Tip to voters: Birthday cakes, gifts not a sign of true service

Archbishop Socrates Buenaventura Villegas, D.D. (CDN PHOTO/ CHRISTIAN MANINGO)

Voters, be careful.

Genuine public service and mercy isn’t carried out by giving birthday cakes and gifts, said Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Answering a query during a national convention on family and life in Cebu City last Friday, Villegas called on voters not to be deceived by politicians who profess they will provide for the needs of the community just to get their patronage.

“Now, you speak about mercy with truth. That is true, because real mercy does not lie. Real mercy is not blind to the malice of lying, and has the strength to confront evil,” he said.

Villegas was asked by a participant during the open forum how God’s mercy deals with corruption, and other forms of evil.

“The summary of God’s message is really mercy. (But) it does not mean that mercy is blind to lying and the law. No, mercy without law and truth is not mercy at all,” he explained.

Villegas described corruption as the absence or lack of mercy for victims of dishonesty and stealing.

“Kon magiging maawain lang ang taong corrupt, hindi lang siya magbibigay ng cakes sa may mga birthday o ng rosary para magdasal. Hindi lang yon ang mercy (If a corrupt person wants to be merciful, he or she won’t just give cakes to people on their birthdays or a rosary for people to pray with),” he said.

“The person must do everything out of mercy for the poor. He or she should bear in mind that stealing public funds means robbing the poor of what they ought to receive. And if you have mercy for the poor, please do not get something which is not yours,” said Villegas.

He did not mention any individual by name.

Villegas said genuine mercy practices honesty at all times, knowing that what one steals comes from the sweat of other people.

“Mercy does not excuse liars and violators from the law. Mercy reaches out and appeals to them so that the goodness in them will come out. We can overcome the culture of corruption if only people will have mercy and compassion for the poor and the helpless,” the archbishop said.

Villegas said it’s about time to end the system of political patronage in the country.

“(Please) do not tempt our public officials because if you make excessive demands on public officials, you might be forcing them to live beyond their means,” he said.

“We should not promote a culture of patronage in our relationship with politicians. Just allow them to do what they are supposed to do,” he added.

In a later interview, he was asked about criteria in choosing the country’s next leaders.

Villegas declined to comment, saying he needs to meet all the bishops in the CBCP so they could decide as a body.

Villegas was among the guests during the three-day National Convention on Family and Life held at the Summit Circle Hotel in uptown Cebu City from July 16 to 18.