Look, no BID arrival stamp. Lacierda with Lozada passport.
Rallyists vs 'evil'
warned on sedition Luneta protest moved to Makati
BY REGINA BENGCO
MALACAÑANG yesterday said government would
allow its critics to hold a prayer rally on Friday but the
justice department would monitor it for seditious statements.
"Hintayin natin ang mangyayari. Hindi namin
sila pipigilan," said chief presidential legal counsel Sergio
Apostol.
Apostol said the government will not suppress
the rights of the rallyists, including Church leaders, to gather
in Makati City.
THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines yesterday shrugged off possible revocation of the
tax privileges of the Catholic Church and all religious
institutions that engage in politics as floated by Speaker
Prospero Nograles.
Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, CBCP spokesman, said
many of the dioceses do not avail of the tax exemption anyway,
which he said has to be applied for.
"In fact, lahat ng mga religious nata-tax
indirectly. Like si Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Pangasinan,
nata-tax siya. Hinihingi pa naman permit para ma-exempt, hindi
automatic. Siya (Cruz) hindi nag-ask and marami rin ibang
diocese ang hindi nanghingi. Yung CBCP, hindi din exempted,"
Quitorio said.
PRESS Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday
dismissed as coming from a "bitter source" statements attributed
to Georgina "Gina" de Venecia, wife of former Speaker Jose de
Venecia Jr., about a "midnight Cabinet" in Malacañang.
"There is no midnight Cabinet in the Palace,"
Bunye said. "The President owes her mandate to the people who
voted her in office and not to 'midnight kibitzers' who think
they know more about the inner workings of government than they
actually do."
Mrs. De Venecia on Wednesday said a "midnight
Cabinet" controls the government and that it has been in place
since 2005 at the height of the "Hello Garci" tape scandal.
