Holier than thou

Dear priests, nuns, and those who think they speak for heaven. You walk into Congress. Third impeachment complaint against Sara Duterte. Ninety-eight pages. Heavy words. Nuclear-level accusations.

And who’s tagging along? Leila de Lima. Arm-in-arm. Vendetta in tow. Baggage. Huge. Are they leading, or are they being led? Asking for democracy. Come on.

They talk about impeachment like it’s holy water they sprinkle on whomever they don’t like this week. And — boom! — one choice off the table. If that’s guidance, we must have missed the chapter on democracy in the Bible.

Imagine preaching on a Sunday, and effectively telling the congregation: “Vote for her and you are evil. Vote differently and you are saved.”

If God wanted priests to pick presidents, He wouldn’t have made Adam and Eve choose an apple in the first place. Shocking concept. It’s called free will. That’s how the story started.

Because right now, it looks like the sitting Vice President, in your imagination, is the literal embodiment of hell. That’s abuse of trust. That’s betrayal of the people you claim to shepherd.

God gave people brains, and terrible taste sometimes. Let them use it to sin with their votes. God loves it. He made humans to make mistakes, to choose wrong, to fall flat on their faces, and to rise again. That’s the miracle. The heartbreak. And, frankly, the comedy of it.

But no. You think the voters can’t be trusted. That their judgment is dangerous. That their freedom needs supervision. That your opinion is mandatory. That, unless your outcome happens, the sky will fall. The sun won’t rise. Chickens will stop laying eggs. Really.

Stop confusing your anger with God’s judgment. You want to save souls? Fine. Preach right. Preach wrong. Be kind. Teach people not to cheat on their taxes. But stop pretending impeachment is a sacrament.

Do you remember Edsa? Millions of Filipinos marching with you saying: “No more tyrants. No more rulers telling us what to do.” Remember?

You’ve become the very thing the people once threw out of Malacañang. You cannot claim to honor the spirit of Edsa while trying to control the votes of those who know they’re very far from God, but close enough to know when humans are being treated like angels under a dictatorship.

If a church wants to endorse candidates, OK, fine. But be honest! Put a big, beautiful sign outside: “Come in for worship. Political advice available here.” Make it clear! Don’t pretend your politics is holy. Nobody’s buying it.