Blessed is Ang Kapatiran Party (“the Party”)—a political party whose mission is to put God and His teachings at the center of politics and to impress upon the people that politics exists for the common good.
Blessed is the Party that is anchored on moral principles, not political expediency; and is focused on the needs of the poor and vulnerable (not on the interests of the rich and powerful), the pursuit of the common good (not on satisfying the demands of special interests), and the culture of life, order and peace (peace is the result of order), not on the culture of death and violence.
Blessed is the Party that is open to all Filipinos regardless of faith, social and economic status; that espouses an open-ended, platform-based politics, with clear and specific objectives all aimed at enhancing the common good and promoting the politics of virtue and duty.
Blessed are the people who give generous support to the Party in terms of “talent, time and treasure.”
Blessed are the people and the Party that aim to put an end to “dirty politics” or “trapo politics”—that is, the politics of political dynasties, patronage, pork barrel, payoffs, bribery, corruption, deceit and manipulation, dishonesty, electoral chicanery and unprincipled compromises; the politics of gold, guns and goons and unliquidated cash advances; big money politics, personality or celebrity politics, and the politics of “anything-goes” shenanigans.
Blessed are the people and the Party that aim to introduce the prophetic politics of personal and social transformation, a thrust which dovetails with the apostolic call “Reform yourselves and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15).
Blessed are the people and the Party that promote individual and national acceptance of Christ’s peace (John 14:27) with a pledge to live it out through love, truth, justice, forgiveness, reconciliation and nonviolence.
Blessed are the people and the Party that renounce “the peace the world gives,” the kind of peace that is based on arms and the discarded principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” (“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek, too.”—Mt. 5:38-39)
Blessed are the people and the Party that aspire to a nation of character and radiate political integrity and social stability.
Blessed are the people and the Party that promote a consistent ethic of life, which means being prolife in all aspects of life.
Blessed are the people and the Party that aspire to an economically vigorous country from which poverty has been banished, and which seeks to offer meaningful employment to all Filipinos at home, not abroad.
—NANDY PACHECO, founder, Ang Kapatiran Party, nandypacheco@gmail.com