Heard through the grapevine - in case Mrs. Arroyo's stuck here on the 20th anniversary of EDSA I (Ellen Tordesillas weighs in on Gloria's frantic need to flee) , she will formally launch "1M Heroes - Volunteers for Gawad Kalinga". If the rumor is true, the launch is meant to signify that charitable work will erase all sins, that we should all "move forward", forget the current crisis. GMA will no longer need to account for her actions. This is her version of penance. The all-popular Gawad Kalinga will see to that.
Now that's sly. GK has received millions from the present administration for its projects, hence its silence on many issues surrounding Mrs. Arroyo and her administration. Mrs. Arroyo will use the event and a very high profile charity organization to hog the limelight on a day devoted to the celebration of the human spirit behind the orignal People Power uprising. It is calculated to make her look good.
Make no mistake, Gawad Kalinga does excellent work for our people. It's projects have helped improve lives, given hope to many deserving Filipino communities. We are all fans. But, please, this organization's consent to be used as a platform from which to tout Mrs. Arroyo's "magnanimity", "godliness", and "honesty" reeks of deceit. It is just another ploy to make her look good. The lamentable thing is that it will probably work. As Ricky Carandang says, we are all enraged, but sadly, not enraged enough.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Sunday, February 05, 2006
IN MEMORIAM
Our people have been visited by countless tragedies throughout our history. We have experienced natural disasters, war, and sickness. But the needless deaths caused by the stampede at Ultra were especially heartrending because the victims were our impoverished. Our poor do not deserve any more suffering.
Enough has been written about the tragedy. We do not wish to gain from despair. We condole with the families who have lost those they love most. We pray for the swift recovery of the injured. And we pray most of all that our poor will never be forgotten.
Enough has been written about the tragedy. We do not wish to gain from despair. We condole with the families who have lost those they love most. We pray for the swift recovery of the injured. And we pray most of all that our poor will never be forgotten.
IN THE INTEREST OF CLARITY
A few of us have been touring the local blogosphere lately, mainly to learn how bloggers feel about the current political crises. It made for really interesting reading, there were a myriad opinions and suggestions. Many ideas were quite constructive. It was heartening to read comments about us, most especially the critical comments, for it is from these that we gain the most.
One thing stood out, though - a lack of clarity on who we are and what we stand for. So, just to cut through the haze and set things straight, here is a reprint of our flier:
What is the Black & White Movement? What does it stand for?
Formed on August 5, 2005 and formally launched on August 21, 2005 at the La Salle Greenhills Auditorium, the Black & White Movement is composed of groups and individuals who have sought the truth about the allegations that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cheated in the 2004 elections since June 2005, and have reached the conclusion, based on available evidence, the actuations of Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo and her close allies, that the President committed electoral fraud. This is a conclusion already shared by majority of the Filipinos, as shown by SWS and Pulse Asia opinion surveys.
Thus, members of the Black & White Movement are committed to actively campaign, through democratic and non-violent means, for the resignation, impeachment or ouster of GMA.
What is the alternative of the Black & White Movement to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?
The Black & White Movement stands by constitutional succession as the main option for resolving the current leadership crisis of the country. Instead of providing leadership to our people in this time of crisis, Vice President Noli De Castro has chosen to stick with GMA and put his loyalty to her above the common good of the Filipino people. We thus also call on Vice President De Castro to resign and pave the way for special elections for President and Vice President as provided for in our Constitution. This will allow our people to choose leaders of credibility and integrity.
We also believe that whoever succeeds GMA should immediately institute basic reforms, including electoral, judicial, economic and political reforms. He or she should also immediately call for a Constitutional Convention to institutionalize more fundamental reforms that will address the current political crisis that was spawned by defects in our present political system.
Why the colors black & white?
The choice of black and white as the movement’s colors is to emphasize that the specific issue we now face is as clear as “black and white” – that the issue is about the GMA committing electoral fraud during the May 2004 elections to win the Presidency. It is not about labeling individuals or groups as either representing the sides of good or evil.
However, having been convinced that she did cheat during the recent elections, the question now is, should GMA be allowed to continue to govern the nation? And, our answer to this is as “clear as black and white” - NO!
We also believe that the issue of cheating, being a moral issue, has no gray area. It is either right or wrong. It’s either black or white. No justifications. No rationalization. Only admission, penance and acceptance of sin’s consequences. There can be no compromise solution that will keep her in office.
The colors black and white are in contrast to attempts by GMA and Malacanang to muddle the issue by raising the matters of her credentials or the lack of it by her successor or her detractors. We cannot justify the act of cheating by invoking the need to make a choice in behalf of the lesser evil.
It’s about cheating. It’s as simple as black and white.
