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Sunday, July 10, 2005
Catholic church leaders stop short of asking Arroyo to quit
MANILA (Updated 6:03 p.m.) -- The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Sunday it would not ask President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to resign amid the country's political crisis brought about by a wiretapping scandal that linked her to an alleged election fraud.
"We do not demand the resignation yet neither do we encourage her simply to dismiss such a call from others. And we recognize that non-violent appeals for her resignation, the demand for a truth commission, and the filing of an impeachment case are not against the Gospels."
CBCP president Fernando Capalla said they would let President Arroyo make her own decision on what she thinks would be better for the country.
He said they reject any "quick fixes" as a Constitutional solution to political crisis. They would also not allow the use of force or violence to resolve the problem. "In the present crisis, some calls are being made that are unconstitutional. On this basis, we reject quick fixes that cater to personal agenda."
Various sectors asked President Arroyo to resign because it is the only option available under the Constitution to stop the crisis. Several known individuals, including former president Corazon Aquino who helped Arroyo attain the presidency through a people's revolution in 2001, called for the President's resignation to save the country from imminent subversion.
Others have proposed to replace the Arroyo government with a revolutionary form of government, which the CBCP rejected in their statement.
Capalla said President Arroyo should examine herself if she could still govern the country effectively despite the fact that many believe "she has lost the integrity as President." If she thinks she could not, she has to decide for the sake of the people, the statement said.
On effective governance, the bishops believe that personal integrity, together with competence, is one of the attributes of a leader.
He said the President should also be accountable for her mistake of calling former Commission on Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano at the height of the canvassing of presidential votes last year.
He added that they support inquiries into the wiretapped tape controversies so that the people would know the truth behind it. He said aside from the investigation in Congress, the CBCP wants an independent process that would examine the tape. (JFF/AP/Sunnex) |
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