Arroyo allies in House ask CBCP to remain neutral

While the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) wields enormous influence in the country, it would be best for everyone if the bishops steered clear of politics, administration lawmakers suggested yesterday.

"We hope that our good bishops will stem the tide of selfish and partisan politics because we all look to Mother Church to guide us, hopefully, in the right direction," said Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco.

As if telling the CBCP not to join Caloocan City Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez who signed up as complainant in the new impeachment complaint against President Arroyo, Cuenco said the issue "must be left to Congress."

"Now that several impeachment complaints have been filed against her, let us allow the House to exercise its duty to act on them based on the rules of impeachment and the Constitution," Cuenco urged.

He said allies of President Arroyo in the House of Representatives would have "preferred that princes of the Church," referring to Bishop Iñiguez and Fr. Rolly de Leon "not have taken the cudgels for the opposition agenda to oust the President."

Another administration congressman, Eduardo Zialcita of Paranaque, said the Church "should think twice about getting directly involved in partisan politics."

"As an organization, it (CBCP) should be free of political bias to continue to serve as a moral compass of the people. The shepherds of our Catholic faith should be guides, not instigators or rah-rah boys for a political cause," Zialcita said.

He said the Catholic Church could instead help Filipinos by uplifting their spirituality or alleviating their social condition.

"Political meddling wastes the CBCP’s time and resources and deflects attention from other primordial social concerns," Zialcita said, urging bishops to "respect the discernment" of the public who want a peaceful and rational resolution on the impeachment complaint.

"The real damage is on the heightened political tension that results when princes of the Church involve themselves in intramurals triggered by opposition forces who are hungry to return to power," Zialcita argued.

In a statement, Cuenco said the CBCP pastoral statement last year earned praises when the bishops appealed to the people to be "discerning not in terms of political loyalties but based on the Gospel values of truth, justice and the common good."

"It is their moral duty to respond to the spiritual and other needs of the religious flock. We urge our bishops to once again be thoughtful and discerning about their role as the premier unifiers and peace-makers in society," the Visayas lawmaker said.

Zialcita, meantime, said the 2005 CBCP pastoral statement was "very instrumental in providing enlightenment and guidance to the people in the midst of the resign calls against the President."

"The CBCP’s decision not to demand the President’s resignation, and instead propose other non-violent options of seeking out the truth was crucial," he said.