Convenor Groups:
Bangon Pilipinas
Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO)
Citizens for ConCon (C4CC)
Citizens for Truth (C4T)
Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute (GZO-PI)
Local Governance Citizens Network (LGCNet)
National Institute for Policy Studies (NIPS)
National Peace Conference (NPC)
People's Alternative Study Center for Research and Education on Social Development (PASCRES)
People's Campaign for Agrarian Reform Network (AR Now!)
Philippine Community Organizers Society (PhilCOS)
Social Democratic Caucus (SDC)
The Moral Majority
Contact information:
2nd Floor, Hoffner Building
Social Development Complex
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Tel/Fax (632) 426-6064
Tel. (632) 426 6001 local 4826
Email - info@BlackNWhite-Movement.com
Text: (0917) 88GARCI
One thing stood out, though - a lack of clarity on who we are and what we stand for. So, just to cut through the haze and set things straight, here is a reprint of our flier:
What is the Black & White Movement? What does it stand for?
Formed on August 5, 2005 and formally launched on August 21, 2005 at the La Salle Greenhills Auditorium, the Black & White Movement is composed of groups and individuals who have sought the truth about the allegations that Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cheated in the 2004 elections since June 2005, and have reached the conclusion, based on available evidence, the actuations of Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo and her close allies, that the President committed electoral fraud. This is a conclusion already shared by majority of the Filipinos, as shown by SWS and Pulse Asia opinion surveys.
Thus, members of the Black & White Movement are committed to actively campaign, through democratic and non-violent means, for the resignation, impeachment or ouster of GMA.
What is the alternative of the Black & White Movement to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?
The Black & White Movement stands by constitutional succession as the main option for resolving the current leadership crisis of the country. Instead of providing leadership to our people in this time of crisis, Vice President Noli De Castro has chosen to stick with GMA and put his loyalty to her above the common good of the Filipino people. We thus also call on Vice President De Castro to resign and pave the way for special elections for President and Vice President as provided for in our Constitution. This will allow our people to choose leaders of credibility and integrity.
We also believe that whoever succeeds GMA should immediately institute basic reforms, including electoral, judicial, economic and political reforms. He or she should also immediately call for a Constitutional Convention to institutionalize more fundamental reforms that will address the current political crisis that was spawned by defects in our present political system.
Why the colors black & white?
The choice of black and white as the movement’s colors is to emphasize that the specific issue we now face is as clear as “black and white” – that the issue is about the GMA committing electoral fraud during the May 2004 elections to win the Presidency. It is not about labeling individuals or groups as either representing the sides of good or evil.
However, having been convinced that she did cheat during the recent elections, the question now is, should GMA be allowed to continue to govern the nation? And, our answer to this is as “clear as black and white” - NO!
We also believe that the issue of cheating, being a moral issue, has no gray area. It is either right or wrong. It’s either black or white. No justifications. No rationalization. Only admission, penance and acceptance of sin’s consequences. There can be no compromise solution that will keep her in office.
The colors black and white are in contrast to attempts by GMA and Malacanang to muddle the issue by raising the matters of her credentials or the lack of it by her successor or her detractors. We cannot justify the act of cheating by invoking the need to make a choice in behalf of the lesser evil.
It’s about cheating. It’s as simple as black and white.
Convenor Groups:
Bangon Pilipinas
Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO)
Citizens for ConCon (C4CC)
Citizens for Truth (C4T)
Gaston Z. Ortigas Peace Institute (GZO-PI)
Local Governance Citizens Network (LGCNet)
National Institute for Policy Studies (NIPS)
National Peace Conference (NPC)
People's Alternative Study Center for Research and Education on Social Development (PASCRES)
People's Campaign for Agrarian Reform Network (AR Now!)
Philippine Community Organizers Society (PhilCOS)
Social Democratic Caucus (SDC)
The Moral Majority
Contact information:
2nd Floor, Hoffner Building
Social Development Complex
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Tel/Fax (632) 426-6064
Tel. (632) 426 6001 local 4826
Email - info@BlackNWhite-Movement.com
Text: (0917) 88GARCI
Friday, February 03, 2006
BLOODIED BUT UNBOWED
The title of this post is actually meant for the statement that follows, but is appropriate as a reply to our good friend Ricky Carandang regarding his post "Dear Black & White". And we are grateful to another good friend, Edwin Lacierda, for coming to our defense.
Perception may be everything to some. It is no secret that our movement does not ascribe to the beliefs of the extreme Left, and none of our members supports the restoration of Mr. Estrada. The people who make up our membership are proudly from what is left of our middle class. We all work hard to keep a roof over our heads, put food on our tables, keep our children educated and clothed, pay our taxes, and are grateful for the grace and faith that comfort us.
We may not be politically savvy, we may be naive in some respect, but we have never claimed to be slick operators either. We are not innocent of the knowledge that some groups may have agenda other than ours, but what is wrong with trying to influence them with our own? You can't do that unless you reach out to them.
