Of Panlilio, Villanueva, and Velarde

@24Champ (465)
August 21, 2009 2:15pm CST
Ed Panlilio (a priest and current governor of Pampanga) has earlier announced his desire to run for President in 2010. Mike Velarde (leader of El Shaddai Movement, a Catholic-based Charismatic group) also confirmed in an interview about his intention to run for the same post. Now, it's Eddie Villanueva (founder of Jesus is Lord church) who made another announcement, signifying his second bid (after his failure in 2004) for presidential election. These so called "religious" leaders should realize sooner or later that they are deluded with a vision of saving the Philippines from her miseries. They should stick to what they do best, i.e., to spread "spiritual" inspiration among Filipinos. Politics is not their domain! Now that they are always meddling in politics, you can't help but wonder if they are really sincere in their intentions to help the country. It appears that they are no different from the power-hungry politicians. As I view it, they are just using their influence, as leaders of religious movements, to further their position in society.
1 person likes this
6 responses
• Philippines
25 Aug 09
For me, I think it's fine if they choose to run as long as they are sincere to serve and they are willing to step down from their posts as religious leaders. Furthermore, they should not force their members to vote for them. Leading a nation does not discriminate religion, but the leaderships skills is highly required. However, we should also remember that religion is also separating us and sometimes lead to killings. I just hope that voters are really smarter this time. Thanks!
• Philippines
22 Aug 09
If you really want my opinion, I'd say screw it..just like Eddie, they're just PAng-gulo there, that's my view. it's no joke running into the office like that. even Noynoy refused the offer of Presidency, how can this people do the job. i bet if Villanueva and Villarde might promote their religion if either of tehm wins the election. I'd rather have those people already in the Politics..even though i have still doubts too.
@24Champ (465)
22 Aug 09
Eddie Gil does not belong in any "spiritual" leagues. He is from another dimension. Heheh.
• Philippines
23 Aug 09
yeah, but these three unqualified for the game, why can they just what they are and do their job in their religions, rather than poking noses on political race..handling Jesus is Lord Movement, or El Shaddai is already a hard work, how else can they keep it up if they've become President.
• Philippines
22 Aug 09
What i Mean is just like Edde Hill
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
25 Aug 09
Yeah I am on the same vibes on you on that. I guess they should really look at their mission in life. It seems that they are now deluded by what their purpose in life is. Serving in politics is a very different reality than the spiritual. Jesus back in his time never joined any political move against the current events of that time. He continued to preach what is supposed to be taught and just let politics do its own thing during his time. These so called spiritual leaders must then choose as to which side he would do better serving his fellow men.
@kharlav (1669)
• Philippines
29 Apr 10
Hi there. I disagree with you on that. This is reality, and spiritual things are real. You are saying as if spiritual things are not real. I believe that God made everything for His purpose, even the government, He made it for His purpose, thus everything is Spiritual because it is about God. We have let politics do its own for so long, without including God in it. And look at what is happening now? The Philippines has become worse and worse as presidents change. God wants to help the Philippines but He cant do that if the person governing it cant even hear Him or worse doesn't even know Him.
1 person likes this
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
22 Aug 09
i'll be the first to admit that i voted for eddie villanueva during the last presidential election. i just got tired of the usual politicians trying to swindle our fellow countrymen with promises of good life and a better future. i did not and up to this time do not regret voting for him even though he didn't win. will i vote for him again? i sincerely do not know as i would like to look at the roster of candidates running for president in next year's elections. i'm sure that not all who have given their intentions to run for president will still be available next year. some of them are serious in their intentions, others are trying to gauge their chances by sending feelers this early, and others are simply trying to get their fifteen minutes of fame. of the three religious leaders that you pointed out, it's villanueva that actually has the machinery to push through with his intended plan. sure, panlilio is an incumbent official but he doesn't have the machinery nor the political support of a major party to be president. mike velarde can count on the support of el shaddai but i doubt if that alone is enough for him to be president. i'm not saying that villanueva is the best among the three, he is the one with the most experience after going through the same thing a couple of years ago. if we were to believe his claims, his political party has gotten better and i'm sure they will apply what they learned during the last presidential elections. about your point on religious leaders running for president or for any elected post on that matter, i respect you, but in the end the people will decide if they want a person of cloth to lead the country out of its present state of misery.
@24Champ (465)
22 Aug 09
Thanks for the response. I appreciate that you recognize a social reality that political machinery is a major factor in a national election.
@allen0187 (58582)
• Philippines
23 Aug 09
remember the presidential election wherein there was an osmena who run for president and he had a promdi muna platform? that was a case of a presidential candidate who had an actual and viable platform but sadly did not win because he had no political machinery to support his campaign. i think he is an osmena from cebu so his program was geared into developing the provinces first rather than concentrating and lumping all the government programs in manila. that was a great idea then and hopefully someone comes up with a similar one. aside from political machinery, i'd like to see someone who has a clear cut vision and mission that one intends to do once voted as president. i think that's not asking too much for someone who wants to be the highest elected official in the land.
@levite (1062)
• Philippines
24 Aug 09
There is no real separation of church and state. Let's illustrate a clear example. If you are living in the Philippines, no matter who sits in MalacaƱang, if he's corrupt for example, whether you like it or not, you are also affected because you're a Filipino citizen, right? If the country will be run by an immoral president, what would happen to us? Will you just watch there and say, "Hey, I'm a Christian and there's a separation of church and state, i don't care." The reason why evil triumphs is because righteous men do nothing. Now, regarding your accusation about bro. Mike, it's a very old accusation. I knew bro Mike is a businessman. His mansions came from his work as a businessman and not from the money of El Shaddai members. The money that is collected during its weekly service is divided for the catholic church, the maintenance of instruments, lights and others used in the service, the payment of arial broadcast of service on TV (IBC 13), radio, and for charitable projects, and now the cooperative where the members benefit much. He does not give false hope to members. It is because you don't understand the meaning of "faith." Faith and Hope are related to each other. God bless.
@jules67 (2788)
• Philippines
22 Aug 09
I think the separation of church and state is gone. Now, we have leaders of various religious organizations wanting to run as the highest official of this land. It really sucks. I do not have anything against them, it is just that followers of such congregation is no way similar to the number of the country's population. I do not want anymore to rationalize what is happening in our country. Everybody seems wanting to become president of the country. Better to focus their attention on their congregation rather than diverting their duties to a more serious one like the presidency.
• Philippines
24 Aug 09
What I can say is that these religious leaders will never win in the elections simply because what they are showing is their personal agendas (to obtain more power and not contented to be just leaders in their religious groups) to be enforced and it is not always the common good of the people. I hope that the Filipino voters are now wise enough to choose someone who is not only aspiring the presidency but will not bring concrete solutions to the problems of the country.