STATEMENT OF SUPPORT

I wish to express my support to the effort of the EcoWaste Coalition and its allies in the environmental movement to inform Filipino voters on how to select candidates, both national and local, who will champion the cause of protecting the environment.

It is imperative for voters, as stewards of God’s creation, to ask and discern who among those aspiring for public offices are truly committed in caring for Mother Nature and in defending her from being desecrated, contaminated and destroyed by apathy, greed, crass materialism, toxic wastes and chemicals, and the unsustainable use of the earth’s dwindling resources.

We need an enlightened electorate to vote for ecology minded public officials who will lead our democratic institutions and work with our communities in winning the battles against waste dumps and incinerators, climate change, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and environmentally-destructive activities.

The Ten Commandments on How to Choose Green Candidates provide a useful guidance on what to ask and look for from candidates in terms of environmental track and record and platform. Along with the Ten Commandments for Responsible Voting issued by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPC-RV), this will certainly assist voters in making informed choices that will benefit both democracy and the environment.

It is our solemn duty as citizens of this country and as stewards of His creation to unite as one people and address decisively the challenges facing our environment. May the upcoming elections serve and advance this goal for the sake of Mother Nature, and the current future generations that depend solely on her life sustaining gifts.

+ GAUDENCIO B. CARDINAL ROSALES
Archbishop of Manila