"Damned if you do, damned if you don't". In a perfect world it is easy to be purist. But early on in this struggle, we realized it would be difficult to avoid any inter-action with all other anti-Arroyo groups. There were initiatives that required mass action and we had to take our place in the crowd, case in point, "Bukluran Para sa Katotohanan". We may have stood side by side with folks whose beliefs differ from ours at the press conference Ricky spoke of, but that didn't mean we were selling out to anyone. We remain loyal to the stand we took months ago - that Mrs. Arroyo and Mr. de Castro should resign, be impeached, or ousted out of office to make way for the Senate President and Special Elections as spelled out in the Constitution. We continue the search for truth in regard to Gloriagate. We call for the resignation of the COMELEC Commissioners. But should persistent rumors of coup d'etat become reality because many of our people continue to be apathetic, we won't have much choice but to stand aside, will we?
We are anti-Arroyo but remain apart from the political opposition. We admire Alan Peter Cayetano, for instance, but like 12 Liberal Party Congressmen, we aren't about to join the opposition. We have been criticized for our association with Cory Aquino, the Hyatt 10, and our convenor groups, but we are proud of their friendship and alliance. Our views do not stray far from those of the CBCP.
In closing, we would like to share with you our version of the "unity" statement which we hoped would have been incorporated into the final version read by former Vice President Guingona at last Tuesday's press conference. You may notice that it takes a decidedly middle forces point of view:
A democracy is measured according to the manner it prevents the majority from becoming tyrannical, and protects the minority from being oppressed. Democracy is demonstrated by the government proving it is responsible in handling its powers. Instead of democracy, we have:
· A ruling coalition of Lakas-CMD and its allies that is trying to inflict the most short-sighted, selfish, political changes in our history. Not only does Lakas want Cha-Cha, it keeps insisting on No-El;
· An administration using the force of numbers to prevent genuine debate and productive hearings;
· A government of silencing critics. To enforce this policy, extreme interpretations of the law, and a ruthless application of questionable legal doctrines and interpretations, are used;
· A government that ignores public opinion, and has threatened unleashing the armed might of the state.
As a result, we have been bloodied. But we remain unbowed. In fact, instead of shrinking, our numbers have grown. The true, unquestionable, majority in this country are those opposed to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Her lying, stealing, cheating administration has used every means, fair or foul, to get her off the hook.
But Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was never off the hook. Even the CBCP Statement released on Sunday shows that no room is left to doubt that the guiding principle of Mrs. Arroyo is to stay in power by hook or by crook. And if she remains in power today, it is only because it takes time to make straight the crooked paths she has made. But time and justice are on our side.
A tyranny of the majority exists. It is a majority that exists only in Congress, made bold by the expectation that through no-El and Cha-Cha, no day of reckoning with the public will ever come.
A tyrant rules from Malacanang: One who refuses to be bound by the law or by democratic tradition; one who fears, instead of loves, our people. One who believes the problems of her own making can only be solved through bribery and intimidation.
The past few months have been a tale of these two tyrannies –that of Lakas and the strong-arm tactics of Mrs. Arroyo. The path they continue to take leads directly down the path of violence.
Every person in our country, in whatever line of work, civilian or military, wants the same thing: justice; the righting of wrongs; the means to air their grievances, and have them attended to. Most of all, everyone wants a government that is theirs, and not imposed on them; they want genuine sovereignty, not the creation of a slave state.
We have a social contract. It is the Constitution. Every Filipino must abide by it; every one of us must live according to its provisions. A nation divided between the majority who believe in the rule of law, and an administration that thinks the golden rule is that those who have the gold make the rules, cannot long endure.
This is our warning. This is our plea. This is our demand. Bring government back to the people. Restore the rule of law. Return our society to one based on Constitution, instead of where it is now: a government that ignores the people, hurts the people, and even blames the people, for interfering in its efforts to rob the country blind.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
You Can't Con Ass!
Yesterday, one of our convenor groups, Citizens for ConCon, launched a nationwide caravan with the aim of bringing the issues of charter change and No-El, among others, from "imperial Manila" to the rest of the country. Despite meager resources, the march had a successful beginning in Dipolog. Today, they marched through Davao. We salute our friends as they take on this challenge and eagerly await their arrival in Manila on 22 February. We hope you will be there with us to meet up with them and celebrate their journey at the People Power Monument. Please read on:
Statement of the Citizens’ Pilgrimage for Truth and Reforms
(Lakbay Mamamayan para sa Katotohanan at Reporma)
We, members of different mass organizations, non-government organizations, political parties, church groups, the academe and professionals condemn in the strongest possible terms the proposal for No Elections in 2007. We also denounce the speedy revision of the Constitution in five months through the Constituent Assembly (Con Ass) mode.
