Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Diocese of San Carlos reiterated his support to the long-standing position of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on the proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution.
He said yesterday that the CBCP “has declared its moral stand not only once but at least five times since 1987”.
“We began with a moral judgment in 1986 declaring that, though imperfect, the provisions of the draft 1987 Constitution were consistent with the Gospel,” he added.
He stressed that “amending the fundamental law of the land, so carefully crafted for the common good after years of dictatorship, requires widespread peoples’ participation and consultation, unity of vision, transparency, and relative serenity that allows for rational discussion and debate”.
Alminaza said that the bishops, as servant leaders, have “listened to many others who believe that the solution to these problems is not a revision of the Constitution, but a full implementation of the 1987 Constitution” as well as “a revision of the Local Government Code, originally designed to devolve power from central authority, following the moral principle of subsidiarity”.
“We have also heard the views of those who believe that the solution we seek is ultimately the transformation of our political culture, the eradication of a political mindset of personalities, pay-offs, and patronage – a culture that is entrenched in our present political structures and practices,” he added.
The bishop also said that “without conversion of mindsets, the new political wine of Charter change will remain in old political wine-skins, and merely end up bursting the hope for a new political culture”.
Earlier, the Council of the Laity of the Philippines called on the lawmakers to leave the Constitution alone and instead deal with the issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement published on CBCP News, Rouquel Ponte, president of the Council of the Laity of the Philippines, said that “rather than tinkering with the Constitution, Congress should pass measures to help millions of Filipinos suffering from lack of food, shelter, jobs, education and a comprehensive health care system”.
“This is our priority. We call on our lawmakers: address the needs of the people now. They need your attention,” he added. – NND
