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Monday, January 29, 2007
Elect good people into office: bishops to voters
MANILA -- The influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Sunday urged voters "to choose wise, discerning and experienced people" in the May 14 elections.
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president, said in a press conference at the end of the conference's three-day plenary that the country's current political problems stem from "unresolved questions" over the conduct of past elections.
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"We cannot afford yet another controversial electoral exercise that further aggravates social distrust and hopelessness," he added.
Lagdameo said the CBCP, as a whole, will not give election guidelines and will leave it to each bishop instead to guide voters into choosing the best candidates.
The bishops, he added, would know better the realities happening in their dioceses.
Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Oscar Ledesma, for his part, said the CBCP felt that because they have for the past 50 years issued pastoral statements to guide the voters during elections, "it's time for them now to keep silent."
"We felt that we should keep silent and let the people decide for themselves," he added.
Ledesma said the CBCP intentionally decided to issue a vague statement since they do not know yet who are running.
Ledesma also said the May elections will determine the fate of administration candidates.
"The coming elections will be the real people's initiative...don't talk about Charter change this time but let's talk first how the people feel about the current administration and the unresolved cases in the previous election," Ledesma said.
If the May 14 elections were clean, honest and peaceful and majority of administration candidates win, Ledesma said this could be considered "a closure to the controversy" surrounding the Arroyo government.
Furthermore, Ledesma is hopeful that whatever the outcome of the elections, it would pave the way for the resolution of issues that remain unresolved like the Mayuga report, fertilizer fund scam, and alleged fraud in the May 2004 elections.
Lagdameo said they are mobilizing the basic ecclesiastical communities in the dioceses to ensure an honest orderly and peaceful election.
At Malacañang, Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said "the government welcomes the statement of our most revered Catholic bishops, especially their call for concerted efforts by the church, the state and the people to make the elections as clean, honest and peaceful as possible."
"The administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is also keen to collaborate with clergy and Catholic communities at all levels in addressing problems of governance and development. This is in line with the President's constant exhortation for national unity and social payback, to share our economic and fiscal gains with all Filipinos," said Saludo. (MSN/JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pampanga. (January 29, 2007 issue)
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