Pope lays the smack down on Filipino politicians

courtesy of abs-cbnnews.com

MANILA -- Pope Benedict XVI has appealed to politicians and public officials in the Philippines to act with honesty, integrity and justice.

In a report published online by the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN), Pope Benedict said: "The struggle against poverty in the Philippines calls for honesty, integrity and an unwavering fidelity to the principles of justice, especially on the part of those entrusted with positions of governance and public administration”.

The Pope conveyed his message to the new Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See, Mercedes Arrastia Tuason. [The Holy Father is well informed of the political situation in the country.  Usually, the ambassador will report to the Head of State, who is the president, of what the Head of State of the country he is assigned to said during the formal reception.  Well, thanks to modern communications media, those will just be a matter of formality.]

In response, Malacañang said the Pope’s message to Filipinos comes at an opportune time since the Philippine national elections is just a few months away. [Huh?!]

"The Pope's advice is timely especially now that elections are forthcoming,” Undersecretary Anthony Golez, the deputy presidential spokesperson said. [This guy is a classic whacked job spin doctor!  The pope's advise are based on a sloppy job his boss is doing.  Worst public service...Institutionalized corruption...Name it, Philippine politics did it!]

Golez said Malacañang is one with the Pope in encouraging the Filipino people to look for the nation’s leader who will abide by the Christian ideals. [Which we and probably the Vatican did not and will never see in this present adminstration!]

“People should vote for people who have unwavering honesty and integrity," Golez said. [Is this an admission that your boss does not possess any of these virtues?]

The Pope, likewise, took the opportunity to call for peace in southern Philippines, especially in regions “that have been sadly scarred by conflicts”. [fueled by Muslim extremists who want a separate Islamic state even though a lot of Christians, mostly Catholic, live in the island.]

"In an age when the name of God is abused by certain groups, the work of charity is particularly urgent," said the Pope.

Pope Benedict also lauded “initiatives that aim at facilitating dialogue and cultural exchange” as well as those who “are taking courageous steps to bring people together in order to foster reconciliation and mutual understanding.”

He also praised the work of the Bishops Ulama Conference (BUC), the Mindanao People's Caucus, and that of many grassroots organizations, the report stated.