Partnership offer to bishops came from GMA—Andaya

November 6, 2008

Malacañang admitted unsheathing its patented politics of accommodation on the country’s Catholic bishops last Tuesday in an obvious ploy to buy them off after jolting the Arroyo administration with a recent statement that Filipinos should prepare for a new government.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, Masbate Bishop Joel Baylon, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Balanga Bishop Socrates Villegas and Legazpi Bishop Emeritus Jose Sorra recently held a press conference denouncing corruption in government and stressed the need for change.

Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya said yesterday he was instructed by President Arroyo to persuade Catholic bishops to become “partners in governance” that would involve them in the procurement process for government projects.

Andaya said he had discussed the offer to Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Angel Lagdameo in a meeting last Tuesday.

Lagdameo agreed but said he would have to get in touch with “each and every bishop” in the country, Andaya claimed.

Despite Andaya’s admission, Malacañang denied trying to win the CBCP by offering development projects and in the process silence the bishops’ call for a new government.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told reporters that Malacañang respects the views of the bishops.

“However, the specific issues of bishops would have to be discussed in a manner that Malacañang would have to hold individual dialogs with “specific bishops” for “specific issues.”

“We would welcome it very much if the bishops could be with us, participate with us, join with us in the procurement process,” Andaya said.

Andaya added Lagdameo was already given a list of items to be procured in 2009 and that they could choose which ones they would want to monitor.

Andaya said the meeting with Lagdameo “wasn’t meant to appease him, it wasn’t to ask him not to talk, not to criticize, we never even entered that discussion.”

Ermita said while he did not have details on the dialog he said it was undertaken “not with the CBCP but with some bishops.”

Andaya’s offer was interpreted by the United Opposition (UNO) as a “publicity ploy” and was meant as a strategy to impress upon the public that the government had partnered with the bishops in fighting corruption.

Ermita said bishops have views of their own “and if you will talk to them, they will have other views.”

“That was not a call of the CBCP, I would like to qualify,” Ermita said.

UNO cautioned the Catholic hierarchy against the “publicity ploy” of Malacañang.

UNO president and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay the other day urged CBCP to seriously review the offer of Andaya for the bishops to become partners of the government in monitoring government projects in their respective dioceses.

“By giving the bishops the latitude to identify the projects they want prioritized in their respective archdioceses, the Arroyo administration is obviously trying to buy the silence of the bishops,” he said.

The opposition leader added that the administration is only trying to soften the harsh condemnation of the bishops on widespread corruption in government, a week after CBCP president and Jaro, Iloilo Bishop Angel Lagdameo and four other prelates issued a strongly-worded statement against the Arroyo administration.

“We cannot help but caution the bishops that such an agreement with a very unpopular administration could seriously undermine their credibility, particularly in condemning corruption and other moral issues,” he said.

Binay added that “while multi-sectoral participation should be encouraged in monitoring government projects, the real agenda of the administration is not to stop corruption, but to silence the bishops.

“To what extent can bishops intervene in government projects? Will the administration cancel a project if a bishop objects to it? If a bishop sees corruption in the project, will the administration file charges against those involved?” said Binay.

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