In the Philippines, priests against ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jnr don pink to support Leni Robredo for president

A senior Catholic bishop in the country has said staying neutral in the election ‘is not right’ and ‘means that you support evil’

Dictator’s son Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jnr holds a double-digit lead over Leni Robredo, his closest rival, ahead of the presidential election set for May 9

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Leni Robredo, the Philippines’ current vice-president and a contender in the May 2022 national elections, speaks at a recent campaign rally. Photo: EPA

Published: 3:35pm, 12 Mar 2022

When Catholic priest Father Nap Baltazar raised his hands to bless the people attending mass, the sleeves on his white vestment slid back to reveal a pink bracelet inscribed with the words “Let Leni Lead”.

Baltazar, 47, belongs to a group of like-minded priests in the Philippines, Asia’s biggest Catholic nation, who have abandoned their neutrality to oppose the presidential bid of Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, the late dictator’s son and namesake, and openly endorse his closest rival Leni Robredo, whose team colour is pink.

The presidential election is set for May 9, and latest opinion polls show Marcos, also known as “Bongbong”, holds a double-digit lead over closest rival Robredo, while his running mate, Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte, remained the top choice for the vice-presidency.

Father Nap Baltazar, wearing a pink mask in support of Leni Robredo, at his parish in the Philippines’ Bulacan province. Photo: Reuters

“I will do everything I can to make sure he does not sit as president,” Baltazar said of the 64-year old Marcos.

The priest, who says he has never before campaigned publicly for a politician since being ordained, drives a van adorned with an image of Robredo and the words “Pray and Choose Wisely. Your future depends on it” written in pink.

Back in 1986, the Catholic Church championed a “People Power” uprising that overthrew Marcos’s father and drove his family to exile.