Divided, the bishops settle with a vote

Supposing the lady adviser on religious affairs of the Palace did ask the bishops to dinner after a grueling session of the CBCP assembly does it necessarily become a victory dinner? That is a bit unfair to the bishops. Divided between those who were for or against a pastoral letter supporting impeachment and those who were not, they correctly settled the issue through a vote.

Unfortunately, the numbers were in favor of those who were against. That is the bottom line. It could have gone the other way, too. Had the vote gone in favor of those who did, it is the opposition and the allegedly non-partisan One Voice who would be celebrating. If they then had a meal with the bishops, some crank would also call it their victory party. That is the nature of democratic politics. Unfortunately that is how a conflict is settled — a question of numbers.

It is insulting to the bishops to insinuate that they were treated to a dinner as a reward. Cheapskates! Ho, hum. How about a little bit of sportsmanship, folks? It can be infuriating for ‘holier than thou art’ groups to be left holding an empty bag.

The more important lesson of Sunday’s CBCP decision shows how the church has survived centuries of worldly threats and turmoil. Among the bishops, there were more who understood the risks of forcing their way into politics at the time when times are changing in favor of a more judicious approach to politics. It is a promising trend that may yet wean the church from the state and vice-versa. It goes too for the state as well which should know better than use the church for its political causes.

Why doesn’t the Opposition grow up and accept that they do not have the numbers to impeach President GMA? Their campaign should be directed towards getting those numbers in the House, not in hiding behind the bishops’ cloak of moral pronouncements. They must understand and learn to accept that impeachment is not a judicial trial but a political process. The House vote on impeachment is not about President GMA’s guilt but whether they want her removed from office. It is political call.

Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan of Tuguegarao and Bishops Ramon Villena of Bayombong, Sergio Utleg of Ilagan, Prudencio Andaya Jr. of Tabuk and Rodolfo Beltran of Bontoc-Lagawe are right to be aggrieved by "malicious insinuations" against them just because they would not allow themselves to be used as a tool of the Opposition. Politicians should be able to do their own battle without involving the bishops.

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My recent column on the "Bully Boy from Makati" received quite a lot of response from Filipinos both from here and abroad, some of them long time residents of the city. Sometimes it is those who write from a distance who can write more accurately. I received a three-page letter from Mayor Binay that I should check my information. My information from Joel Rocamora’s Robin Hood or Sheriff and Miriam Grace Go’s The Lord of Makati and Surrogate Mayor published in TAG (The Transparent Accountable Governance) which says it is an attempt to summarize how, why and to what degree corruption exists in Philippine society.

From Remy Gayanilo in Calgary, Canada <[email protected]> Kudos to you for writing about Mayor Binay – so sad, but it’s true. I’ve lived in Makati for more than 15 years before I moved here in Canada. I was already making those observations on how the Binays hold on to their position and ran Makati as if it was their fiefdom. I hope your column will shed true light on governance in Makati.

George Villareal<[email protected] from California, USA. I was very much impressed by your column "The Bully Boy of Makati." It was incisive in getting into the heart of what ails the Philippines. People think that corruption is the major problem that besets the country, but in reality, corruption is merely the inescapable product of a social and political system that is essentially a fiefdom, a condition you’ve succinctly described in your column. Both sides of the rich/poor equation should realize that it is to their best long term interest to change the status quo. I believe it is the rich who can better effect that change. The wealthy with its resources and the skills, locked-arm with the poor should come up with initiatives that would overhaul a retrogressive and anachronistic system.

Butch Cruz<[email protected]> Congratulations. At last, a newspaper person finally had the guts to write about that scoundrel from Makati. It irritates me whenever I see him in TV posturing as one of the stalwarts of honesty and good governance. Maybe someday you can elaborate on how he extorts money using his powers as the mayor of Makati.

This letter has come from someone who asked me to keep it anonymous because he’s still active in Makati. He identified himself. Read your article this morning. Congratulations! It took a Lady Columnist with guts to write about the Makati "FIEFDOM." My family has been long time residents of then Municipality of Makati.

My parents have passed away and I moved out of the "Town" because it has become the Fiefdom of the Estrellas and now the Binays. Makati Residents from Tejeron to Olympia and Guadalupe have been held hostage by wily politicians who took advantage of the Poor of Makati.

Yes, it is ruled Robin Hood Style but not in its original sense. The Binays enriched themselves unquestionably. It is unfortunate that majority of the people who work in Makati are not Makati Residents and so they cannot vote. It is the poor that is being hoodwinked to keep the Binays in power.

I still own a very small property in Makati and still holding on to it hoping that someday the "playing field" becomes credible....but this could be an impossible dream now that the Binays have a stranglehold on the poor Residents of Makati.

My sincere admiration for your courage for coming out with your timely article. I am afraid even the Rich of Makati are held by the neck and powerless to voice their opinion. They must be comfortable in their enclaves and do not want to mess up with dirty politicians.

Mel Venturanza <[email protected] > Binay is truly and surely the Bully guy of Makati. I also wondered whatever happened to those Zobel, Ayalas and etc who got brains but dare not to talk or campaign against this (deleted) … person. I hope the poor and ignorant people of our society would be able to realize that the person that they keep on electing and who gives them false promises for their welfare would be able to understand that they are just being used over and over again. Keep up your chosen field and just do what you promised to do about honest journalism…..

From [email protected] This article should be made prominent and published in Metro Manila in the form of leaflets for distribution to the poor and the slums.

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My email is [email protected]