MANILA, Philippines -- If the bishops had asked him to join the rallies against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, El Shaddai leader Bro. Mariano “Mike” Velarde would have complied.

But according to a source close to Velarde, the influential leader of the Catholic charismatic group, has not been asked to do so, thus he and his group are staying away from the interfaith rally to be staged in Makati on Friday.

Spurred by revelations in the Senate about the alleged involvement of the President and her husband in the supposedly anomalous $349 million broadband deal, religious, civil society, lawyers, business, student and militant groups are staging the rally to call for the truth about high-level corruption in government or the President’s resignation.

Besides, Velarde has another reason for remaining quiet amid the renewed calls for the President’s resignation.

“I’m quietly working on a doable and acceptable solution to the current political crisis,” Velarde said in a message sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net.

Velarde is spiritual adviser to Arroyo. El Shaddai counts five to six million members.

The Inquirer learned that Velarde has been holding meetings with officials from different sides, including former president Joseph Estrada, the acknowledged leader of the opposition. National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, an emissary of the President, reportedly met with Velarde several times. Velarde was also set to meet with Senate President Manuel Villar.

A source close to Velarde said the El Shaddai leader will not join the rally because he wanted to play peacemaker between the opposing sides.

“There was no invitation (from the Church) and besides that (joining the rally) might compromise his ability to reach out to all parties as a peacemaker,” the source said.

Velarde has not spoken about the ZTE scandal, but he reportedly intervened when Malacañang planned to ask then National Economic Development Authority chair Romulo Neri to join the President’s trip to New York last September to avoid having to testify in the Senate investigation of the ZTE scandal.

A source said Velarde sternly told Malacañang not to do that.

The last time Velarde used his influence was when he helped block the plan of Malacañang and the House of Representatives in December 2006 to ram through Charter change without the Senate’s participation.