/ stevenwarran's Library/ Notes/ November 28, 2000, The Philippine Star, Sin renews call for Estrada to quit, by Sandy Araneta,
November 28, 2000, The Philippine Star, Sin renews call for Estrada to quit, by Sandy Araneta,
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November 28, 2000, The Philippine Star, Sin renews call for Estrada to quit, by Sandy Araneta,
"Wake up and be involved." Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin renewed his call to his flock yesterday to press on with the campaign for the ouster of President Estrada, whom he said has become one of the country's "biggest problems."
Sin made the call as anti-Estrada protests enter the second day of week-long mass actions across the country. "The nation is bleeding. Let us not allow the nation to bleed to death. The President is not the only problem. He is one of our biggest problems. But let us not forget that we are all guilty of the crime of complacency, indifference and apathy," Sin said in a statement.
Sin urged the faithful to pray hard "so that our President and our citizens may be ready to make the necessary sacrifices needed to restore peace to our land." "It is only in the light of the spirit of love for God and country that he will be able to see the value of resignation. Let us pray that the President will listen more to the voice of God rather than to the voice of self-serving political advisers," he said.
Sin also reminded protesters to keep the demonstrations and rallies peaceful, and respect the law. "Even if the problem is getting worse with every passing day we must not even think of resorting to violent means or to engage in a hate campaign for anybody," he said. Malacañang earlier warned protesters that while the constitutional right of freedom of speech and peaceful assembly would be respected, "illegal acts" such as barricading streets or making seditious statements would be dealt with severely.
Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said security forces have been monitoring the anti-Estrada speeches. Malacañang reportedly had ordered television and radio stations not to erase tapes of anti-Estrada rallies. Yesterday, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) criticized the alleged order, saying it smacked of the martial law tactics of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship that ended in 1986 after a peaceful popular uprising. "God forbid! Such things as the Malacañang order reminds us of the Marcos era and make us a country of paranoids," said Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, president of the CBCP. "Criticisms against Mr. Estrada are not criticisms against the entire government and the state."
Quevedo said the order "would effectively instill fear and nervousness, inhibit participation in peaceful and legal demonstrations." "No wonder the police are having some problems of credibility," he remarked.
Even if Mr. Estrada is acquitted of the corruption charges against him in the upcoming impeachment trial, it would not resolve other issues hounding Mr. Estrada, Quevedo said. "It is about immorality in the use of presidential power," he explained. Quevedo said the impeachment charges against Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – accused of sedition by a lawyer for urging Mr. Estrada to step down – "pale in comparison to the charges against President Estrada."
Sin made the call as anti-Estrada protests enter the second day of week-long mass actions across the country. "The nation is bleeding. Let us not allow the nation to bleed to death. The President is not the only problem. He is one of our biggest problems. But let us not forget that we are all guilty of the crime of complacency, indifference and apathy," Sin said in a statement.
Sin urged the faithful to pray hard "so that our President and our citizens may be ready to make the necessary sacrifices needed to restore peace to our land." "It is only in the light of the spirit of love for God and country that he will be able to see the value of resignation. Let us pray that the President will listen more to the voice of God rather than to the voice of self-serving political advisers," he said.
Sin also reminded protesters to keep the demonstrations and rallies peaceful, and respect the law. "Even if the problem is getting worse with every passing day we must not even think of resorting to violent means or to engage in a hate campaign for anybody," he said. Malacañang earlier warned protesters that while the constitutional right of freedom of speech and peaceful assembly would be respected, "illegal acts" such as barricading streets or making seditious statements would be dealt with severely.
Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said security forces have been monitoring the anti-Estrada speeches. Malacañang reportedly had ordered television and radio stations not to erase tapes of anti-Estrada rallies. Yesterday, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) criticized the alleged order, saying it smacked of the martial law tactics of the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship that ended in 1986 after a peaceful popular uprising. "God forbid! Such things as the Malacañang order reminds us of the Marcos era and make us a country of paranoids," said Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, president of the CBCP. "Criticisms against Mr. Estrada are not criticisms against the entire government and the state."
Quevedo said the order "would effectively instill fear and nervousness, inhibit participation in peaceful and legal demonstrations." "No wonder the police are having some problems of credibility," he remarked.
Even if Mr. Estrada is acquitted of the corruption charges against him in the upcoming impeachment trial, it would not resolve other issues hounding Mr. Estrada, Quevedo said. "It is about immorality in the use of presidential power," he explained. Quevedo said the impeachment charges against Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – accused of sedition by a lawyer for urging Mr. Estrada to step down – "pale in comparison to the charges against President Estrada."
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