Bishop Abet Uy, Bohol’s highest-ranking Church official, on Wednesday appealed to the province’s electorate not to sell their votes during the midterm elections on May 13.

“Ang kwarta unta dili magdiktar sa atong kasing-kasing. Choose with your conscience,” said Uy in his homily during a Pontifical Mass celebrated in honor of St. Joseph the Worker, the patron saint of Tagbilaran City, at the St. Jospeh’s Cathedral.

According to Uy, vote-buying is still wrong even if it is widely practiced.

He said that change in society depends on votes guided by the “conscience.”

“Akong giingnan mga pari na ‘please don’t stop preaching what is right’ because what is wrong will always be wrong even if everybody’s doing it,” he said.

Uy said that he previously focused on asking politicians not to buy votes but he later realized that it is the electorate that needs to be reminded more not to sell votes.

“Masuko ta’g kamangon atong asawa og lain pero panahon sa eleksyon ipakamang gyud nato, hasta mga anak ug mga apo ipakamang nato,” he added.

In the same homily, the bishop asked for the public to join a post-election activity of the Diocese of Tagbilaran dubbed “Operation: Hipos Tarpaulin.”

“Kaning mga campaign tarps very few ang manghipos, labina og pildi ka. Pero this is an invitation for all of us. Tanan nalang g’yud ta manghipos,” he said.

In March, the Diocese of Tagbilaran and the Diocese of Talibon launched its CHAMP (Clean, Honest, Accurate, Meaningful and Peaceful election) campaign.

Candidates from across Bohol were asked to sign a covenant for clean and honest elections at the Cathedral and various churches in the province. The campaign was launched in partnership with the Commission on Elections and the Philippine National Police. (AD)