Ducky Paredes

Malaya (12.21.06)

“(T)he bishops had gone to Malacanang for a dinner with Gloria and many of them received envelopes that contained funds intended for their particular charities.”

Who Really Needs ‘Character Change’?

by Ducky Paredes

Msgr. Pedro Quitorio, spokesman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), says that among the things that the CBCP may undertake fro the May 2007 elections is a proposal from a fellow bishop that the CBCP actively campaign against those who are espousing charter change.
He is quick to say that this foolish idea has not yet been brought formally before the central committee of the CBCP; thus, there is as yet no decision. Definitely, though, says the CBCP spokesman, the bishops will go into an education program for the electorate through its social action arm, after the CBCP winds down its relief operations for the typhoon victims.
In fact, even as the National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA), the CBCP’s social action arm, is distributing relief goods, it is also handing out materials prepared for the 2007 polls.
Perhaps, the more honest thing to do for the CBCP is to enter politics and wade any sort of campaign that it wants. A total campaign against those who are for charter change will at least clearly define the stand of the bishops. Right now, even as they say that what is needed is character change instead of charter change.” One has not forgotten that only in July this year when the CBCP tackled the question of the impending impeachment of Gloria Arroyo? What did the CBCP do then? Here was their answer to whether to impeach Gloria:
“We wish to make the CBCP position clear and unambiguous on the present impeachment plans:
“We are undoubtedly for the search for truth. Therefore, in all sincerity we respect the position of individuals or groups that wish to continue using the impeachment process to arrive at the truth.
“But as Bishops reflecting and acting together as a body in plenary assembly, in the light of previous circumstances, we are not inclined at the present moment to favor the impeachment process as the means for establishing the truth. For unless the process and its rules as well as the mindsets of all participating parties, pro and con, are guided by no other motive than genuine concern for the common good, impeachment will once again serve as an unproductive political exercise, dismaying every citizen, and deepening the citizen’s negative perception of politicians, left, right and center.”
What really happened was that some of the bishops had gone to Malacanang for a dinner with Gloria and many of them received envelopes that contained funds intended for their particular charities. When that story broke, one bishop publicly condemned the action of Malacanang and made a public show of returning the money that was in the envelope.
This nation may well need “character change” but the bishops ought to realize that such a change must start with themselves as the instigators of “character change.” If it does not, they are nothing but sanctimonious hypocrites of whom Jesus, on his time on earth, said (King James Version): “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”
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According to the fourth quarter survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS), the number of Filipino families which experienced actual hunger by having to forego one of the three regular daily meals at least once in the past three months reached an all-time high of 19 percent or an estimated 3.3 million families!
The survey of 1,200 respondents was taken Nov. 24-29.
Since June 2004, the hunger figures have been at double-digit. In March and September 2006, this was at 16.9 percent!
52 percent of families see themselves as “poor in general,” and 40 percent said they were “poor in terms of food.”
Hunger rose by almost five points in Metro Manila, from 12.8 percent in September to 17.7 percent in November. It rose by three points in the rest of Luzon, from 14.7 percent to 17.7 percent in September 2006 to 17.7 percent in November.
Hunger rose by one point in Mindanao, from 21.3 percent to 22.3 percent. It declined slightly in the Visayas, from 19.7 percent to 19 percent.
Moderate hunger is defined by the SWS as those experiencing it involuntarily “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months. Severe hunger, to the SWS, is felt by households involuntarily hungry “often” or “always” in the last three months.
“Moderate” rose from 12.3 percent in September to a new record of 15.1 percent, surpassing the previous record of 12.9 percent in August 2005.
“Severe” went up in Metro Manila (from 4.6 percent to 5 percent), and in Mindanao (from 4 percent to 5 percent). However, it declined in Luzon (from 4.3 percent to 3 percent), and in the Visayas (from 6 percent to 3.7 percent).
To these poor families, the perception of what they need to escape poverty is an average monthly budget of P12,000 in Metro Manila. In the Visayas, this is P6,000, and P5,000 for Mindanao and Luzon.
In terms of food availability, 40 percent of Filipino households considered themselves as poor, 27 percent said they were in the borderline, and 32 percent considered themselves as not poor.
Think about that during this celebration of the earthly birth of the Savior of Mankind as you partake of a sumptuous Noche Buena.
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When Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez says that the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army killed Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin Jr. right in the heart of the nation’s capital and that the assassination attempts on House majority leader Prospero Nograles and Pasig Rep. Robert Jaworski Jr. could also be the handiwork of the NPA, he is not doing the administration any favors.
Is the Justice Secretary saying that the NPA has already gained so much in its revolutionary struggle against this government that it can actually target our congressmen wherever they like and wherever these targets may be? That is a chilling thought!
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hvp (12.20.06)

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