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The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) may yet
reverse its collective decision not to call for the resignation of
President Gloria Arroyo over allegations of corruption in her
administration.
It hinted on Thursday that the turnaround will
come about if nothing happens to its recommendations for Malacañang
to initiate reforms meant to address allegedly rampant graft in the
Arroyo government.
In a pastoral letter on Tuesday, the bishops
refused to join mounting calls for President Arroyo to step down
from office. Instead, they sought the scrapping of Executive Order
464, which bars Cabinet and security officials from testifying in
congressional inquiries without permission from the President.
It was the second time since the 2004
presidential elections that the bishops’ group hinted of a
possible reversal of a position it had adopted. The polls in that
year were seen as fraud-filled, causing government critics to call
on Mrs. Arroyo to vacate the presidency.
In a statement, Cagayan de Oro Archbishop
Antonio Ledesma, the vice-president of the group, assured that the
church hierarchy will closely watch the Arroyo administration’s
response to the six-point pastoral statement it earlier issued.
Alleged corruption in the government topped the issues that the
bishops wanted the President to look into seriously.
Ledesma said the church leadership will settle
only for “concrete compliance” with what the bishops sought.
“We will certainly be expecting [compliance]
and, in fact, in earlier statements, we were asking for a closure of
many of these high-profile cases of alleged graft and corruption,”
he added.
“Everything is open in the sense that we have
to judge the situation according to its own merits at the proper
time,” Ledesma said.
Bishops draw flak
The bishops’ position was heavily criticized
by Kaalagad Katipunang Kristiyano.
It said the Catholic bishops’ latest statement
“has finally released us, and hopefully all other church groups,
from looking for and depending on ‘leaders’ who are reluctant to
blaze the path of change, and who refuse to help us draw closer to
the fulfillment of the Kingdom.”
The statement, the group added, “empowered us
to accept the challenge to a collective leadership with other church
people presently engaged in the Lakbayan [journey] for truth.”
In July 2005, the Catholic bishops also issued a
pastoral statement amid charges that the 2004 presidential elections
were rigged to favor the President. Government critics expected the
bishops to support their allegations but they were rebuffed.
Attempts to initiate impeachment proceedings
against Mrs. Arroyo over the alleged cheating were junked in the
House of Representatives, which is dominated by Malacañang allies.
No impeachment case was ever transmitted by the House to the Senate.
Neutrality explained
In defending the bishops’ latest pastoral
statement, Ledesma explained that calling for Mrs. Arroyo’s
resignation is a “political call” for the people to decide on
and the church “can [only] stress the moral aspect [of fighting
corruption].”
Local-government officials are leading Masses
for “peace and sobriety” to support the call for “communal
action” by the Catholic bishops toward legal closure to the
aborted national broadband network project. The Arroyo critics have
cried corruption over the $330-million deal with China’s ZTE Corp.
Sponsoring Masses today are Union of Local
Authorities of the Philippines, League of Provinces of the
Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines, League of
Municipalities of the Philippines, and Liga ng mga Barangay sa
Pilipinas.
The local executives said the Masses are meant
to show their support to the bishops’ call for “prayerful
community reflection.”
The police were ordered to maintain close
cordial ties with heads of dioceses in a “special conference”
presided by Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno at the headquarters of
the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response in Camp Crame on
Wednesday.
The conference was attended by members of the
Philippine National Police command group, directorial staffs, heads
of all national support units and the chief of the National Capital
Regional Police Office.
Junking EO 464
The national police chief, Director General
Avelino Razon Jr., said the police directorate does not have any
objection to the bishops’ call for the revocation of Executive
Order 464.
A senior police official who attended the
“special conference” said the meeting centered on security
preparations for today’s inter-faith rally, the bishops’
pastoral statement, and maintaining regular liaisons with bishops in
all dioceses.
The official who holds a sensitive post in Camp
Crame, the national police headquarters, added, “Regional
directors will be directed to pursue and maintain cordial
relationship with the bishops” and abide by the call for the
scrapping of the executive order.
-- William B. Depasupil, Anthony Vargas and Angelo S. Samonte
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