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Thursday, February 01, 2007
Bishops reject Arroyo invitation
MANILA -- The head of the of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) rejected Wednesday an invitation by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to attend an election summit, saying there is no need for it if everyone is committed to ensuring credible, honest and peaceful elections.
“If all are committed to that, it is not necessary to have a summit to just say that. Let each make the promise to God and with an honest conscience,” Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president, said in a statement.
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As the church leader made known the CBCP’s stand, the opposition announced eight of its 12 senatorial candidates, led by former senator Loren Legarda.
Archbishop Lagdameo said he is “wary and skeptical” of Arroyo’s proposal to hold an election summit.
“The Comelec (Commission on Elections), the poll watchdogs, the PNP as well as all political parties, pro-administration and opposition are already governed by the same law on clean, honest and orderly election, which means avoiding violence, deceit and cheating of every kind. That has been the law and the desideratum ever since,” he said.
As planned, the summit is to be attended by the Comelec, election groups, PNP, political parties and the bishops to draft measures to ensure that the mid-term elections will not be hounded by controversy like the 2004 presidential elections.
Lagdameo said what is needed is not a summit because the CBCP, in its pastoral statement issued last Sunday, announced it will mobilize their social action centers, parish organizations, institutions, and basic ecclesiastical communities to linkup for the coming elections.
“Among themselves they must form linkages to clean the dirt from our easily corrupted electoral process. They will show this in deeds more than simply in words. They will also do this before God and with honest conscience,” added the CBCP leader.
Meanwhile, the United Opposition announced the first eight of their 12-man senatorial slate that will do battle against the administration in the May 14 elections.
Heading the opposition senatorial slate are former vice presidential aspirant and former senator Loren Legarda and reelectionist Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson.
The other six are former senator John Osmeña (Alayon-Nationalist People’s Coalition), House Minority Leader Francis Joseph Escudero (Nationalist Peoples Coalition), Taguig-Pateros Representative Alan Peter Cayetano (Nacionalista Party), Tarlac Representative Benigno "Noy-Noy" Aquino III (Liberal Party), San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino) and Attorney Aquilino Pimentel III (Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban).
Osmeña, whose qualification as an opposition was questioned since he ran under the administration banner in the 2004 elections, said this time he will stick it out with the opposition.
"The greatest mistake in my life was to run under the party of Mrs. Arroyo. I deeply regret that and I promise it will never happen again," said the former lawmaker from Cebu.
Legarda and Lacson topped the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations while Cayetano ranked fifth followed by Pimentel at ninth place, Ejercito, Escudero and Aquino were at 13th place while Osmeña was 14th.
Former senator and UNO spokesperson Ernesto Maceda, who made the announcement in a press conference in Makati City, said the four other candidates will be announced by the opposition's coalition partners, the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party headed by Senator Franklin Drilon.
But sources within the opposition said the four others are Senate President Manuel Villar and reelectionist Senators Ralph Recto, Joker Arroyo and Francis Pangilinan.
Maceda said Legarda will represent the women sector; Lacson the Southern Tagalog region; Osmeña, the Cebuano-speaking region; Escudero, Bicol region and the youth sector; Aquino, Central Luzon; and Pimentel, Mindanao.
Sources said civil society groups want the opposition to include Sonia Roco, widow of former senator Raul Roco, in the slate but apparently the negotiations fell through.
Former vice president Teofisto Guingona, who was mentioned as leading their slate, has begged off from running for senator under the opposition banner, citing the candidacy of members of his family in local elective positions.
With the announcement of its candidates for senator, the opposition has closed its doors on former senators Vicente Sotto III, Tessie Aquino-Oreta and Gregorio Honasan.
Sotto and Oreta have left the coalition last week and joined the NPC headed by businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco.
Maceda said the coalition's 36-member selection committee chose the candidates based on their qualifications, track record and integrity.
He denied that former President Joseph Estrada is the one calling the shots in the selection of their senatorial candidates.
UNO chairman and Makati City mayor Jejomar Binay, in the same press conference, said the UNO slate will be the only opposition ticket.
"This is the only opposition slate in which case there is no room for the so-called "Third Force"," he said.
He also said their next move will be the drafting of the coalition's platform of governance with the group's executive committee set to meet next week to discuss the issue.
Ejercito, whose candidacy was put in the spotlight after former senator Francisco Tatad questioned the selection process by including family members of incumbent senators in the slate, said his track record as a local executive of one of the most progressive cities in Metro Manila would belie speculations that he might not be up to the job.
Pimentel, for his part, promised to focus on the development of Mindanao if ever he wins in the elections. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete. (February 1, 2007 issue)
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