Malacañang likened the two Roman Catholic bishops who had called for the ouster of President Arroyo to the Pied Piper of Hamelin, a medieval German folk tale about a vengeful rat-catcher who lures an entire town’s children to march with him to oblivion.
Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said over radio dzRB that Caloocan City Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez Jr. and Novaliches Bishop Antonio Tobias were like the “mad piper blowing his flute while innocent children follow him to the bank of the river and maybe drowned.”
According to the old children’s tale, first popularized in English by poet Robert Browning and in German by Brothers Grimm, the rat-catcher made the children disappear after the Hamelin town chief failed to keep his promise to pay him for ridding the village of thousands of mice.
Golez said what the people want is not change of government but of politicians’ vested interests.
He also claimed that the bishops were not only misleading the public with their call but were also defying a biblical exhortation against fighting an authority “established by God.”
“These statements are contrary to the teachings found in the book of Romans Chapter 13 na nagsasabi na (which says that) we should submit to the duly constituted authority,” Golez said.
“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God,” he said quoting from the Scriptures.
“Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves,” he added still quoting the Bible.
He called the two bishops’ ouster call “reckless and irresponsible” and “unmindful of the dire consequences.”
He said administration foes should instead focus on helping the country weather the global financial crisis.
Iñiguez’s and Tobias’ call came in the wake of the rejection by the House justice committee of the fourth and latest impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo.
A wave of condemnation met the House committee’s rejection of the complaint, which would be subjected to voting on the floor on Dec. 2. Opposition and militant groups are preparing street protests to dramatize their indignation.
Just telling the truth
Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Biblical Apostolate said there was nothing criminal about the call of Iñiguez and Tobias because they were only telling the truth.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez threatened to charge the two prelates with inciting to rebellion.
“As citizens they also have the right to speak because they love the country,” Bastes said.
“These bishops must be respected. They must not be charged with rebellion because they speak as bishops. They speak not only for themselves but for the many people because they are the spokesman (of the people),” he said. “Every bishop has the right to say what he wants to say, for the good of the country as he perceives it,” he said.
“They are prophets and prophets should not be charged with rebellion because that is our job to speak the truth to denounce what is wrong. I even admire them for their bravery,” he added.
Meanwhile, Tobias laughed off Gonzalez’s threat.
“We are already used to the threat of the old secretary of injustice. We will just wait for what he will do,” he told CBCPNews.
– Marvin Sy, Evelyn Macairan