Religion and Election: A Case Study on the Influence of Religious Institutions on the Outcome of the 2007 Senatorial Elections

Abstract

Religion has always played a major role in Philippine politics. From toppling a dictatorial regime to endorsing political candidates, the religious sector had always dabbled in the political arena of this nation. Just like in the previous elections, the recent 2007 Senatorial Elections was also marred with political endorsements of certain candidates and parties by certain denominations or congregations It is for this purpose that this study was conducted—to determine the extent of the influence of religious institutions on the outcome of the 2007 Senatorial Elections. In order to do this, the researcher studied three religious institutions which have endorsed at least one candidate during the 2007 Senatorial Elections. The list includes the El Shaddai, Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) and the Jesus Is Lord (JIL) Church. The researcher also delved into the influence of the religious institutions on their respective members and how this affected the outcome of the 2007 Senatorial Elections as a whole. •The researcher gathered both primary and secondary data for the completion of this research. From the data gathered, the researcher was able to conclude that the religious institutions had considerable influence to the outcome of the 2007 Senatorial Elections. However, only the Iglesia Ni Cristo was able to deliver a solid bloc vote.