Bro. Eddie not eager to join protests

MANILA, Philippines - Unlike some religious leaders who have said that they might join a revolt in the event of failure of elections, Jesus Is Lord (JIL) founder Bro. Eddie Villa-nueva said he is not eager to join the bandwagon of protests.

Villanueva, presidential candidate of the Bangon Pilipinas Party (BPP), told editors of The STAR that he would rather exhaust all democratic and peaceful means instead of joining revolts.

Villanueva, a former student activist, has had his share of street demonstrations and was even arresyted twice during the martial law years.

These experiences and his conversion as a Born Again Christian allowed him to have a “balanced view of these delicate matters.”

“If there would be a failure of elections and evidence is glaring, granting it was intentional, definitely I will involve myself in giving justice to the Filipino people but it would be within the framework of the Bill of Rights as provided by the Constitution,” he said.

The JIL founder said he does not favor resorting to violence and revolution.

Earlier, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Public Affairs Committee (CBCP-PAC) chairman Kalookan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez said that some members of the Catholic Church might decide to join demonstrations if the May 10 polls would result in failure of elections.

But his pronouncement was immediately contradicted by Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya Bishop Ramon Villena, a known supporter of President Arroyo.

Villena said Bishop Iñiguez was not in a position to issue such statements.

“It is the CBCP in plenary that can make such statement. In the absence of the plenary, it is only the permanent council that can make such statements. No CBCP commission can make official statements in behalf of the CBCP,” Villena said.