‘Nothing wrong with GMA visit to CBCP’

Malacañang justified yesterday President Arroyo’s recent visit to Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, incoming Catholic Bishops-Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo merely wanted to congratulate Lagdameo last Tuesday on his 25th anniversary as a bishop, and that Senate President Franklin Drilon and former President Corazon Aquino had also met with him in Iloilo.

"Why didn’t you ask me yesterday why Senate President Drilon and President Aquino went to him as well?" he asked.

"There’s nothing wrong in giving respect to the bishop. I myself give respect to priests and bishops even on the street. So let’s not give political color to it," he said.

Mrs. Arroyo’s visit was discreet and lasted for an hour, giving the impression that she did not want people to know about it.

She also came with only a handful of troops from the Presidential Security Group and her usual convoy of escorts.

Lagdameo said Mrs. Arroyo merely extended her congratulations to him on the celebration of his 25th year as bishop last Aug. 12.

"It was a private meeting, that is why she was here," he said.

Mrs. Arroyo was supposed to visit him in Tayabas, Quezon, but that it did not push through, he added.

Lagdameo said it was Mrs. Arroyo who had arranged for their meeting at the CBCP office.

He downplayed reports that Mrs. Arroyo made the visit to seek CBCP support on the political crisis besieging her four-year-old administration.

Lagdameo said politics or the current political developments were not discussed during the meeting.

"Walang pinag-usapan tungkol ’dun (We did not talk about politics)," he said. "Binati lang niya ako (She just came to greet me). I was touched by her visit."

He also told reporters that Mrs. Arroyo did not seek his personal support.

However, Mrs. Arroyo’s visit was seen as an effort to secure the support of the Catholic Church and counter the supposed visit of Drilon and Aquino to Lagdameo on Aug. 11.

Drilon and Aquino joined critics and the political opposition in calling on Mrs. Arroyo to step down following allegations that she cheated in last year’s elections.

But their calls were doused by the CBCP stand to give the impeachment process a chance, and not force the ouster of Mrs. Arroyo.

Lagdameo led bishops in a meeting at the CBCP last month where they decided to call on the people to observe the rule of law in resolving the issues against Mrs. Arroyo.

Lagdameo said that the CBCP was standing by its earlier position that the political crisis could be solved through a truth commission tasked to investigate Mrs. Arroyo on the allegations, or via the impeachment process in Congress.

Creating the truth commission however, had been deferred to give way to the impeachment proceedings and moves to amend the Constitution. — Aurea Calica