SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 16 Oct) — Amid growing public outrage over massive corruption in the national government, Tandag Bishop Raul Dael says Filipinos are now in a “critical moment of change” — one where voters are increasingly ready to elect honest leaders without the influence of money politics. Speaking at the culmination of the Season of Creation 2025 in Barobo town in Surigao del Sur on Oct. 11, Bishop Dael pointed to the town’s recent mayoral race as a powerful example of clean and honest elections prevailing. His message was posted at the social media page of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tandag. Incumbent Barobo Mayor Ronnie Martizano, running under Team Gugma Surigao del Sur, pulled off a stunning upset in the May 12, 2025 local polls — defeating administration-backed rival Dondon Patidongan by just 446 votes. Despite the narrow margin, Dael said Martizano’s victory was significant because it was achieved without resorting to vote-buying, a practice that has plagued Philippine elections for decades. “This is proof that the people can no longer be bought,” Dael said. “The most powerful now is not the government, not the politicians, but the people themselves.” Bishop Dael’s remarks were part of a broader message delivered during an environmental commitment event hosted by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tandag. The gathering brought together local officials, including Mayors Martizano and Tito Cañedo of Hinatuan, along with representatives from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Office. Photos and video clips from the diocese’s social media pages showed parishes marching in solidarity, holding tree-planting activities, and promoting environmental awareness at the Mother of Mercy Parish in the town center and a chapel in Barangay Javier. Dael emphasized that the public’s disgust over recent congressional investigations into alleged multi-billion peso flood control “ghost” projects has triggered a wider reckoning — not just with corruption, but with political accountability. “This is the best time for us to be prophets,” Dael declared. “The government is watching us.” He urged voters to build on this momentum in next year’s barangay elections, saying it is an opportunity to “try again” the path of clean, principled voting. “We from the parishes have witnessed rampant vote-buying in the past,” he added. “But this time, we have hope. Mayor Martizano is our inspiration. He showed that it’s possible to win without paying off voters.”
