Bishops to hold prayer rally, call for gov’t to ‘open its eyes’

Metro Manila bishops will hold a prayer rally tomorrow at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila to call on the government to restructure its economic policies in ways that actually benefit the poor.

In a press conference yesterday, Bishop Deo Iñiguez of the Diocese of Caloocan, one of the leaders of the Kilusang Makabayang Ekonomiya (KME), urged the public to "exercise prudence" amid the controversies besetting the beleaguered government.

As leaders of the Church, Iñiguez said, the bishops have a moral responsibility to guide the people.

The prelate clarified that the prayer rally is not intended to destabilize the government or call for another people power to oust President Arroyo, but only to appeal to the government to "open its eyes" and look for solutions to uplift the lives of Filipinos.

"We should all work together towards progress and not to add to the country’s problems by instigating social disturbance," Iñiguez said at the press conference held at the San Roque Cathedral compound.

"We believe this (destabilization talk) is the last thing that our country needs especially now that we are in this precarious (economic) situation from which we desire to (recover)," he said.

A day before the traditional Independence Day celebrations on June 12, the prelate said for the KME, June 11 is a day of national mourning. "This government has done nothing to uplift the lives of the poor," he said.

Asked to comment on the jueteng issue now hounding the First Family, Iñiguez said he is still supportive of the President, as she is a duly constituted political leader of the country. However, he urged her and other government officials to "examine their consciences."

"These are all allegations and you cannot determine the guilt of a person through mere allegations," the bishop also pointed out.

If claims against First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo and presidential son Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo are proven true, Iñiguez advised the President to step down "as a matter of delicadeza."

"Without moral ascendancy, this is an occasion for the President to resign," he said, while adding this was only his own personal view.

Iñiguez, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ permanent commission on public affairs, said his recent statements and activities that concern the prevailing issues have the official support of the influential CBCP. He also said he has not been prohibited from making statements of his own.

The bishop clarified the CBCP’s position on issues confronting the administration had not reached a point where they were seeking Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation.

"Hindi pa naman ganito ang aming hinihingi (We are not asking for her resignation)," he stressed.

On the audiotape controversy involving alleged recordings of Mrs. Arroyo discussing election fraud, Iñiguez said the allegations must be proven through facts and it is up to the proper body to resolve the matter.

The bishop said, however, that if the issue failed to die down, the CBCP would tackle it in their July conference.

Iñiguez called on government officials to stop their wrangling and just do what they were elected to do.

"They should focus on real issues that could serve to uplift our nation and on more productive things," he said. — Pete Laude, Jerry Botial