Pope Benedict XVI recently visited Brazil and clarified church positions on abortion and liberation theology. When John Paul II wanted to clamp down on what he considered a dangerous, Marxist-inspired movement in the church, he turned to a trusted aide: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now known as Pope Benedict XVI who once called liberation theology ''a fundamental threat to the faith of the church'' and a ''fusing of the Bible's view of history with Marxist dialectics” or declaring outright ''the theology of liberation is a singular heresy.''

In what is generally considered as a “softening” of the church’s position, no new warnings were issued and this can only be interpreted as a good sign. In the Philippines, over the past 25 years, as the Vatican fortified its conservative hierarchy, the socio- economic ills the movement focused upon have worsened. Now, more than ever, even conservative groups like Kapatiran include in their fundamental beliefs ''a preferential option for the poor'' because pretending that inhuman socio-economic realities do not exist has become an immoral act.

I personally find no problem in merging faith with works and I cannot agree with John Paul II’s observation that ''this conception of Christ as a political figure, a revolutionary, as the subversive of Nazareth, does not tally with the church's catechism'' because Jesus did preach an entirely novel revolutionary ideology that totally rattled the Pharisees of his day.

There was no way I could have appreciated present day realities in the Philippines from the US. And this is from somebody who had been previously exposed. The situation has gotten worse and we have to try new ideas and solutions. We cannot expect European and American observers to tell us what the most appropriate course of action is because they will not be able to fully understand the depth of our problems. We urgently need to solve our problems according to our conscience and best efforts.

92 days ago, I was totally unknown outside of my immediate family and close friends. Without spending a single cent on tv and radio ads I may just get a million votes, and in my heart, these are the votes that matter because none of these are “command votes”, none of these votes arose from political machinery, quasi-religious blocs, cash purchases, intimidation, fraud, misrepresentation. It will probably take close to 12 million votes to land a seat in the Senate and a million does not appear much but wasn’t it Fidel Castro who said that all he needed to take the entire Cuba was 70 men?

What I am saying is we were converting people at a rate of more than 10,000 each day, nothing to be ashamed about. Considering it felt like we were campaigning in the Soviet Union circa 1950’s at some places when supporters would confide that they could not be seen attending our rallies for fear of retribution, and not a few people would refuse to take our handbills because they were ordered by their religious superiors to toe the church line or face damnation, or be told by fearful government employees and timid school officials we were not welcome to address even small gatherings because of the pervasive fear of “electioneering” while the incumbent administration bets were campaigning with impunity all over the country. We are always proud to crow about our free press but this is far from reality. It is far from free. It is really very expensive. Wealthy traditional politicians routinely grace the front pages of the big newspapers with their carefully retouched mugs and get quoted with prepared material written by staff members.

No wonder we will never progress with this kind of an inefficient and corrupt system just as the lumbering Soviet bureaucracy sealed the fate of communism. What feeds this system is our choice to do nothing. It is from our choice to accept this scheme as our destiny and fate.

I have been asked what my plans are for the immediate future. This I know: I will not work towards any particular position. I thought that participating in the electoral exercise of 2007 was an effective way to render service to my country. I will find a worthy cause like a national smoking-cessation campaign, tree-planting or the eradication of tuberculosis in the Philippines. I am here to stay.

The election is over. It is time to examine, and to both skeptics and sympathizers alike, explain my participation in it.

I gave up a flourishing medical practice in America, joined Kapatiran and ran for the Senate because I wanted not merely to prove a point, but to live by it.

And the point is this: we can change our country, help our people, not by talking or theorizing but by actually doing something about it. One cannot simply make a statement. He must apply it in his life, by example, by involvement, by action. Our political campaign was such a statement.

Did we succeed? We did not get enough votes for a seat in the senate. But we did get the attention of the electorate and, more importantly, we made people aware of alternative solutions, better political options.

We demonstrated that it is possible to conduct an open, honest, vigorous campaign on programs, not personalities.

