Isko woos El Shaddai; Velarde tells members 'choice yours'

Presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno courted members of the Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai on Saturday, promising that his administration will treat all Filipinos fairly and equally.

Moreno expressed gratitude to Brother Mike Velarde, the head of El Shaddai, for giving him the opportunity to join the religious group's worship service.

“Thank you very much kay Brother Mike sa pagkakataon na ito, again sabi ko nga sa inyo magtitiyaga tayo bawat isa mahalaga ang bilang kumbaga matigas man ang bulalo, lalambot din to hangga't hindi pa naghahalalan ay talagang pipilitin natin abutin ang lahat ng mamamayan we will reach as many kilometers as much as possible, many people as much as possible, the same goes [for] El Shaddai,” he said.

(Thank you very much, Brother Mike, for the invitation; once again, I assure you that we will persevere; even though the election has not yet occurred, we will cover as many kilometers and as many people as possible. The same goes for El Shaddai.)

Moreno then vowed to lead a government that is fair to everyone.

“Ang taong bayan ay puwedeng umasa na magkakaroon sila ng pamahalaan na pinagpapantay-pantay ang Mindanao, Visayas, Luzon, walang mahirap, walang middle class, walang mayaman. Sa pangkalahatan pantay pantay sa pamamahala, programa, at polisiya kapag ako nabigyan ng pagkakataon,” he said.

(The people can hope that they will have a fair and equal government in Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon. There will be no poor, no middle class, no rich. Generally, equality management, programs, and policies for all if I win as president.)

‘The choice is yours’

Velarde told his members that it is up to them who to vote for in the upcoming elections.

“Since panahon ngayon ng kampanya ng pamahalaan natin, nagtapos tayo sa salitang choice nung nakaraang Sabado. Ngayon, huwag kayo magtataka tuwing Sabado mayroon tayong mga panauhing kandidato. Welcome natin silang lahat na dumalo sa ating gawain. But, [as] I present [to] you, examine the hearts for what the scripture says, out of the heart, the mouth speaks,” he said.

(Since it is the campaign period, we ended with the word choice last Saturday. Don’t be surprised if every Saturday we have guest candidates. We welcome them to our worship service. But, as I present to you, examine the hearts for what the scripture says; out of the heart, the mouth speaks.)

“Always remember this: the choice is yours, not mine. I have my personal choice. Sapagkat marami tayo, nang-aakit tayo ng mga kandidato tuwing eleksyon kahit nakakalimutan tayo ng anim na taon,” he added.

(Always remember this: the choice is yours, not mine. I have my personal choice. Because we are many, we attract candidates in every election, even if they forget us for six years.)

On February 12, Velarde endorsed the presidential bid of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Velarde raised the hands of Marcos and Duterte at an event to show his support for the pair.

El Shaddai spiritual adviser Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani, on the other hand, said that Velarde's support for Marcos and Duterte was just personal.

Bacani said the members would be free to vote for whoever they wanted for president and vice president.

He added that it was wrong to endorse Marcos.

The campaign period for candidates for national positions officially began on February 8 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The national and local elections will be held on May 9. — VBL, GMA News