People Power prelate slams dev’ts in Senate
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, a leader of the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, slammed the Senate on Thursday for moves purportedly meant to derail the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and cover the supposed crimes of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa.
“It is obscene. It is unbelievable that men and women called ‘honorable’ could do such a brazen exercise of power,” Villegas, a former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said in a pastoral letter on Thursday.
“It is confusing. It is unbelievable. It is pathetic. It is disgusting. It is shameless. How did we reach this low level of public service?” said the 66-year-old prelate, who was just a young aide of Cardinal Jaime Sin, then archbishop of Manila, when he was catapulted to national prominence as a church leader.
Over his decades in the church, the archbishop has not shied away from controversy even when he was criticized, sometimes severely, for “meddling” in public affairs.
For Villegas, the recent actions in the Senate are a way to delay the forthcoming impeachment trial of Vice President.
“The sudden change in the leadership of the Senate, mandated by law to try the impeachment case, is like graffiti on the wall showing another devious plan to delay the trial. It was not for the country but for somebody,” he said.
The prelate believed that the new Senate leadership allowed for the upper house to be used by Dela Rosa to evade arrest for his supposed involvement in the killing of more than 6,000 suspected but unconvicted drug pushers during the presidency of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“The Senate is now used as a shield for a suspect-at-large with a valid warrant of arrest from a lawful court,” Villegas said.
Last Monday, Cayetano was elected as the head of the Senate after getting 13 votes, unseating Sen. Vicente Sotto III.
Rule of the mob
On the night of the same day, as Dela Rosa fled the Senate, hundreds of the senator’s supporters assaulted a car carrying Sotto, pelted it with plastic water bottles and tried to break the police barricade surrounding the Senate.
Villegas asserted that it is again time for political change and true reform.
“Use all the legal means to pressure for political change. True reform requires not only prayer and protest but perseverance,” he said.
“We must apply constant moral pressure, not through violence or coercion, but through conscience and conviction. Evil persists not because it is strong, but because good people stop pushing,” he added.
He called on the public not to support the said public officials in the next national and local polls.
“Reject the corrupt in the next elections. Review and evaluate their records of public service,” Villegas said.
Meanwhile, the CBCP Episcopal Commission for Interreligious Dialogue urged the public to remain calm, discerning and prayerful.
“We pray for enlightenment for our leaders, wisdom for our institutions, and restraint among all sectors involved. In moments of uncertainty and heightened emotions, we must allow truth, justice, and the common good to prevail over division and hostility,” said Bishop Colin Bagaforo, chair of the commission.
He also appealed to the country’s leaders to rise above personal and partisan interests.
“There must likewise be no place for violence, intimidation, mob action, or anarchy in a democratic society,” the Catholic bishop said.
