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Thursday, October 30, 2008
Chief Justice supports call for reforms
MANILA -- Supreme Court Chief of Justice Reynato Puno joined leaders of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in calling for immediate and radical reforms in government amid "rampant corruption".
The Chief Justice, however, rejected to any "extra-constitutional change" of government as bishops called on the faithful to start preparing for a new government.
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Malacañang, on the other hand, criticized the bishops for calling on the removal of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Puno in an ABS-CBN report said, "I think the call for reforms is appropriate and should be taken in utmost good faith."
"I do not think the road to be an extra-constitutional change of government, in fact by 2010, we shall be having an election," Puno said.
The Chief Justice agreed the need to hasten the process in going after public officials charged with graft and corruption.
CBCP president Angel Lagdameo, along with Archbishop Oscar Cruz and Bishops Joel Baylon, Socrates Villegas and Emeritus Jose Sorra, on Tuesday called on the faithful to start preparing for a new government.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. said the CBCP president treaded on thin ice by uttering seditious statements by calling on the laity to take communal action in preparing for a new government.
"Strictly speaking, those are seditious (statements)," he told reporters covering the justice department.
Aside from vocally inciting people to call for Arroyo's ouster, Gonzalez said the bishop also made sweeping statements about graft and corruption, and singled out the Arroyo administration.
He said being a bishop, Lagdameo should be accorded respect, whether or not he is correct, but "certainly, he is not the Pope, therefore he is not infallible. Only the Pope is infallible in matters of faith and morals."
What was worst, he added, was that Lagdameo issued his personal sentiments as a bishop and made his statement not as president of the CBCP, while there were only four other bishops who are espousing this call for a change in governance.
"The problem is there were only five of them, how could they be the CBCP? He is still not the CBCP. The voice of the CBCP, for all we know could have been different, supposing they put it to a vote in the CBCP... What is important is that he is not the CBCP. The other bishops, they are not as popular as Fr. Damaso," he said, referring to a character in Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, portraying a corrupt Dominican priest.
Gonzalez also suggested to Lagdameo that since he has apparently crossed the line between the constitutional provision on the separation of the church and state, he should also try joining the political arena and run for president.
"A priest has become governor, why not an archbishop for President? They are doing plainly political statements. They have already crossed the line," said the justice chief.
"I challenged Archbishop Lagdameo in a gathering that we should agree to have these Garci tapes authenticated by foreign experts. He refused. Why?" he said.
No military support
Armed Forces Chief Alexander Yano said the military will not support the call for a change in government.
"I refuse to comment on a proposition that is in direct contravention to the Constitution I have vowed to serve, protect, and defend. It is the AFP's (Armed Forces of the Philippines) unswerving duty to perform that mandate," Yano said in a statement.
The military had played the major role in the ouster of two presidents -- President Ferdinand Marcos during the Edsa I revolt in 1986 and President Joseph Estrada during Edsa II in February 2001.
According to Yano, the military is loyal to the chain of command headed by Arroyo, she being the President. "We are 100 percent solidly behind the chain of command all the way to the duly constituted President and Commander-in-Chief," he said.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Malacañang respects the opinion of a handful of bishops, but the Arroyo government is addressing the corruption issue as much as it can.
Ermita said while about four to five bishops may have spoken in a press conference about the corruption in government and a need for changes in government, it "must qualify that this is not the statement of majority of the bishops."
He added that corruption, in particular, is being addressed by the government like through the creation of the Anti-Red Tape Task Force and the issuance of a subsequent executive order specifying the streamlining of procedures, the eradicating of fixer operations, the prosecution of errant government officials, and the conduct of lifestyle checks.
He said these bishops, some of them even known critics of the President, are well aware of these efforts; but if they have any basis or evidence for such allegations of corruption, there are procedures and proper venue or forum for appropriate actions.
Ermita said the government, however, is open to a dialogue with the bishops though such a dialogue has been regularly held between members of the religious sector and the government.
Support
Two religious groups, meanwhile, hailed the call of five Catholic bishops for reforms in government.
Sr. Mary John Mananzan, chairperson of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP), hoped that the public will respond immediately to the bishops' statement.
"We certainly hope that it will all come together soon (among the public) because this is what we need... and we thank the good bishop for hearing our call," she said.
For their part, the Promotion of Church People's Response (PCPR) also expressed support for the bishops' call.
"We are one with the CBCP on its call, and we shall heed to the cries of the people and be with the people on the actions they would deem necessary in responding to the urgent call of the time," said the religious group.
Likewise, they commended the five bishops for their brave action in pronouncing the current situation of Filipinos and for the country's need for a radical change. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (October 30, 2008 issue)
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