After vetting, Christian group recommends bets
A COALITION of major Christian faith-based communities from the Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical churches has come up with a short list of candidates they would campaign for.
The Pilipino Movement for Transformational Leadership said the candidates were chosen based on criteria formulated by the PMTL called GabayKristo, a set of questions to evaluate each candidate for character and integrity, leadership ability, sincerity to God and country, and leadership integrity.
“It’s time we elect leaders who will push for needed reforms and further the public interest. PMTL has selected God-centered and competent servant leaders committed to the empowerment of the Filipino people,” said Alex Lacson, PMTL lead convenor.
Based on the criteria, the PMTL has short-listed for president independent Sen. Grace Poe and Liberal Party (LP) standardbearer Mar Roxas.
For vice president, the LP’s Leni Robredo and independent Jesus Paredes were on the list.
PMTL commended 15 candidates for senator, most of them independent candidates. They were Rafael Alunan, Greco Belgica, Walden Bello, Neri Colmenares, Leila de Lima, Richard Gordon, Teofisto Guingona III, Dante Liban, Emmanuel Lopez, Maria Susana Ople, Sergio Osmena III, Samuel Pagdilao Jr., Francis Pangilinan, Roman Romulo and Joel Villanueva.
The PMTL convenors submitted the short list to The People’s Choice to execute the next step of the People’s Primary Process, wherein the shortlisted candidates for vice president and senators would again be voted upon by the members of the faith-based groups until March 15.
The convenors decided not to include the short-listed candidates for president in The People’s Choice because of legal issues involving one of the two candidates.
The candidates for vice president and top 8 senators who garner the most number of votes in the People’s Primary will be declared the People’s Choice candidates and will be supported by the People’s Choice Movement volunteers all over the country.
The PMTL was organized in 2015. It earned the commendation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines during the CBCP plenary assembly in January.