Bishops cheered, jeered
Malacañang sees early end to crisis
Malacanang yesterday expressed
confidence that the refusal of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to join calls for
President Arroyo's resignation would soon dispel the
political crisis arising from the alleged corruption in
the overpriced $329 million national broadband deal,.
"We are glad that the position taken
by the CBCP is such that they are not calling for the
President to step down or resign. Because they are very
discerning as the head of the flock, mas pinapakinggan
ng mamamayan," Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said.
Ermita said those who are staging
mass actions have been hoping that their protest would
gain momentum with the bishops support.
Team looks into EO 464
scrapping MALACAÑANG yesterday formed a legal
team to study the possible revocation of Executive Order
464, which the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP) said hinders the search for truth on
the national broadband deal and other controversial
issues.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said
the team met yesterday afternoon and will likely be able
to come up with a recommendation today.
He said the legal team is composed of
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Solicitor General Agnes
Devanadera, chief presidential legal counsel Sergio
Antonio Apostol, deputy executive secretary for legal
matters Manuel Gaite, and Government Corporate Counsel
Alberto Agra.
TOMORROW'S interfaith rally in Makati called
in response to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines' appeal for "communal action" is expected to ring
with calls for regime change despite the CBCP decision the other
day not to call for the resignation of President Aquino.
Fr. Joe Dizon of the Church-based Solidarity
Philippines said while the rally is an ecumenical religious
activity, organizers will not stand in the way of groups calling
for Arroyo's resignation.
"Allow me to say that 99.09 percent of this
group is already calling for the resignation of Arroyo," Dizon
said in a press conference. "We are just leaving some allowance
for those who are not yet supporting the resign call."
