Aftermath of impeach bid junking worries Vidal

Cebu archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal yesterday expressed apprehension over a possible worse scenario that may follow after the House of Representatives plenary junked the impeachment bid against President Gloria Arroyo, 158 votes to 51 with six abstentions.

"We don't know what will happen next, but what all we can do is pray," Vidal told reporters during the summit of religious leaders at Lapu-Lapu City yesterday.

The two-day summit started yesterday with the participation of indigenous people, Muslim groups, Protestant bishops and pastors, Hindu leaders, Buddhist monks, and Catholic bishops, nuns and priests.

It was a gathering that they said was aimed at finding ways to achieve peace and end hostilities in the country, especially with the latest outcome of the impeachment fight at the House.

Vidal earlier said there is no need for Cebuanos to join prayer rallies or street protests because Cebu is already in a state of prayer and will remain so.

On the other hand, Davao archbishop Fernando Capalla, outgoing president and spokesman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said he would not oppose the staging of a people power revolution as a result of the impeachment defeat.

Capalla, who was also at the summit, said protests are expressions of the people's rights but they should be done in a very peaceful way. -Jasmin R. Uy