The influential Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai has severed ties with the pro-Life Buhay Hayaan Yumabong Partylist (BUHAY) headed by vice presidential aspirant Deputy Speaker Lito Atienza and Mel Robles, staunch supporters of Senator Manny Pacquiao and former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., respectively.
This was gathered in a resignation letter sent to Atienza and Robles by former Reps. Rene del Monte Velarde and Michael del Monte Velarde Jr., second nominee for the 18th Congress and secretary general, respectively, of the partylist group.
The Velardes are sons of popular evangelist Mike Z. Velarde, servant leader and founder of El Shaddai Ministry.
“As a result of their discussion on the 4th of June 2021, Bro. Mike decided to sever his support, association and all organizational links with Buhay Hayaang Yumabong Partylist,” the Velarde brothers said in the letter.
They added: “And we the undersigned, collectively resign as officers and members of BUHAY PL.”
Other signatories of the letter were El Shaddai personalities Jose A. Descallar, Buhay chief auditor; Enrique Zunico, Sammy Vincente Sales, Dawn Melanie Diaz, and Jose Ponciano Malonzo.
The letter was noted and signed by the elder Velarde.
With the said mass resignation, El Shaddai ended its over two decades partnership with BUHAY. The charismatic group’s support had ensured a series of election successes for the partylist organization that saw it winning seats in the Lower House on each partylist elections it participated in.
In the letter, the Velarde group indicated its resentment over Atienza’s alleged refusal to honor an agreement he had with the El Shaddai leader in connection with the placement of Buhay nominees for the 2022 partylist election.
“Rep. Atienza seemed to have lost confidence and adherence to Bro. Mike’s discernment, decision-making and stewardship for his flock, hence, Rep. Atienza’s resistance to honor the standing agreement in the nomination for the 1st seat,” the letter’s signatories stated.
“We can assume that if Rep. Atienza does not adhere to their agreement and to Bro. Mike’s discernment and decision-making on this matter, what can prevent him to totally disregard Bro. Mike’s guidance’s as Head Servant on other issues and concerns on our advocacy and legislative agenda,” they stressed.
The letter signatories recalled that the partnership between the two organizations started “some 21 years ago” when Atienza, thru Robles, sought El Shaddai’s support in pursuing common advocacies of promoting and protecting “the dignity of life and Pro-Life principles.”
Atienza allegedly assured Velarde that the first nominee of the BUHAY partylist will be the choice and “prerogative of Bro. Mike.” However, during the 2019 national elections, Atienza requested that he be allowed to be named the first nominee.
Bro. Mike reportedly “granted the request” and was allegedly assured that his choice will be named the first nominee in the succeeding elections in observance of the original agreement.
This did not materialize as Atienza brought up the issue of nominating the first seat in a meeting with Velarde and BUHAY partylist officers. No agreement was reached then.
“Bro. Mike invoked the agreement that has been the practice since the establishment of the partyist and further reiterated i the 2019 arrangement, that the 1st seat is reserved for his choice,” the letter writers recalled.
“We, the undersigned understand and place high value on agreements of honorable people, their word of honor or “Palabra de Honor,” they declared.