CBCP exec lauds election of economist Arroyo as House Speaker

The election of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) as House Speaker was welcomed by an official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) citing her record of as a “pro-life” advocate and a prominent economist.

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Mission, said he was happy that Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez was ousted as House speaker.

Bastes said Alvarez was ousted because of his “extremely dangerous” pronouncements of a “no-election” scenario for the ongoing push for a shift to a federal form of government.

“I am happy that Alvarez was ousted because of his extremely dangerous plans like no election in 2019 in view of federalism (which the majority of Filipinos reject and abhor), a clear violation of our Constitution,” Bastes said in a statement on Tuesday.

“I am glad that GMA is the Speaker because she is a pro-life advocate, and as President she abolished the death penalty. She is also an economist,” the CBCP official said.

While Arroyo has vowed to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s legislative agenda, Bastes said he hopes that the full implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law will not push through.

READ: Arroyo vows to ‘carry out’ Duterte’s legislative agenda

“I hope that the plan of Duterte to push through with the full implementation of the TRAIN Law will not push through,” Bastes said.

“Many poor people are now suffering because of the TRAIN, a situation which Duterte seems to ignore or not notice at all,” he stressed. /muf