By CHRIS V. PANGANIBAN
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur โ Amid growing public outrage over massive corruption in the national government, Tandag Bishop Raul Dael says Filipinos are now in a โcritical moment of changeโ โ 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 October 11, Bishop Dael pointed to the townโs recent mayoral race as a powerful example of clean and honest elections prevailing.
His message was posted at the social media page of 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 โ defeating administration-backed rival Dondon Patidongan by just 46 votes.
Despite the narrow margin, Dael said Martizanoโs victory was significant because it was achieved without resorting to vote-buying, a practice that has plagued Philippine elections for decades.
Patidongan, known nationally as the whistleblower in the high-profile โmissing sabungerosโ case, was reportedly backed financially by the powerful Hugpong Surigao group led by Gov. Johnny Pimentel and 2nd District Rep. Alexander Pimentel. Voters and poll watchers allege that Patidongan distributed thousands of pesos in cash during the campaign in a bid to sway the electorate.
โThis is proof that the people can no longer be bought,โ Dael said. โThe most powerful now is not the government, not the politicians, but the people themselves.โ
Bishop Daelโs 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 Canedo 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 dioceseโs 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 publicโs disgust over recent congressional investigations into alleged multi-billion peso flood control โghostโ projects has triggered a wider reckoning โ not just with corruption, but with political accountability.
โThis is the best time for us to be prophets,โ Dael declared. โThe government is watching us.โ
He urged voters to build on this momentum in next yearโs barangay elections, saying it is an opportunity to โtry againโ the path of clean, principled voting.
โWe from the parishes have witnessed rampant vote-buying in the past,โ he added. โBut this time, we have hope. Mayor Martizano is our inspiration. He showed that itโs possible to win without paying off voters.โ
Caption:
Tandag Bishop Raul Dael plants a tree during the Season of Creation 2025 event on October 11 in Barobo, Surigao del Sur. Photo courtesy of the Roman Cathloic Diocese of Tandag page.
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