No surprise here. This administration can always rely on the CBCP president to make pro-admin political statements when the need arises.
Bishops support GMA’s ‘calibrated response’ to rallies
By Edu Punay
The Philippine Star 09/24/2005
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is supporting President Arroyo in ordering a "preemptive calibrated response" to wildcat street protests.
While the Catholic Church remains supportive of the right to peaceful assembly, CBCP president Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla said constitutional rights also have corresponding limitations.
The CBCP echoed Mrs. Arroyo’s argument that national interest and public order justified the implementation of the new policy, which amends the government’s stance of maximum tolerance.
"Our stand is the same as before: people have the right to assemble and express dissent peacefully and within the bounds of law. But this right is not absolute and is limited by the rights of others," Capalla said.
Related: More on Capalla here.
Read this one too.
GMA warned against martial law imposition
Sunday, 09 25, 2005
It's going to be President Arroyo's funeral if she insists on imposing martial law, emergency rule or even suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus.
This was the reaction from various sectors on reports that Malacañang has already prepared a draft on the declaration of martial rule.
But while Malacañang quickly denied it has any plans to declare emergency or military rule, it was also noted that Palace aides quickly seized upon the support extended to Mrs. Arroyo by at least two bishops, archbishops Fernando Capalla, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, and former CBCP president Orlando Quevedo.
Both bishops expressed support for the repressive iron-fist policy of Malacanañg in dealing with anti-Arroyo protesters, broadly hinting that if emergency rule is imposed, the bishops would also be backing this Palace action, as the bishops echoed Mrs. Arroyo's statement that freedoms are limited and that rallies should be banned, so as not to disrupt business.
During a radio interview over RMN-dzXL, Press Secretary and concurrent presidential spokes-man Ignacio Bunye said the CBCP's support for Mrs. Arroyo's “calibrated preemptive response” to anti-Arroyo rallies is a “welcome development.”
And this. Di ibig sabihin ba nyan ay nagmukhang tanga ang CBCP? hee hee, hoo hoo, haa haa...
Gloria flip-flops on crackdown vs pro-rally mayors
By Sherwin C. Olaes
Sunday, 09 25, 2005
President Arroyo, apparently realizing that she had shot herself in the foot, yesterday flip-flopped on her threat to suspend executives of local government units (LGUs) who allow anti-government rallies in their areas of jurisdiction by turning tight-lipped on the crackdown just a day after she made it.
The Chief Executive last Friday instructed the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Department of Interior and Local Government to slap with a notice of suspension one such LGU administrator, her harsh critic Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, who has been issuing various groups permits to hold protest actions at what is regarded as the country's central financial district located in the city.
Press Secretary and concurrent presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye, during a radio interview over RMN-dzXL, said they would leave the fate of Binay to DoJ Secretary Raul Gonzalez.
“Well, we believe (DoJ) Secretary Gonzalez should explain his side. Our point here is that these mass protests should have (their) limit. It's important that we address the needs of the greater majority,” Bunye added.
Mrs. Arroyo's turnaround is seen to confuse the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which also yesterday gave tacit support to the President's warning.
“People have the right to assemble and express dissent peacefully but within the bounds of law. (But) this right is not absolute and is limited with the rights of others,” CBCP president Archbishop Fernando Capalla said in a statement.
Another member of the CBCP sees Capalla's defense of Mrs. Arroyo's is not helping the government any.
According to Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, another harsh critic of the President, Malacañang's latest bid to quash protest rallies might yet turn out to be a big lesson in irony for Mrs. Arroyo.
“Such response had already been tried before for so many years during martial law. The ultimate result (was that the) then national leader became weaker, the protest rallies became stronger. The leader fell,” Cruz also yesterday said in a statement posted on the Internet, referring to strongman President Ferdinand Marcos, who declared martial law in 1972 and ruled until early 1986.
He added Malacañang's adoption of the so-called preemptive calibrated response betrays its panic, saying, “The perception of desperate times promotes desperate moves.”
Bunye cited the support for such response from Capalla, saying “majority” of Filipinos agree that freedom of expression and the right to protest must fall below the right to “get on with our normal lives.”
Tignan nyo, the admin is even using Archbishop Capalla's statements to justify their "martial law"-like tendencies.
The CBCP better move quickly to replace their outgoing president Fernando Capalla ASAP. This guy has already done (and will continue to do) great damage to the CBCP's reputation with his partisan statements and actions. Don't wait till december (when he is scheduled to step down), kasi by then, it might be too late...
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment