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Saturday, April 29, 2006
CBCP raps initiative but won't urge street revolt
MANILA -- The influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) encouraged Friday Catholics to get involved in opposing the people's initiative drive but that was as far as they got in making a commitment.
It rejected calls from anti-Charter change backers to lead the people into the streets.
Ipil Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, vice president of the CBCP Council, graced the Stop (Sa Tamang Oras at Panahon) Cha-cha gathering at the Club Filipino and reiterated their position against amending the 1987 Constitution.
"As Christians, we can't be complacent and inactive in the face of the present issue. The CBCP appeals to all Catholic and Christian lay faithful that it is their responsibility to get involved in the public affairs of the nation. Take part in the fight against the people's initiative," Ledesma told a motley crowd of congressmen, senators, civil society, church and business groups.
The CBCP issued last April 7 a pastoral letter expressing alarm at the Malacañang-inspired move to change the Constitution. The exercise, it said, was "dangerously unclear and open to manipulation by groups with self-serving interests."
Ledesma reiterated the CBCP's position against the signature drive move but struck down proposals to lead the people in the streets, fight the initiative and oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Meanwhile, former President Corazon Aquino said it is not the time to implement Charter change and that the government must first address pressing problems in the country.
"While I'm for amendments, not at this time because there are more serious problems that we have to address," Aquino told reporters before a dialogue on the people's initiative for Cha-cha.
Former vice president Teofisto Guingona agreed and said the government's decision to institute reforms was a mere "cover-up to divert people from the real issues."
Aquino and Guingona are at the forefront of "Stop Chacha."
In Malacañang, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said while the formation of Stop Cha-cha would lead to healthy debates, it would also help the public decide if ever a plebiscite on Charter change would take place.
Bunye, who is also the presidential spokesman, said the public will be able to distinguish and decide if they are "for group that seeks genuine changes to promote economic and social progress" or "anti-reform groups that seek to preserve the political gridlock that has served the interests of a very few."
During the Stop Cha-cha forum, former congressman Danny Tupaz coaxed Ledesma to take a more active stance to oppose people's initiative. But Ledesma refrained from making a commitment to the anti-Charter change proponents.
Ledesma explained that they are not "political" pastors and their role is to merely issue moral guidelines to the people.
"We have different situations now and we're trying to be fair for what is good for the country. We'd like to see our leaders arrive at conclusions before we support their decision," he said.
Senate President Franklin Drilon, for his part, welcomed the CBCP statement, saying it sends a strong signal in calling for the people to get involved.
"We are satisfied that the CPCP issued an institutional statement because the CBCP represents the (Catholic) Church," Drilon said.
He also said that in the event the Supreme Court will say that there is a valid law to support the signature drive to amend the Charter, the next recourse is to "go to the streets and campaign against that."
Former social welfare secretary Corazon "Dinky" Soliman, who is part of the Stop Chacha campaign secretariat, said the 15 workshop groups that attended the gathering, agreed that Charter change "is illegal, deceptive, immoral and worst, it presents President Arroyo staying in power even beyond 2010."
Soliman said there would be no let-up in their plans to bring down Charter change and plan to hold more workshops in the next few days with the big gathering culminating in June.
The next workshop is on May 10.
They also plan to hold so-called Black Friday protests. (Sunnex)
(April 29, 2006 issue)
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