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MANILA, Philippines ? The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) asked President Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday to allow her officials to tell the truth about the various corruption allegations against her government, but did not call for her to resign.
Emerging from a 10-hour meeting at the Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila, the bishops questioned Ms Arroyo's moral ascendancy to govern but urged her to take part in cleansing the government of corruption.
The bishops called on the President to abolish Executive Order 464, an order which required all officials in the executive branch to obtain the permission of the President before they appear in legislative inquiries. Portions of the order have been rendered unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, but the order continues to be invoked by some officials in skirting congressional investigations.
The CBCP has maintained its position to keep mum on the issue of Ms Arroyo's resignation, saying that calling on her to resign would be stepping out of the priest's role as a moral guide and taking part in politics, where the laity should make the decision.
"Asking her to resign is a political exercise, which will need the people's decision," said Nueva Caceres (Camarines Sur) Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi in the press briefing following the bishops' meeting.
Legaspi said the bishops saw the importance of maintaining institutions in order to find the truth and combat corruption, in the wake of the kickback-and-overpricing scandal over the aborted $329-million National Broadband Network deal with the Chinese firm ZTE Corp.
Their pastoral letter, he said, put the responsibility on the President to bring out the needed reforms in government.
"The letter brings out the reality that we expect the President to be part of the effort to seek reform to find the proper pathway towards political maturity. Truth is found in rebuilding our institutions, which is vital," said Legaspi.
The bishops said they did not lose sight of the administration's questionable moral ascendancy in drafting their statement.
"We recognize that there are questions on moral ascendancy raised in some quarters. We recognize this fact and point this out to her [President Arroyo]," said Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, who is a former CBCP president.
Fifty of the 101 active bishops had attended the CBCP special meeting on Tuesday, gathering a ?plenum? or a quorum of the bishops.
Four retired bishops had also attended the meeting, which was considered "special" because the Catholic prelates will convene outside of their twice-a-year plenary meeting which is held every January and July.
Meanwhile, church officials in Cebu called on the public to respect the stand of the Cebu Archdiocese headed by Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal on the corruption scandal facing President Arroyo's administration.
Cardinal Vidal earlier called on the public to just pray instead of joining street rallies and calling for the resignation of President Arroyo.
Monsignor Achilles Dakay, media liaison officer of the Cebu Archdiocese, said Vidal?s decision was carefully made in a meeting with the members of the Presbyteral Council.
Dakay said the problem of corruption in the country has remained unsolved by several administrations since the time of President Ferdinand Marcos.
He said the Cebu Archdiocese believes that the real problem is the system, which must be changed.
?Magsige ta og palagpot sa presidente, unya dili nato mapalagpot ang system nga maoy hinungdan sa kahiwian, magpadayon gihapon (We can kick out presidents but if we fail to change the system, which is the source of corruption, the problem will remain),? Dakay said.
Dakay said that if other individuals or groups want to go to the streets and demand for the resignation of the President, that?s their right and the church will not bar them from doing so.
He said he was also puzzled by the criticism hurled at the church.
"The church got involved in some issues in the past, and the public criticized them on why the church got involved. But now that the church does not want to get involved, they are again criticized why they are not involved," Dakay said.
Dakay also pointed out that these activists who have criticized the church did not even join previous church-initiated rallies against lotto, drugs and abortion.
?Now that the church did not join their call to hold rallies, these people must also respect the Church,? Dakay said.
Monsignor Esteban Binghay, episcopal vicar, said the public should not be emotional in addressing the issues hounding the Arroyo administration.
?Everybody must have some reflection to have a better understanding in the issue,? he said. /Inquirer and Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan>