The Arroyo regime will certainly use all its power and resources to compel the Filipino people to recognize and allow self-serving proposals to the Constitution. It will buy the favor of the present elected officials, blinding them with the extension of their term for three years.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo taught us to cheat: “Hello Garci?” She taught us to lie and speak half-truths: “I am sorry.” She taught us to steal in order to win: “Joc Joc Bolante, come back and tell the truth!” She repressed the freedom to express and the people’s right to truth. “Calibrated Preemptive Response! EO 464!” She tried to buy the conscience of the elected officials: “Con Ass cum No El!” Lastly, she keeps refusing to resign despite the cloud of her presidency’s legitimacy and the massive calls for her to step down: “I will not resign.”
There is time to agree. But there is time to denounce. There is time to be silent. But there is time to make noise. There is time to sit and watch. But there is time to come together and march.
On
Together, we will knock and call on every Filipino to listen to their conscience. Will we continue to allow an illegitimate President to distort the truth and the values we learned in grade school? It’s time to make noise and shout: U CAN’T CON ASS! U CAN’T CON US ANYMORE!
We will not be fooled! We cannot sit still and watch an illegitimate president make a fool out of all of us! We will not allow your Con Ass!
Remember People Power!
Monday, January 30, 2006
A Pastoral Statement from the CBCP
We are reprinting the latest Pastoral Statement from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. For more of the CBCP's statements and views, visit CBCPonline.
RENEWING OUR PUBLIC LIFE THROUGH MORAL VALUES
A Pastoral Statement
Beloved People of God:
We, your bishops, have collectively discerned in the light of the Gospel what our mass media, our political leaders and, above all, you parishioners in our various dioceses have been telling us. What clearly emerges is the continued and urgent need for renewal in the public life of our country.
I. Our Pastoral Situation: What Our People are Saying
We have all observed the failure of political processes to make public servants accountable for wrongdoings. What we have seen instead are acts of evasion and obstruction of the truth, as in the case of the wiretapping and Garcillano tapes controversy. While we acknowledge that patriotic and sincere Filipinos have heeded our call in July 2005 for accountability in public office and sought means for the truth to emerge, we also witness those who seem to use “the search for truth” as a means of furthering their political ambitions. Pressure is thus brought on the ordinary citizen to take sides on the basis of speculation, whether this be with regard to destabilizing alliances, armed insurgency, or a brewing coup d’etat. Have we become a nation of rumors and untruths?
As a result of all this, there seems to be a paralyzing gridlock in the political sphere, as partisan interests prevail over the demands of the common good. Enough of this destructive politics, we hear our people declare. In this situation of widespread confusion, it is not surprising that apathy and cynicism with regard to politics have taken hold of the minds and hearts of many Filipinos. Tragically, many Filipinos have lost trust in political leaders from left, right, and center, and worse still, in the political institutions themselves which are perceived by many to be corrupted. Among an increasing number of our people, there is a sense of hopelessness about our country and the possibility of genuine reform.
While the economy at the macro-level seems to be moving along, the benefits are not sufficiently shared by the poor. What the people in our dioceses are experiencing and saying informs us that their most immediate and urgent priority is their daily struggle to earn a livelihood. Poverty remains the heaviest burden our people bear. They wonder if the political priorities that preoccupy our leaders are merely “Manila-magnified” problems foisted upon those in the provinces. They are seriously concerned that in 2006 we shall be repeating the same kind of chaotic politics that we all suffered in 2005.
II. The Root of the Crisis: Erosion of Moral Values
As bishops, we believe that at the bottom of our political chaos is a crisis of moral values, a crisis of truth and justice, of unity and solidarity for the sake of the common good and genuine peace. Truth has become a victim of political partisanship as well as of transactional politics. Moral accountability and justice for crimes, such as the killings of journalists and labor leaders, are yet to be realized.
Because of this crisis of values in our public life, the common good and the plight of the poor are being ignored. We witness the anguish of poor farmers affected by rising prices of farm inputs and decreasing prices for their products. Indigenous people, farmers and fishermen in our dioceses are filled with anxiety about the negative effects of mining, commercial logging, illegal quarrying and fishing, and the continual threat of displacement from one’s ancestral lands. More regrettable is the common knowledge that many of our politicians are behind such ventures that disregard the common good.
As Bishops, we realize that the root cause of our debilitating situation is the erosion of moral values. Its external manifestations are deceit and dishonesty, corruption, manipulation and a deadening preoccupation with narrow political interests, perceived in practically all branches and at all levels of government. Pope Benedict XVI cites St. Augustine’s observation that “a State which is not governed according to justice would be just a bunch of thieves.” (Deus Caritas Est, 28).
