CBCP on the anniversary of EDSA People Power Revolution: ‘Let us stand up for truth’
On the 36th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed its concern about the “blatant distortion of history” and urged Filipinos to “stand up for truth.”
In a pastoral letter released on Feb. 25, CBCP president and Bishop of Caloocan Pablo Virgilio David reminded Filipinos on the importance of their vote in the coming elections.
“All citizens, (therefore), should be mindful of the right and also the duty to use their free vote to further the common good,” David said, referencing the Pastoral Constitution on the Church of the Vatican.
“But we are appalled by the blatant and subtle distortion, manipulation, cover-up, repression and abuse of the truth like: historical revisionism—the distortion of history or its denial; the proliferation of fake news and false stories; disinformation—the seeding of false information and narratives in order to influence the opinion of the people, to hide the truth, to malign and blackmail people,” continued David.
“There are troll farms, which sow the virus of lies,” he continued.
David also brought forth the participation of the CBCP during the peaceful 1986 People Power Revolution, as many bishops were witnesses to the atrocities, corruption and the country’s ruin during martial law.
“We did not invent the historic event that happened in EDSA; it was a fruit of love of neighbor and faith. With you, we were simply part of it,” he pointed out.
David also asked the public to check if they, too, are among those who propagate the “virus of lies" or the “pandemic of lies" that have become rampant, especially on social media.
“Dear Brothers and Sisters, let us stand up for truth,” David urged Filipinos. “Remember: goodness without truth is pretense. Service without truth is manipulation. There can be no justice without truth. Even charity, without truth, is only sentimentalism.”
“An election or any process that is not based on truth is but a deception and cannot be trusted.”
As the 2022 elections draw near, David urged the public, especially the youth to “examine carefully what is happening in our quest for a true and just society.”
“Engage in dialogue and discernment. Listen to your conscience. Be the ones to decide,” he said.
He continued, “Let us not give up on our search and defense for truth—by way of reason and faith, by common dialogue and discernment, prayer and action.”