Catholic comms officer to Filipinos: Speak with clarity, charity on issues of corruption

A communication officer on Sunday urged the public to speak with “clarity” and “charity” when talking about issues affecting society, especially corruption in the country.

Jack Valero, founder of the UK-based communication project Catholic Voices, pointed out that in communication, having both clarity and charity is a challenge.

“It’s good to be clear but not at the expense of violence,” Valero said during his talk at a school in Muntinlupa City.

He said engaging in charity could also mean not saying anything to not upset the other person.

So how should a person balance the two?

Valero said a person should change public opinion through testimonies and stories and look for common ground with the other person.

To achieve this, one must choose a topic and areas to focus on, then a medium, and a target audience.

“So, this has been very instructive for me: choose a topic, study it, once you’ve learned about it, then you are eager to communicate,” Valero said, adding that one’s preparedness is important as well.

Being prepared means being well-informed and ready to shed light on the topic.

Valero visited the Philippines to deliver a talk about how parents and teachers can communicate effectively to uphold Christian values and integrity amid corruption.

He acknowledged the following difficulties in communication: fear, anger, and being defensive.

“Just think you’re good. Your target is to be better than recent talks and communication,” Valero said, adding that right now is a good time to speak about the controversies in the Philippines.

“So, better than a defensive approach, which is not very attractive, then let’s explain things, explain them very well,” he added.

Not just a political issue

Valero pointed out that the issue of corruption in the Philippines is not just a political issue but also an issue of moral character.

“I’m not the expert on the exact details of how to fight this or how to transmit good ideas. I’m looking at it from the outside, [and] I’m seeing this as a huge crisis,” he said.

“This crisis is not just a political thing. It’s a thing of character. Therefore, it affects us all,” he added.

Over 100,000 protesters joined the September 21 rallies against corruption at Luneta Park and the EDSA People Power Monument, where they called for accountability against those involved in the alleged corruption linked to the anomalous flood control projects.

Despite the cancel culture, Valero urged the public to keep speaking about societal issues.

“We have to keep going because we’re not speaking just to get results, right? We are communicating things because we think it’s good to communicate those things,” said Valero, who is also a press officer for Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church, in Britain.

Catholic Voices trains laypeople to speak in public about controversies related to the Catholic Church. — JMA, GMA Integrated News