CBCP president joins anti-GMA rally

ILOILO CITY - The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines yesterday joined the interfaith march and prayer rally here.

At the same time, CBCP president Angel Lagdameo said in a radio interview that he is willing to accept his possible ouster as a “blessing of God.”

The Alliance for Truth and Justice held an interfaith march and prayer rally at the Provincial Capitol grounds yesterday afternoon.

Some 1,000 people from various church-based groups, students, professionals, political figures mostly from the Liberal Party and several militants participated in the prayer rally.

For the first time, Lagdameo joined the half-kilometer march from the St. Clement’s Church in La Paz district to the Capitol.

However, he chose not to speak at the interfaith rally, remaining instead on the sidelines.

“My walking with the people, my solidarity with the people is my statement to the people that I have their sentiments in my heart,” Lagdameo told The STAR.

“My joining in the march is my statement,” Lagdameo said, adding that he requested the organizers not to give him a part in the program.

The Alliance is demanding transparency and for the truth to come out regarding the various controversies hounding the administration of President Arroyo, especially the alleged overprice in the aborted $329-million national broadband network project with China’s ZTE Corp., as revealed by Senate witness Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr.

The overprice, Lozada said, was a result of the kickbacks of those who brokered for the deal, among them First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo and former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos.

This is a sign that civil society, the young people are waking up to the demands for truth and justice in government, said Lagdameo, who is also the archbishop of Iloilo.

Although some members of the Alliance are calling for the ouster, removal or the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo, Msgr. Meliton Oso of the Archdiocese of Jaro Social Action Center said that the collective statement is for the truth regarding the NBN-ZTE deal to come out.

Meantime, in an interview over Church-run Radyo Veritas, Lagdameo said he would welcome moves to oust him.

“If ever it happens, I would even be happy and grateful and welcome it as a blessing of God. At this point in time, I am even entertained by the thought,” he said. “Sabi ko nga para matapos na ito. (So this will all end.)”

But the CBCP head said he agrees with other bishops who said moves to oust him are unlikely to succeed because his ouster from the CBCP leadership is not provided in their constitution.

“I am happy because such way (ouster) is not in the laws of CBCP,” he said.

He also denied allegations of a fellow prelate that he was under the “dangerous influence” of a senior bishop critical of the Arroyo administration when he issued a statement calling for “a new brand of people power” amid accusations of rampant corruption in government.

Lagdameo downplayed as “a joke” the statement of Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos accusing him of being under the influence of Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan.

“That is not true. I respect his (Cruz’s) ideas since he respects mine. And we are very, very good friends as I am a friend to all our brother bishops. Maybe that’s why Archbishop Cruz also laughed off such a report. I would like to think that was just a joke,” he said.

Pueblos expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership of Lagdameo last Wednesday.

He advised the senior prelate to be “extra-careful” and to consult first with his fellow bishops before issuing political statements like his call for a “new brand of people power.” – With Edu Punay