As of April 13, 1998,
the secretariat of Chapel Net is in place in the former offices of the LST Administration.
It is being manned mainly by seminarians from UST, San Carlos and San Jose. The
Secretariat meets daily at 9:30. On Tuesday evening at 8:00 we still have our coordinative
meetings with non-seminarian members.
Since April 13 we have contacted 49 dioceses by phone. We are
in e-mail contact with 19 dioceses. We are still trying to make contact with 20 dioceses.
Nine of the contacted diocese requested for materials. These
are sent by DHL if the diocese has no access to our Homepage.
The Chapel Net Homepage is still probably the most
comprehensive collection of non-partisan material on the coming election. Bong Eliab is
the Webmaster. It needs more frequent updating.
Fr. Joel has been asked to contribute to three brief Pastoral
Statements for Cardinal Sin for the three Sundays prior to the election: May 10, May 3 and
April 26. Two are already written.
Through Chapel Net, Kim Lachica has been able to play a
powerful coordinative role with especially PPC-RV and Namfrel. He is the recognized Jesuit
point person liasing directly with these organizations. The Namfrel Tabulation Center at
AdMU seems to be well set up. Software created by the Ateneo students is praised as better
than official STI software. With other members of Chapel Net, Kim attended the last
National Assembly of the PPC-RV. Last Saturday, he organized and hosted an important
PPC-RV, Namfrel, PNP, COMELEC (and DECs [absent]) whole-day coordinative meeting in the
Tipanan ni San Ignacio. The subsequent invitation by COMELEC to PPC-RV and Namfrel to join
its own organizations meetings (unprecedented!) is considered a breakthrough.
At the request of the delegates of the National Assembly of
PPCRV, Simbahang Lingkod through Chapel Net will produce a novena of election-related
prayers and three Homily Guides for the three Sundays prior to the elections. The first of
the latter will be ready by Wednesday at the latest.
At the suggestion of Namfrel and PPC-RV we are now organizing
a Seminarians-Priests and Religious’ Task Force ("SPIRIT FORCE") to perform
poll watching in hotspots in the Metro Manila Area. We are calling for a special assembly
on Thursday afternoon.
Through Simbahang Linkod, Johnny Go has completed an
excellent documentary on elections entitled: "Eleksyong Pinoy." This will be
aired on commercial media, but a special showing will be held in the Cardinal Sin Center
of LST after the SPIRIT FORCE meeting on Thursday.
Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan will be conducting Poll Watching
Training Seminars in the LST classrooms, possibly on an ongoing basis till election week.
CHAPEL NET 
