Aquino too focused on Arroyo – bishop

Aquino too focused on Arroyo – bishop

Most. Rev. Arturo Bastes, SVD, DD
 (Bishop of Sorsogon)

The Aquino government is too focused on cleaning up after the Arroyo administration and not doing enough in uplifting the living conditions of the Filipinos, a Catholic bishop said.

Speaking to church-run Radyo Veritas, Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes reminded the government that there are more pressing problems that need immediate action aside from issues hounding Arroyo.

“Mas maraming problema ang bansa na mas dapat i-hype at pagtuunan ng pansin kaysa kay Arroyo,” said Bastes who was a known critic of Arroyo during her term.

He said that among the problems that need the government’s attention are poor health and education services, extra-judicial killings, land reform, labor contractualization schemes, and mining and other environmental abuses.

“Ito ang mga social issues na may kinalaman sa pagpapaunlad sa buhay ng mga mahihirap,” said the Sorsogon prelate.

He, then, urged Malacañang to leave the Arroyo issue to the rightful government agency such as the Department of Justice and the Supreme Court.

“May tamang proseso at may tamang korte na magpapanagot kay GMA. Hayaan natin ang mga awtoridad ang gumawa nito,” opined Bastes.

Arroyo had been asking the government to allow her to go abroad for a medical treatment on her “rare” bone disease.

But Aquino, earlier this week, rejected Arroyo’s request amid concerns that she would no longer return to the country and escape her cases of plunder and electoral sabotage.

Aquino instead offered to bring into the country foreign medical experts to check on the former president, and now Pampanga lawmaker. [CBCPNews]

Bishop to govt: Prioritize resolution of Maguindanao massacre

Most Rev. Jose Cabantan, DD
Bishop of Malaybalay, Bukidnon

MANILA, Nov. 22, 2011—A Catholic bishop urged the Aquino administration to exert similar effort in resolving the high profile Maguindanao massacre case, as to what it did to former president Gloria Arroyo.

Cotabato Auxiliary Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said the government’s handling of Arroyo’s electoral sabotage case only show that it can expedite things if there is a will.

“If they can have a speedy resolution on GMA’s case in a matter of overnight, they can also do it for the Maguindanao massacre,” Bagaforo told Catholic Church-run Radyo Veritas.

“If the government is serious and give top most priority on the resolution of the case, I think they have all the resources for that and they can do it,” he said.

But the way it appears right now, the bishop lamented that there seems to be no sense of urgency being shown by the national leadership.

“We are not satisfied. We are not pleased with the progress of the case… the way it looks, the speedy resolution of the case is not a government priority,” Bagaforo said.

A total of 57 people, including 32 journalists, were killed in the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre blamed on the Ampatuan clan, a prominent family in Central Mindanao.

Currently, the court trial is being conducted by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court under Judge Jocelyn Solis – Reyes twice a week, or every Wednesday and Thursday.

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) also called on the public to keep the “fire” alive in seeking justice for the victims of the carnage.

“Sana lang ay huwag kalimutan na may mahahalaga ring kaso gaya ng Maguindanao Massacre ang higit na nangangailangan ng tulong at katarungan,” said Fr. Edu Gariguez of the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action.

“Sana kung gaano kasigasig ang administrasyon ni President Aquino kay Gloria para siya ay maparusahan, sana ganun din kasigasig na panagutin ang mga may kasalanan sa massacre,” Gariguez said. [CBCPNews]

Bishop to govt: Prioritize resolution of Maguindanao massacre