Go for honest candidates!

BCBP issues a Pastoral Letter to guide members in choosing the right leaders for the 2022 elections.

Responding to the call for a position on the coming national elections, the leadership of over 20,000-strong Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) has come up with a Pastoral Letter enjoining everyone to consider honesty as the number one attribute of the candidates they will support.

In a one-page letter signed by BCBP Chairman Caesar Altarejos and President Philip Beley, in behalf of the Board of Trustees, the Management Committee and the Council of Advisors, the BCBP presented its stand.  “It is our Christian duty to support and promote candidates known for their honesty and integrity,” the leaders said in the Pastoral Letter.

The BCBP leaders said that they are not breaking the community’s tradition of non-partisanship. In fact, the BCBP has long made a choice to stand firmly in defense of truth and reject all forms of lies, particularly the prevalence of fake news in the social media and various attempts at historical revisionism related to Martial Law.

“Long have we stood for the value of honesty, even urging others to join us in this noble cause,” the BCBP leaders said.

In January 2022, the BCBP launched its Tapat Dapat Campaign which stresses that HONESTY IS NOT JUST OPTION BUT AN IMPERATIVE to be demanded of all public officials as well as the BCBP leaders and members themselves.

The BCBP national leaders went on a virtual retreat in February to individually and collectively go through a process of soul-searching and discernment.  The national leadership advises all BCBP members to do the same using the Gabay Kristo, a 15-point guide to choosing the country’s leaders.  

The Gabay Kristo filters out candidates based on competence, character, devotion to God and country, and leadership integrity. It is consistent with earlier BCBP advocacies of selecting leaders based on being “maka-Diyos, makabayan, marunong, masipag, at marangal” (Godly, patriotic, competent, diligent, and honorable).

The Pastoral Letter asserts the resounding call of the BCBP leaders: “We urge our members to use the Gabay Kristo, reflect on why we should stand for the truth as our Christian faith requires of us, discuss this amongst themselves and their families, before making their decision. We should never be afraid of conflict but rather, out of love for each other, endeavor to arrive at the truth.

Full copy:

Pastoral Letter: https://bit.ly/3x7dsJP

Gabay Kristo: https://bit.ly/3r0mbtk

Article written by Junep Ocampo, Head of Communications Ministry. 

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