Bishops reject GMA resign calls

MANILA, Philippines – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday refused to support mounting calls for the resignation or ouster of President Arroyo over allegations of rampant corruption in her administration.

The 55 bishops who attended the emergency meeting agreed to condemn corruption in all levels of government and society, but they concluded that President Arroyo should be part of the solution by taking the lead in efforts to end corruption.

“We strongly condemn the continuing culture of corruption from top to bottom of our social and political ladder and urge the President and all branches of government to take the lead in combating corruption wherever it is found,” the CBCP said in a statement issued at the conclusion of their 10-hour meeting at Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila last night.

Caceres Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi, who read the statement and was among those who drafted it, explained that the bishops in assembly did not ask for the resignation of President Arroyo – as they were urged by her critics – precisely because they did not find enough grounds to result to such an act, which he described as “a political exercise.”

“We envision the participation of the President in reforms that we want to be undertaken,” Legaspi told reporters in a brief press conference at 8 p.m.

But the bishops stressed that the truth behind allegations of corruption against government officials must be found, as they called on the President to abolish Executive Order 464 that prohibits cabinet members from attending investigations of the Senate without permission from the Palace.

“We recommend the abolition of E.O. 464 so that those who might have knowledge of any corruption in branches of government may be free to testify before the appropriate investigating body,” the CBCP said in its two-page statement entitled “Seeking the Truth, Restoring Integrity.”

“We ask the President to allow her subordinates to reveal any corrupt acts, particularly about the ZTE-NBN deal, without being obstructed in their testimony no matter who is involved,” they added.

As for bodies investigating allegations of corruption against the administration of President Arroyo, particularly the Senate and the Office of the Ombudsman, the bishops urged them “to use their distinct and different powers of inquiry into alleged corruption cases not for their own interests but for the common good.”

Lastly, they called on the media to be “positive resources of seeking the truth and combating corruption by objective reporting without bias and partiality, selective and tendentious reporting of fact.”    

Meanwhile, Malacañang welcomed last night the statement of the CBCP and gave assurance that the bishops’ recommendation would be given serious consideration.

“We welcome the statement of the CBCP which exhorts everyone to fight corruption and search for truth. The recommendations addressed to the executive, the legislature and the media certainly deserve very serious consideration,” Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

Presidential Management Staff Secretary Cerge Remonde and Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo in separate interviews said the CBCP statement would help promote peace and unity in the country.

Remonde said he expects the Cabinet to discuss the recommendations of the bishops.

“This should end the calls for the resignation (of President Arroyo) and people power,” Fajardo said.

The Palace likewise thanked the bishops for not adhering to calls by different sectors for the President to resign.

“We thank the CBCP for not succumbing to the propaganda of rabid oppositionists who are bent on overturning the gains of our strong economy. The nation deserves a respite from frantic, irrational and dangerous calls for the President to resign, while the real truth has yet to be established by the court of law,” Bunye said.

The Palace spokesman then lashed back at the President’s detractors, urging the people to discern the motives of those pushing for her resignation.

“Let us be discerning about the motives of detractors while maintaining a sharp focus on uplifting the lives of the greater peaceful majority.” – Paolo Romero