|
Thursday, October 06, 2005
'Bogus' letter to Arroyo irks Bishop Navarra
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
BISHOP Vicente Navarra denied Wednesday any hand in circulating a letter to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appealing for the reversal of a case pending before the Department of Justice against a town mayor.
The letter allegedly contains his appeal to the President for the reversal of the Justice Department's recommendation on the dismissal of illegal logging charges filed against Don Salvador Benedicto Mayor Cynthia de la Cruz, her husband Nehemias and eight others.
The two-page letter, dubbed "bogus" by the Bishop's Palace, was sent to Sun.Star via facsimile Wednesday afternoon.
It was a computerized letter written on the "official" letter head of the Bishop's Palace with telephone number (034) 433-33-10 indicated on the upper right side of the paper.
It second page, however, was cut-off in the middle.
It also has no signatory.
However, it was stated in the body that Navarra was allegedly dismayed and disgusted over Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez' recommendation with regards to the logging case against the Dela Cruz couple, and others.
It also shows the bishop's appeal to the President to review and order an immediate reconsideration of the recommendation.
But when the letter was brought to the bishop's palace, none of the Bishop's aides would like to admit sending that letter via telefax to Sun.Star.
Navarra's secretary Fr. Ruel Jundos immediately held in possession the alleged bogus letter.
Fr. Jundos presented the letter and later irked the good bishop.
Fr.Jundos, in a telephone interview, said they are now investigating who among the people in the palace sent the letter to media entities.
He stressed, "The bishop has never drafted any letter to the President nor ordered the release of such to the media."
Fr. Jundos said the bishop himself has already ordered an in depth probe among the palace staff.
Groups of environmentalists in Negros Occidental have sent a "Letter of Appeal" to the President regarding the logging case against the De la Cruzes, et. al Thursday last week.
The groups include the Social Action Centers of the Dioceses of Bacolod and San Carlos City, Broad Initiatives for Negros Development (BIND), Philippine Rural Reconstructed Movement (PRRM), Paghiliusa sa Paghidaet, GRIPP and Peace Advocates in Negros (PAN).
The groups are calling for the reinvestigation of the case.
PAN representative Duds Locsin likened the dismissal of the logging case against the De la Cruzes, et.al to an impeachment case against President Arroyo which was killed also by the majority congressmen in the country.
Judge Rodney Bolunia of the Bacolod Regional Trial Court Branch 44 had already dismissed the case following the motion to withdraw filed before his sala by State Prosecutor Peter Ong.
Mayor Cynthia de la Cruz, on the other hand, appealed to the Negros environmentalists to put the case in rest.
He said the Justice Department had spoken already. It said no evidence against them and so she wants peace now.
Mayor De la Cruz said she has no more ambition in Don Salvador Benedicto except to uplift the lives of their people, provide better education to their children there, promote peace and order and also bring progress and development in their little town.
(October 6, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
