16 bishops to GMA:
Thou shalt not steal Rosales leads signers to
Metropolitan pastoral letter
BY GERARD NAVAL
SIXTEEN Catholic bishops yesterday reminded
the administration of President Arroyo of the Seventh
Commandment of God: "Thou shalt not steal."
"Whenever government money is stolen or
whenever suppliers or contractors' money is offered as bribe to
secure projects. graft or corruption is committed. As an
injustice to the government and people, graft and corruption are
against the Seventh Commandment and have the added element of
betraying one's country," said a four-page pastoral statement,
"Towards a morally rebuilt nation," signed by members of the
Metropolitan Ecclesiastical Province of Manila led by Cardinal
Gaudencio Rosales, archbishop of Manila.
Malacañang welcomed the statement, with
Palace officials saying the Arroyo government is leading the
campaign against graft and corruption. But in an apparent dig at
critics, it pointed to another commandment.
IN response to the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines' call for "communal action,"
thousands of youth and other sectoral groups gathered yesterday
at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila calling for truth, justice
and change in what they called a corruption-besieged government.
Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani
said the public's call on President Arroyo is as clear as the
sky: Let the truth out.
"Gloria, magpakatotoo ka o umalis ka na!"
Bacani told the youth-led rally which organizers said numbered
8,000 to 10,000. Police had it at 3,000, almost the same number
of policemen deployed.
Miriam favors killing territory
bill, says House counterpart
BY WENDELL VIGILIA
REP. Antonio Cuenco (Lakas, Cebu), chair of
the House committee on foreign affairs, yesterday said his
Senate counterpart Miriam Defensor-Santiago appears to be
leaning towards killing House Bill 3216 which would define the
Philippines' territorial baseline.
"Sen. Miriam is in favor of creating a
congressional commission on national territory. She wants a
joint congressional committee hearing. But that's one way of
killing the bill," said Cuenco.
Cuenco said that while he would not want to
impute any malice on Santiago's motive, her action was still
aimed at derailing the measure's passage.
