Bishops call for credible, violence-free elections

Catholic bishops said yesterday that the Philippines could no longer afford another election tainted by allegations of fraud and violence, and called on Filipinos and Church leaders to jointly wage a battle to ensure that the elections in May would be credible.

In a short but strongly worded pastoral letter, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said that it is time to "come together and organize ourselves more effectively than we have done in the past."

"As a nation, we cannot afford yet another controversial electoral exercise that further aggravates social distrust and hopelessness," CBCP president Angel Lagdameo said, reading the CBCP statement. "These coming elections in May are especially important."

He added: "Many of our current political problems, which have hindered further economic development and social justice... can be traced to unresolved questions concerning the conduct of past elections."

Allegations that President Arroyo conspired with senior election, military and police officials to rig the 2004 elections have remained unresolved and continue to foster political wrangling, anti-government protests and rumors of a coup.

Mrs. Arroyo, who survived two impeachment attempts over the allegations, has repeatedly denied the accusations but has refused to answer them in detail.

Malacañang meanwhile welcomed the pastoral statement the bishops issued after their semi-annual plenary assembly, and vowed to cooperate with the religious leaders to ensure the elections would be peaceful and credible.

Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo said the palace is heartened by the statement of "our most revered Catholic bishops, especially for their call for concerted efforts by the Church, the State and the people to make the elections as clean, honest and peaceful as possible."

He said the Arroyo administration "is also keen to collaborate with the clergy and Catholic communities at all levels in addressing problems of governance and development."

"This is in line with the President’s constant exhortation for national unity and social payback, to share our economic and fiscal gains with all Filipinos," Saludo said.

With this special attention to the coming elections, the CBCP has vowed to be actively involved in the conduct of the polls and has tapped lay organizations led by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) in the monitoring of political campaigns, actual voting and the counting of ballots.

"Every parish organization and institution — and the basic ecclesiastical community, most especially — (must) be mobilized to the utmost to do what each can do towards that end," the CBCP said.

The bishops also called on Filipinos to fight apathy and hopelessness and organize themselves with church people to "help clean the dirt from our easily corrupted electoral process," though the CBCP did not outline specific steps to combat the problem.

The CBCP considers the coming elections as a referendum of the people’s mandate on the Arroyo administration. According to the CBCP, this exercise of suffrage will enable the Filipino people to move forward past unresolved issues, including the poll fraud accusations leveled against Mrs. Arroyo after she won the 2004 presidential race.

The bishops also reiterated their support for electoral reforms, including the modernization of the voting system and the reorganization of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

CBCP president Lagdameo confirmed the Church’s support for the new automated election system (AES) bill signed into law by the President last week.

The AES law calls for the automation of elections in selected areas nationwide despite the Comelec’s protests that such poll modernization is "no longer doable" for lack of time.

The CBCP has also said it is more optimistic about the credibility of the Comelec following the appointment of three new poll commissioners, whom the bishops believe are credible.

Lagdameo admitted that the participation of some dioceses in the elections may include endorsing candidates who are "pro-life, anti-jueteng and anti-gambling, and pro-poor."

However, the CBCP as a body will not endorse any candidate, he added.

The pastoral letter was issued at the conclusion of the semi-annual plenary assembly of the CBCP, which saw the participation of 99 bishops, at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila’s Paco district.

The CBCP issued a separate statement on what it considers the government’s problematic housing program.

The bishops called on the government to "stop uncaring evictions and demolitions, follow proclamations and promises to the poor and create a commission that will provide guidelines for further development in the city without undermining the welfare of the urban poor." — With Paolo Romero