But we also recognize that our situation is not one of utter darkness. We are encouraged and inspired to see so many good and decent Filipinos, of different faith traditions, working selflessly and sincerely to build up our nation. We see public servants struggling for integrity and the authentic reform of the corrupted institutions they are part of. We acknowledge groups of dedicated laity, religious and clergy, NGOs and various associations, including police and military personnel, giving of themselves to improve the governance, education, health, housing, livelihood and environmental conditions of our people. These people, united by a vision of heroic citizenship, are reasons for hope, even in the midst of the political crisis we find ourselves in.
III. What We Need to Do
The mission of the Church includes the renewal of the social order and public life through the teaching and inculcation of the values of the Gospel. Because of the moral dimensions of our political and economic life, “The Church has something to say about specific human situations, individual and communal, national and international.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 521) “Any authentic search for peace”, the Holy Father stresses, “must begin with the realization that the problem of truth and untruth is the concern of every man and woman.” (In Truth, Peace, No. 5) Let us all therefore address the urgent issues facing our country from this moral standpoint:
In all we have been saying here, we, your Bishops, are seeking to be faithful to the Lord’s command of love, and his call to his followers to care for all peoples, especially those whom he sees as the “least of my brothers and sisters” (Mt. 25, 40). It is this Gospel mandate we wish to see making a quantitative difference in our efforts at healing and renewing our flawed political culture and corrupted public life. In doing this, we show our solidarity with the poor who suffer most from the present state of public life and politics.
May the love of God in Christ, poured out upon all of us in the Holy Spirit, give us the courage and hope to renew our public life and to build up a truly moral society. And may Mary become our guide and model in this renewed pilgrimage towards Truth, Justice, Freedom and Love - the pillars of genuine peace in our Land.
For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines:
+ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, D.D.
Archbishop of Jaro
President, CBCP
29 January 2006
RENEWING OUR PUBLIC LIFE THROUGH MORAL VALUES
A Pastoral Statement
Beloved People of God:
We, your bishops, have collectively discerned in the light of the Gospel what our mass media, our political leaders and, above all, you parishioners in our various dioceses have been telling us. What clearly emerges is the continued and urgent need for renewal in the public life of our country.
I. Our Pastoral Situation: What Our People are Saying
We have all observed the failure of political processes to make public servants accountable for wrongdoings. What we have seen instead are acts of evasion and obstruction of the truth, as in the case of the wiretapping and Garcillano tapes controversy. While we acknowledge that patriotic and sincere Filipinos have heeded our call in July 2005 for accountability in public office and sought means for the truth to emerge, we also witness those who seem to use “the search for truth” as a means of furthering their political ambitions. Pressure is thus brought on the ordinary citizen to take sides on the basis of speculation, whether this be with regard to destabilizing alliances, armed insurgency, or a brewing coup d’etat. Have we become a nation of rumors and untruths?
As a result of all this, there seems to be a paralyzing gridlock in the political sphere, as partisan interests prevail over the demands of the common good. Enough of this destructive politics, we hear our people declare. In this situation of widespread confusion, it is not surprising that apathy and cynicism with regard to politics have taken hold of the minds and hearts of many Filipinos. Tragically, many Filipinos have lost trust in political leaders from left, right, and center, and worse still, in the political institutions themselves which are perceived by many to be corrupted. Among an increasing number of our people, there is a sense of hopelessness about our country and the possibility of genuine reform.
While the economy at the macro-level seems to be moving along, the benefits are not sufficiently shared by the poor. What the people in our dioceses are experiencing and saying informs us that their most immediate and urgent priority is their daily struggle to earn a livelihood. Poverty remains the heaviest burden our people bear. They wonder if the political priorities that preoccupy our leaders are merely “Manila-magnified” problems foisted upon those in the provinces. They are seriously concerned that in 2006 we shall be repeating the same kind of chaotic politics that we all suffered in 2005.
II. The Root of the Crisis: Erosion of Moral Values
As bishops, we believe that at the bottom of our political chaos is a crisis of moral values, a crisis of truth and justice, of unity and solidarity for the sake of the common good and genuine peace. Truth has become a victim of political partisanship as well as of transactional politics. Moral accountability and justice for crimes, such as the killings of journalists and labor leaders, are yet to be realized.
Because of this crisis of values in our public life, the common good and the plight of the poor are being ignored. We witness the anguish of poor farmers affected by rising prices of farm inputs and decreasing prices for their products. Indigenous people, farmers and fishermen in our dioceses are filled with anxiety about the negative effects of mining, commercial logging, illegal quarrying and fishing, and the continual threat of displacement from one’s ancestral lands. More regrettable is the common knowledge that many of our politicians are behind such ventures that disregard the common good.