We showed that there is no need for false promises, political gimmickry, immoderate spending; but that there is a need for continuing communication, defending and justifying our positions and priorities.

Our fundamental premise is this: Politics is not a means of livelihood. It is not an economic investment that will pay off in future material gain. Politics is a way of giving, of sharing, of helping. It is not soliciting support but providing it. It is not about rendering service in the senate when elected, but rendering service now, in the present, in this time and place, in one's capacity as a candidate, a citizen, a Filipino of compassion.

If we have, even in a small, tentative way, we have redefined politics in the Philippines, then we have been fully recompensed for our efforts. The accomplishments of our greatest heroes cannot be judged in the simplistic terms of triumph or defeat. Like Burgos, Gomez and Zamora, the Kapatiran candidates won no instant victory. But they achieved a beginning, advanced the cause for reform, and awakened a hope that such reform is possible.

A personal note of accountability. I received donations from many sectors of society. Added to my own private contribution to the campaign, the total amount exceeded my modest campaign expenses. The balance I shall turn over to Gawad Kalinga in accordance with my conviction that politics is not an enterprise for profit.

Finally I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to all the men and women of goodwill who stand with us in the common belief in a Filipino future. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.

Martin D Bautista, MD

I could never have imagined how this campaign would have turned out but I had to see for myself. No regrets. Got the chance to see the country, talk to a bunch of people. I was forced to think about the many problems that we have. Most important was I was able to validate the reality that there are so many people out there who agree that our country is in dire need of no less than non-violent revolution. If we hope to ever get out of this hole, conservative measures will not do.

I like to think that participating in this election changed some things for the better. Three months ago, I was wailing about a system that subverted the sweepstakes office into becoming a revenue source for the President, instead of supporting the anti-tuberculosis foundation that it was originally established for. Last week, the sweepstakes office was transferred back to the Department of Health. By putting more money into the effort to control TB, hopefully the 75 daily deaths will be reduced.

There was also some chatter about the debt problem and it was satisfying to get quoted by fellow candidates regarding my positions on healthcare and education. And though limited, there was a little debate on critical issues that resulted from this exercise.

Our final campaign day was spent in Cavite. Passing by the house in Kawit where independence was proclaimed 111 years ago made me think yet again of how we messed things up. Why could we not have acquired more from the many positive attributes of Spanish, American and Japanese cultures? Result is we have narrow national roads, entrepreneurship consisting of selling sachets of shampoo, youth aspiring to leave our country posthaste.

I will sleep soundly tonight. I need to keep my mind clear and my heart pure for the battle ahead.

Close to midnight last night, amid a heavy downpour, I waxed nostalgic before a lively crowd at a tenement building in Santa Ana, Manila. I recounted how as a medical student from nearby Philippine General Hospital, I would participate in one of those mass circumcision drives. I asked for a show of hands from any remaining survivors.

What was sad though was the persistence of the same deplorable living conditions that existed 20 years before. It was as if no progress had taken place. I did notice a whole lot of young children and a whole lot of grandparents. Most of the parents must have been deployed outside of the country.

I left the Philippines in 1989 and I return to a place that seemed to have stood still. I told the crowd that our leaders appeared to have failed us. We deserved more than this keeping in mind the great sacrifices performed each day by the millions of Filipinos living overseas. When are we going to wake up? Living in the US provided me with a different perspective that enables me to ask why we can’t seem to aspire for a better life. Why do we have it so much better in the US and why do we have to keep accepting our miserable lot? Why do we chronically allow the same leaders to take advantage of our trust and allow them to get away with it every time? I think that this same perspective made it easier for me to take on seemingly suicidal odds.

Today is the last day of the campaign period. Experienced handlers tell me the heaviest day of the campaign is going to be tomorrow. Many of the recent comments are filled with foreboding, like muffled drum rolls in the distance. Don’t worry, I am going down fighting with everything I got, just as they would say in Oklahoma. And it ain’t over by any stretch. Watch me.