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.
