Malacañang calls for ceasefire in word war with detractors

Malacañang appealed yesterday for a ceasefire with the opposition and critics following an appeal from the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) and Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai for both sides to end their political squabble.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the administration wants to take a break from defending itself from attacks and focus on doing its job.

"Maybe we cannot help but answer some brickbats once in a while. But I hope all these negative criticisms against the President and her administration would subside so that they would no longer trigger any reaction (from us)," Bunye said in an interview over radio station dzRB.

In a rare joint statement Thursday, the INC and the El Shaddai appealed to the administration and opposition to end the political crisis for the sake of the nation.

"For a time, we have refrained from issuing statements concerning the current political situation in keeping with our policy of respecting the separation of church and state," Iglesia ni Cristo leader Eraño Manalo and Mike Velarde of El Shaddai said.

"However, the increasing calls of our members and non-members as well, a majority of whom belong to the lower bracket of the socio-economic strata, compelled us to break our silence and convey an appeal to all the leaders of both the administration and the opposition to bring to an end the political bickering that has been going on for months and has been hurting our nation so much, particularly its economy."

Bunye said Mrs. Arroyo is heeding the two leaders’ call. "We agree that we should end the bickering and start concentrating on the work that we have to do. That is really what we should do, work hard in the face of the many problems that we have."

President Arroyo vowed earlier to push on with her economic agenda as street protests over accusations that she cheated in last year’s presidential elections continued.

Earlier, the Roman Catholic Church had called for an end to the crisis and urged the nation to move on.

Despite the separation of church and state, El Shaddai and Iglesia ni Cristo are considered two of the country’s politically influential religious organizations because of their large following.

El Shaddai is estimated to have a membership of one million while one estimate put Iglesia ni Cristo’s worldwide membership at three to 10 million.

Politicians running for office in elections seek their leaders’ endorsement as well as that of the Roman Catholic Church in the hope that it would rake in votes.

El Shaddai and Iglesia ni Cristo are believed to vote as a bloc in elections.

In September, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines issued a pastoral letter discouraging its flock from joining anti-Arroyo rallies following the dismissal of an opposition-initiated impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo over alleged cheating in last year’s elections, among other accusations.

The poll fraud allegations against Mrs. Arroyo should be pursued through legal and peaceful means, the CBCP said.

The Catholic Church has traditionally played a politically powerful role in this predominantly Catholic nation. It was at the forefront of the "people power" revolts that toppled Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Estrada in 2001.

In early July, the end seemed near for Mrs. Arroyo after she was deserted by major allies including former President Corazon Aquino and Senate President Franklin Drilon.

Mrs. Arroyo got a reprieve from the CBCP when it decided it would not join the opposition’s call for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation.