. He can continue to do so by keeping his show. But he has decided to win a seat in the Senate. Why?

The impeachment of Vice-President Sara Duterte in the House of Representatives brought out the sordid details of some of the charges against her. Evidence of anomalies committed by VP Sara was so preponderant that 240 out of 318, or 75%, of the members of the House signed the impeachment complaint against her. Las Piñas Rep. Camille Villar and Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo were among those who did not sign the impeachment complaint.

It is not enough that we reject the crooks, opportunists, singers, dancers, and clowns at the polling places, we have to campaign against them. We should tell the bobotantes* in our employ and in our sphere of influence the true character of their idols.

You might say that is engaging in politics. Well, Pope Francis also said, “Politics is a noble activity. We should revalue it, practice it with vocation and a dedication that requires testimony, martyrdom, that is, to die for the common good.”

*A portmanteau of the Filipino words “bobo” and “botante” or “stupid” and “voter.”

Oscar P. Lagman, Jr. has been a keen observer of Philippine politics since the 1950s.