Clerics say moves to oust President Arroyo premature
Leaders of both Catholic and Evangelical churches are in agreement that calling for the ouster of President Arroyo at this time following allegations that her husband and key Palace officials were involved in the ZTE-NBN scandal are premature.
Tuguegarao Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan said people should not be encouraged to join street protests in response to the call for communal action by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
“ The call was for communal action, for deep reflection for discernment, sobriety for the real peace. Who are we to ask somebody to step up and step down? We are a people of peace, of care, “ Talamayan said.
Talamayan appealed to the faithful to just pray, instead of taking to the streets.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, a critic of the president, said he doubts if calls for Arroyo’s resignation would succeed. “ Will there be a resignation? Is this not asking for the moon? Would this be but a Mission Impossible?, “ Cruz said.
Cruz said it is understandable that more groups and movements are now mobilizing to seek the ouster of Arroyo, but these groups, he said, have different moral reasons and economic considerations for doing so.
Cenzon said the protest rallies against the president over the allegations is a case of placing the cart before the horse.
Administration lawmakers led by Compostela Valley Rep. Manuel “ Way Kurat “ Zamora called on critics to allow Arroyo to finish her term in 2010, warning that calls for her ouster might put the country into a similar situation as Lebanon, where civil strife has almost become a way of life.
Manila Rep. Ma. Theresa Bonoan-David said the controversy generated by the ongoing probe at the Senate of the NBN deal is only aimed at fanning public outrage to bring down the Arroyo administration.
David warned that calls for another popular revolt to topple Arroyo could push the country to the brink of civil war.
She claimed the Senate has lost sight of the real purpose in investigating the scandal, engineering it instead to stir public outrage and inspire chaos.
But opposition senator Jamby Madrigal defended the Senate, saying the hearings are in aid of legislation.
Madrigal also slammed Malacañang on its plan to file charges of obstruction of justice against whistleblowers Joey de Venecia and Rodolfo Lozada. Arroyo has lurched from crisis to crisis since taking over the presidency following the ouster of former President Joseph Estrada in 2001 and winning a contested election in 2004. She managed to fend off three impeachment bids and four coup plots. She has two years left in her term.
Her latest challenge intensified last week when Lozada surfaced and implicated her husband Mike Arroyo and former Comelec chief Benjamin Abalos in the allegedly overpriced $330 million national broadband network contract with Chinese firm ZTE.
Meanwhile, the top graduates of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1974 did not show up at its homecoming in
Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and Philippine National Police chief Director General Avelino Razon both cancelled their scheduled attendance as the guest of honor, Arroyo, also cancelled hers for security reasons.
Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza, head of the Presidential Security Group, said the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorist group was planning to assassinate the president.
Arroyo, an adopted member of PMA Matika Class of 1978 which is hosting the homecoming, was represented by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, while Esperon was represented by AFP vice chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Romero.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano and Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog also failed to show up at the ceremonies. Of the top military commanders, only Navy flag officer-in-command Vice Admiral Rogelio Calunsag, also a graduate of PMA Class of 1974, made it to the affair.
Some of the most prominent personalities who attended were Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, former PNP chief Oscar Calderon, former AFP chief Generoso Senga, and Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, representing the graduates of PMA Class 1961.
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