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Thursday, February 02, 2006
Ledesma: CBCP burns the ashes
By Jun Ledesma
Sunbursts
WHILE boxing champ Manny Pacquiao tries to heal the nation, the Catholic bishops quickly rend it apart by burning the ashes of a dead issue and talk of moral decadence that they themselves are fraught with and having been enmeshed in the putrid mesh of politics conveniently forgot to preach.
The change in the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) posture came as quickly as when Bishop Angel Lagdameo took over the helm of the CBCP's leadership. It reflects how radically politicized are the shepherds of the flock in frock. To dramatize this not a few went out of the church and the bishopric and, before TV cameras and the public, prayed.
What a display of piety. This is what drives the Philippines in limbo. We have a crop of politicians that are hankering for money and power and spiritual leaders who dip their soutane in the murk of politics. I am a bit skeptical. If what the CBCP intends to do is to rouse the people and in getting them to the streets remove President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, such call will no longer wash. The leaderships, after the dictatorship, were as inept as they were corrupt.
Some wags are saying that their performance put together pale in comparison with that of the Marcos regime. If the Marcos rule was profligate those who came after him improved on that profligacy. Today, people are hurting because times are hard and taxes and prices of prime commodities make life even more difficult. But will they go with the opposition devout wish for Arroyo and Noli de Castro to resign? I do not believe so. Not a Frank Drilon, not a Joe de Venecia.
Not even with the ministration of the Church. Not when the church has not even cleansed itself of scandals and immoralities. There is just no alternative better than what is perceived to be bad. Bad because, according to the opposition, Arroyo cheated. Which leads us to another topic.
Isn't it that candidate Loren Legarda has filed an election protest against Vice President Noli de Castro for alleged cheating and rigging? The Supreme Court sitting as election tribunal had gone over a number of documents that relates to the complaint.
I am sure that not only are Legarda's lawyers looking at the vice presidential canvass but are looking keenly on whether votes for GMA were tampered with. Had they found a bit of evidence to prove there was cheating, by now the opposition and all the anti-Arroyo forces, including the CBCP, must have already gone berserk and marched to the streets to trumpet their discovery.
The CBCP too should have looked into the progress of that protest. Were there cheating? Were the votes tampered with? If they were seeking the truth, then what have they been doing? Were they just listening to the opposition's shotgun claims? They cannot be the incarnate of grand inquisitor without first attempting to find the truth. Or have they?
(February 2, 2006 issue)
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