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Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Did Vidal sign anti-Chacha petition?
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has its own stand on the proposal to amend the Constitution, and the Cebu Archdiocese will abide by it.
Msgr. Achilles Dakay, Cebu Archdiocesan media liaison officer, said this after a former Commission on Elections (Comelec) official announced that Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal has tied up with the One Voice Movement.
The One Voice Movement is an organization formed to campaign against Charter Change. It has also proposed other forms of political reforms.
Former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod announced that Cardinal Vidal has signed a manifesto for One Voice.
But Dakay denied this, saying that while there was a position paper addressed to Vidal, the cardinal did not sign it.
Vidal only offered to mediate a dialogue between Monsod’s group and Malacańang.
“Maybe he (Monsod) has other documents that were signed by the cardinal then he should show it,” he said.
Dakay said the stand of the Cebu Archdiocese regarding Charter Change is in the context of the CBCP pastoral letter last January. The letter recognized the need to amend the Constitution, but that this should not be done hastily.
CBCP said the people should be involved in it since they have the right to sovereignty.
The CBCP also expressed its objection to the “no-election” proposal for 2007.
One Voice maintains the same stance in its position paper.
But Dakay said there are other statements in the position paper that needed to be discussed.
Charter Change Advocacy Commission (AdCom) chairman Lito Monico Lorenzana also said Monsod misrepresented Vidal when he made the announcement.
“Monsod misspoken and consequently misrepresented Cardinal Vidal. Monsod failed to see the moral dimension of his statement when he spoke in behalf of the Cardinal,” Lorenzana said in a press release.
“We in the commission recognize the concern of the bishops. There’s a higher responsibility that refrains them from engaging in politics. Monsod should cease to play the cardinal’s spokesperson,” he added.
Lorenzana also criticized One Voice and other influential quarters in civil society who are out to “manipulate members of the Catholic clergy.” (JGA)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 4, 2006 issue)
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