CBCP urges protesters to shun violence

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) urged Filipinos yesterday to avoid violence in their expression of disgust over the decision of 11 senators not to allow what could have been key evidence against President Estrada in his impeachment trial.

In a statement, Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, CBCP president, said that the refusal of the majority of senators "to use another key to open the door of truth" in the President’s case has "ignited the fire of people’s indignation and outrage."

"But this is not the time for violence," Quevedo said, noting that the Church never encouraged violent protests. "We must exhaust all peaceful and non-violent means to correct the subversion of truth."

Quevedo added that he and the rest of the clergy will continue to pray for the senators to discover the "full truth."

"I (also) pray that President Estrada may come to see the light," he stressed.

As this developed, non-government organizations condemned the decision of the 11 senators by accusing them of engaging in an "outright sellout" of the people’s principles and prostituting themselves for political favors. – Sandy Araneta