Bishops quit poll watchdog to endorse presidential bet

ARCHBISHOP Ramon Arguelles of Lipa and Bishop Vicente Navarra of Bacolod have resigned from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) after announcing their support for a presidential candidate and his political party.

“I received a note saying Bishop Navarra made a stand for JC [John Carlos de los Reyes] and the Ang Kapatiran Party and I texted him to verify with him,” Archbishop Arguelles told UCA News.

When Bishop Navarra confirmed the report, Archbishop Arguelles told him that “if this is true, I’m not just praising you, I will join you.”

De los Reyes, 40, is a Philippine councilor in Olongapo City north of Manila, and the presidential candidate of the Ang Kapatiran Party for the May 10 general elections.

Ang Kapatiran is a national political party with a platform of “moral principles over political expediency… and more on the culture of life than the culture of death.”

De los Reyes’ prospects in the election are not high. He recently ranked ninth in a survey of candidates’ trustworthiness.

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