TALKING POINTS. Loyola Schools faculty and students preparing for their discussion at the Ateneo School of Government’s third installment of FactCheck 2013. Photo by Francine A. Bharwani
The WHITE VOTE Movement, a group formed by Catholic lay organizations, conclusively recommended ten senatorial candidates to the Catholic electorate.
In a statement released Tuesday, May 7, the group expressed support of the following senatoriables: Joseph Victor Estrada, Gregorio Honasan, Milagros “Mitos” Magsaysay, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Antonio Trillanes IV, Cynthia Villar, Nancy Binay, Richard “Dick” Gordon, Marwil Llasos and Juan Miguel Zubiri
The group’s criteria focused on the candidates’ support or non-support of certain legislative measures, including the Reproductive Health Law, divorce and same-sex marriage.
Collectively, it is called the “Death Agenda.” None of the endorsed candidates support it.
The White Vote is composed of religious groups El Shaddai, Couples for Christ-Foundation for Family and Life, Catholic Women’s League, Focolare Movement and Ang Lingkod ng Panginoon, among others.
Their endorsement was discussed in the last installment of FactCheck 2013, a fact-checking initiative of the Political Democracy and Reforms (Poder) Program of the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG).
Its last forum was held Thursday, May 9, at ASoG.
The fact-checking panel consists of Vice President for Social Development Atty. Jaime Hofileña, AsoG Poder Program Director Joy G. Aceron, Political Science Department instructor RR Rañeses and ASoG Dean Antonio La Viña.
Examining the White Vote
The panel investigated the claim that “there are senatorial candidates who have, in all three issues, consistently been aligned with the favored position of the White Vote bloc.”
They also examined whether or not the “public statements of senatorial candidates relative to issues highlighted are consistent and adequate indicators.”
Only 19 out of 33 candidates are eligible to be supported by the Catholic Vote through the said criteria, the fact-checking group revealed.
Furthermore, Rañeses said the process of initiating discussion on the “Death Agenda” is vague.
“You can answer if you’re in favor or not through a yes or a no, but the answer can be changed with the way the question is framed,” he said.
On party switching
The party-switching dynamics of the senatorial candidates were also discussed.
According to the panel, the claim that “most top candidates for the Senate are party-switchers” is not true.
Only seven candidates have switched parties in their political careers, including Gordon, Zubiri, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Ernesto Maceda, Jun Magsaysay, Tingting Cojuanco and Alan Peter Cayetano.
Last note
Hofileña officially ended the three-part FactCheck 2013 by saying that even with the myriad of issues, the senators to vote for will still depend on society’s preference.
“Maraming kailangang tingnan, maraming kailangang pag-isipan, but on election day, you have the ballot in front of you, and you have to choose who is best to be addressed at this point,” Hofileña said. (There are things that should be noted, things to be thought of, but on election day, you have the ballot in front of you, and you have to choose who is best to be addressed at this point.)
Editor’s Note: The GUIDON previously covered the two earlier installments of FactCheck 2013. The first installment discussed coalitional politics and the FOI bill. The second installment discussed political dynasties and employment.
