The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) said they will support candidates that have no record of corruption, proven competence in participatory governance, and transparency and accountability in public service.
The network of Catholic schools said this in a statement titled, “A call to moral courage in the 2022 elections."
CEAP said they also support candidates who have love for the poor and their empowerment, ability to sacrifice for the sake of the common good, and readiness to fight for values of truth, social justice, and democracy.
“We support leaders who wield power as social responsibility and not self entitlement, and who can connect to the spiritual in their lives, through their conscience, discernment, and faith in God,” CBCP News quoted CEAP's statement.
CEAP, meantime, vehemently rejected candidates who run under a platform of lies and historical distortion.
“We value truth, and thus we deplore the massive disinformation that is deceiving our people, especially our youth, in a way that is unparalleled in our history,” it said.
“Our society is now languishing in the darkness of lies, injustice, authoritarianism, and dysfunctional leadership and governance. The May elections is the opportunity that will break this darkness,” CEAP added.
The Catholic educators will also reject bets that back the “unjust” actions of President Duterte’s administration.
These, it said, include the government’s ruthless war on drugs “and the blatant lack of remorse and accountability from the country’s leadership."