As Bishops, we realize that the root cause of our debilitating situation is the erosion of moral values. Its external manifestations are deceit and dishonesty, corruption, manipulation and a deadening preoccupation with narrow political interests, perceived in practically all branches and at all levels of government. Pope Benedict XVI cites St. Augustine’s observation that “a State which is not governed according to justice would be just a bunch of thieves.” (Deus Caritas Est, 28).
But we also recognize that our situation is not one of utter darkness. We are encouraged and inspired to see so many good and decent Filipinos, of different faith traditions, working selflessly and sincerely to build up our nation. We see public servants struggling for integrity and the authentic reform of the corrupted institutions they are part of. We acknowledge groups of dedicated laity, religious and clergy, NGOs and various associations, including police and military personnel, giving of themselves to improve the governance, education, health, housing, livelihood and environmental conditions of our people. These people, united by a vision of heroic citizenship, are reasons for hope, even in the midst of the political crisis we find ourselves in.
III. What We Need to Do
The mission of the Church includes the renewal of the social order and public life through the teaching and inculcation of the values of the Gospel. Because of the moral dimensions of our political and economic life, “The Church has something to say about specific human situations, individual and communal, national and international.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 521) “Any authentic search for peace”, the Holy Father stresses, “must begin with the realization that the problem of truth and untruth is the concern of every man and woman.” (In Truth, Peace, No. 5) Let us all therefore address the urgent issues facing our country from this moral standpoint:
- We recommend that the search for truth be relentlessly pursued through structures and processes mandated by law and our Constitution, such as the Ombudsman, the Commission on Human Rights, the Sandiganbayan, and Congress itself as well as other citizens’ groups. This requires that such bodies be led and run by credible people, persons of integrity and probity.
- Confidence and trust in our political processes have to be restored. As a first step we strongly urge our political leaders to undertake electoral reforms posthaste. The Commission on Elections has to be transformed into a competent and reliable body beyond reproach. The call for resignation or even prosecution of a number of the Commissioners should not be lightly brushed aside. The electoral process, including counting of votes, needs to be reformed and modernized before the next elections.
- Elections in 2007 should not be cancelled. The Church recognizes that in a democracy power emanates from the people “i.e., that the subject of political authority is the people considered in its entirety . . . This people transfers the exercise of sovereignty to those whom it freely elects . . . but it preserves the prerogative . . . [of] evaluating those charged with governing, and replacing them when they do not fulfill their functions satisfactorily.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 395)
- While we agree that certain aspects of our Constitution may need amendments and revisions, we do not support hasty efforts to change this fundamental law of the land without the widespread discussion and participation that such changes require. We continue to believe, as we did in our Statement on Charter Change in 2003, that changing the Constitution involving major shifts in the form of government, requires widespread participation, total transparency, and relative serenity that allows for national discussion and debate. This is best done through a Constitutional Convention. The reasons for constitutional change must be based on the common good rather than on self-serving interests or the interests of political dynasties.
- We reiterate our stand in our July 2005 statement that we do not condone any move resorting to violence or counter-constitutional means in resolving our present crisis. These measures would only bring about new forms of injustice, more hardships, and greater harm in the future.
- To adopt a more systematic program of promoting the moral values that are indicated in seven (of the nine) pastoral priorities drawn up at the 2001 National Pastoral Consultation on Church Renewal. These are: integral faith formation; empowerment of the laity towards social transformation; the active presence and participation of the poor in the Church and in society; the family as the focal point of evangelization; the building and strengthening of participatory communities that make up the parish; integral renewal of the clergy and religious; and our journeying with the youth.
- To continue the formation of Basic Ecclesial Communities and other faith-communities at the grassroots, towards a deeper spirituality of heroic Christian citizenship, and towards encouraging the laudable efforts of these communities at nation-building, such as the monitoring of the IRA, bidding of public works projects, etc.
- To promote a spirituality of public service, integrity and stewardship among public servants and citizens’ groups alike. These forms of social spirituality should counteract the persistent evils of gambling, drug-pushing, usury, destruction of our environment, and corruption in public office.
- To bring together various concerned citizens’ groups that are working for good governance in order to encourage better collaboration among them in the mobilization of the governed to check graft and corruption and to work for better public services.
- To declare this year 2006 as a “Social Concerns Year” under the auspices of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Social Teachings of the Church, as summarized in the recently-printed Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, may be discussed, internalized, and acted upon in all our dioceses, parishes and Catholic schools.
- To accompany our efforts with prayer and penance and a deep trust in the transformative power of God’s grace in the lives of individuals as well as of societies. “Restore us to Thee, O Lord, that we may be restored” (Lam 5:21)
In all we have been saying here, we, your Bishops, are seeking to be faithful to the Lord’s command of love, and his call to his followers to care for all peoples, especially those whom he sees as the “least of my brothers and sisters” (Mt. 25, 40). It is this Gospel mandate we wish to see making a quantitative difference in our efforts at healing and renewing our flawed political culture and corrupted public life. In doing this, we show our solidarity with the poor who suffer most from the present state of public life and politics.
