Palace to bishops: Drop partisan bias

Malacañang brushed aside yesterday calls from some Catholic bishops for President Arroyo to resign and urged Church leaders to instead set aside their "personal and partisan bias" against the administration for the sake of the people.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye also confirmed reports that Mrs. Arroyo met with a group of bishops Monday night or a day after the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued its pastoral statement in which it said the "search for truth" must be "relentlessly pursued," particularly on issues confronting her administration.

"We are one with the CBCP in the search of truth and justice and we shall exert our efforts to engage the CBCP in sincere and constructive dialogue. We take exception, however, to comments questioning the legitimacy of the President," Bunye said.

"We need to set aside personal and partisan bias, as we try to work for genuine political and economic reforms that will lift our people from poverty," he added.

Asked whether the CBCP had breached the constitutional principle of the separation of Church and State in tackling Charter change, the 2007 elections and other political issues, he said the Palace does not want to add to the controversy and would leave it for others to judge.

"We’re aware that quite a number reacted in a different manner and they reacted negatively but we will leave it at that. As we have said, we are taking the pastoral statements in the spirit of humility and with an open mind," Bunye said.

CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo on Wednesday said resignation remains an option for Mrs. Arroyo in order to bring closure to questions of the legitimacy of her mandate.

He pointed out that only a few bishops favored Mrs. Arroyo stepping down, otherwise the CBCP pastoral statement would have reflected such a position clearly.

Lagdameo said the President’s political opponents should distinguish between "a group decision and an individual position" in interpreting the varying statements of the bishops.

Bunye reiterated that Mrs. Arroyo won cleanly in the May 2004 elections as could be proven in official assessments of private and public organizations.

The President, he said, has a clear mandate until 2010 and would "continue to do her best in delivering projects and programs that would help the people."

Bunye said the meeting was attended by at least 12 CBCP members and "two senior officials," believed to be Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and incoming Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor.

He said the meeting did not tackle calls for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation, however, but only "environmental issues" and the 1995 Mining Act, which the bishops have strongly opposed.

"It was clear that these (environment) issues were discussed and they are so interested in this that we believe that all other issues that were raised were secondary to this particular group of bishops who met with the President," Bunye said.

He said Mrs. Arroyo remains open to future and frequent meetings with the members of the CBCP. — With Aurea Calica