May the love of God in Christ, poured out upon all of us in the Holy Spirit, give us the courage and hope to renew our public life and to build up a truly moral society. And may Mary become our guide and model in this renewed pilgrimage towards Truth, Justice, Freedom and Love - the pillars of genuine peace in our Land.
For the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines:
+ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, D.D.
Archbishop of Jaro
President, CBCP
29 January 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
A Cry for Justice: An Open Letter to the CBCP
Can. 225.2 They [lay people] have also, according to the condition of each, the special obligation to permeate and perfect the temporal order of things with the spirit of the Gospel. In this way, particularly in conducting secular business and exercising secular functions, they too give witness to Christ.
Can. 678.1 In matters concerning the care of souls, the public exercise of divine worship and other works of the apostolate, religious are subject to the authority of the Bishops, whom they are bound to treat with sincere obedience and reverence.
Can.747.2 The Church has the right always and everywhere to proclaim moral principles, even in respect of the social order, and to make judgments about any human matter in so far as this is required by fundamental human rights or the salvation of souls.
The Code of Canon Law
Promulgated in 1983
Your Eminence and Excellencies:
St. Thomas Aquinas taught that the function of a moral agent is to do three things: to search for the means suitable in any particular case, to accomplish any particular moral virtue; to judge, in a sound manner, the appropriateness of the outlined path; and, finally, to authorize and encourage the path to be pursued. You did all three: you consulted each other as well as individuals whose counsel you respected; and having decided the case of the President was one primarily of trust, you cast about for the means to determine why that trust was lost; and furthermore, what the country as a whole should do about it.
Therefore the CBCP through its last collective statement, offered to secular society a guide to invoking spiritual principles to accomplish the reconciliation of contending sides, by means that exalt accountability. However: of the means proposed, all have resulted in a perfunctory gesture of interest on the part of the President, and the one means that moved forward the most –impeachment- was entangled in a web of procedures by her allies, and further ensnared in the calculated, amoral dispensation of patronage by the President that killed any possible hope (and semblance) of determining the ultimate facts.
Since you last met, the President has evaded every means to demonstrate her willingness to submit herself to the people. She has, furthermore, used every instrument at her disposal to prevent any semblance of an investigation or an accounting. She has enunciated and enforced a policy of thwarting the freedom to peaceably assemble, by calling for a “pre-emptive, calibrated response” to public assembly. She has gone further than was ever Constitutionally-envisioned, in raising the Executive Department over all other, co-equal departments of our government and blurred the lines that serve as a brake on Executive domination of the armed forces, through her Executive Order No. 464, which at a most basic level, places penalties on public officials who might be inclined to make themselves accountable to the public or follow the dictates of their conscience.
Public opinion has been clearly expressed in support of a fundamental principle of good governance and Christian living in the secular realm: that officials are servants of the people, are answerable to the people, and must take it upon themselves to always be transparent and accountable for their actions. Filipinos from all walks of life and faith have clearly spoken out, not for or against specific political personalities, not for or against certain political factions or interests, but rather, on the burning question of the day: can a President, facing serious and grievous questions concerning not only her mandate, but the manner in which she has exercised her powers, simply brush aside the clamor for answers?
We believe that never, for a moment, did you, the CBCP, believe that life can go on, as if these questions and issues were never raised. We are certain that you hoped and prayed for the President to be able to discern the need to humbly entrust herself to the sovereign people; and for the institutions of government and the faithful to find means to satisfy the need for justice.
But justice has been delayed, and thus, denied. The arsenal of powers –and the arrogation of authority never given the President, but which she claims and wields anyway- available to the President has been utilized to silence dissent, and thwart the process of investigation and questioning. Every institution, from the bureaucracy, to our legislature, the courts, and society at large, has been sublimated to the President’s paramount obsession to remain in power at all costs. Even if the costs include disaffection within the armed forces, demoralization within the bureaucracy, and the intimidation of civil society, the political order, and the public at large.
Jesus Christ (John 21: 15-17) asked Saint Peter thrice, “Do you love me?” And he answered “yes” every time. Jesus instructed Peter to “feed my lambs” and “feed my sheep” each time that Saint Peter replied he loved Christ. As priests and bishops, you bear the staff of office recognizing that you must protect the flock, and yet not leave it vulnerable to the wolves. But now the wolves are amidst the sheep, claiming the shepherds have given them their blessings. Where, we ask you, is the justice in that? The public simply cries out for their grievances to be redressed. Instead, they have had their consciences bound by executive issuances, their liberties curtailed by the same, and their cries for accountability stifled. And all the while, the President has announced a New Order to be born, without consulting the people, and without offering up a genuine means to transform an avaricious political system. What temporal order is this, in which the humbleness, compassion, mercy and justice of Christ is so absent from those supposed to be the servants of the people?
We pray that you will recognize the need for the entire community of the faithful to come together on the basis of Christian principles that bear witness, instead of turning a blind eye to official wrongdoing.
Respectfully yours,
The Black & White Movement
Can. 678.1 In matters concerning the care of souls, the public exercise of divine worship and other works of the apostolate, religious are subject to the authority of the Bishops, whom they are bound to treat with sincere obedience and reverence.
Can.747.2 The Church has the right always and everywhere to proclaim moral principles, even in respect of the social order, and to make judgments about any human matter in so far as this is required by fundamental human rights or the salvation of souls.
The Code of Canon Law
Promulgated in 1983
Your Eminence and Excellencies:
St. Thomas Aquinas taught that the function of a moral agent is to do three things: to search for the means suitable in any particular case, to accomplish any particular moral virtue; to judge, in a sound manner, the appropriateness of the outlined path; and, finally, to authorize and encourage the path to be pursued. You did all three: you consulted each other as well as individuals whose counsel you respected; and having decided the case of the President was one primarily of trust, you cast about for the means to determine why that trust was lost; and furthermore, what the country as a whole should do about it.
Therefore the CBCP through its last collective statement, offered to secular society a guide to invoking spiritual principles to accomplish the reconciliation of contending sides, by means that exalt accountability. However: of the means proposed, all have resulted in a perfunctory gesture of interest on the part of the President, and the one means that moved forward the most –impeachment- was entangled in a web of procedures by her allies, and further ensnared in the calculated, amoral dispensation of patronage by the President that killed any possible hope (and semblance) of determining the ultimate facts.
Since you last met, the President has evaded every means to demonstrate her willingness to submit herself to the people. She has, furthermore, used every instrument at her disposal to prevent any semblance of an investigation or an accounting. She has enunciated and enforced a policy of thwarting the freedom to peaceably assemble, by calling for a “pre-emptive, calibrated response” to public assembly. She has gone further than was ever Constitutionally-envisioned, in raising the Executive Department over all other, co-equal departments of our government and blurred the lines that serve as a brake on Executive domination of the armed forces, through her Executive Order No. 464, which at a most basic level, places penalties on public officials who might be inclined to make themselves accountable to the public or follow the dictates of their conscience.
Public opinion has been clearly expressed in support of a fundamental principle of good governance and Christian living in the secular realm: that officials are servants of the people, are answerable to the people, and must take it upon themselves to always be transparent and accountable for their actions. Filipinos from all walks of life and faith have clearly spoken out, not for or against specific political personalities, not for or against certain political factions or interests, but rather, on the burning question of the day: can a President, facing serious and grievous questions concerning not only her mandate, but the manner in which she has exercised her powers, simply brush aside the clamor for answers?
We believe that never, for a moment, did you, the CBCP, believe that life can go on, as if these questions and issues were never raised. We are certain that you hoped and prayed for the President to be able to discern the need to humbly entrust herself to the sovereign people; and for the institutions of government and the faithful to find means to satisfy the need for justice.
But justice has been delayed, and thus, denied. The arsenal of powers –and the arrogation of authority never given the President, but which she claims and wields anyway- available to the President has been utilized to silence dissent, and thwart the process of investigation and questioning. Every institution, from the bureaucracy, to our legislature, the courts, and society at large, has been sublimated to the President’s paramount obsession to remain in power at all costs. Even if the costs include disaffection within the armed forces, demoralization within the bureaucracy, and the intimidation of civil society, the political order, and the public at large.
Jesus Christ (John 21: 15-17) asked Saint Peter thrice, “Do you love me?” And he answered “yes” every time. Jesus instructed Peter to “feed my lambs” and “feed my sheep” each time that Saint Peter replied he loved Christ. As priests and bishops, you bear the staff of office recognizing that you must protect the flock, and yet not leave it vulnerable to the wolves. But now the wolves are amidst the sheep, claiming the shepherds have given them their blessings. Where, we ask you, is the justice in that? The public simply cries out for their grievances to be redressed. Instead, they have had their consciences bound by executive issuances, their liberties curtailed by the same, and their cries for accountability stifled. And all the while, the President has announced a New Order to be born, without consulting the people, and without offering up a genuine means to transform an avaricious political system. What temporal order is this, in which the humbleness, compassion, mercy and justice of Christ is so absent from those supposed to be the servants of the people?
We pray that you will recognize the need for the entire community of the faithful to come together on the basis of Christian principles that bear witness, instead of turning a blind eye to official wrongdoing.
Respectfully yours,
The Black & White Movement
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