Catholic bishops yesterday said the Church was willing to mediate between President Aquino III and the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Renato Corona in the wake of last Monday’s tirade at a national criminal justice summit.
“The bishops are capable of doing that especially those bishops who have more ascendancy,” said Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes over the Church-run Radio Veritas.
Bastes said the bishops who can act as mediators consist of retired Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, incoming Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, CBCP president Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
The statement came amid calls by various groups for Corona to resign.
In Cebu City, a group called the Consumer’s Rights for Economic Welfare (CREW) launched a signature drive for Corona’s impeachment.
Bastes and several others seemed amenable to a suggestion raised by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile last Monday after Mr. Aquino openly lambasted Corona at the First National Criminal Justice Summit.
Enrile said the “best way” to resolve the conflict was for the Catholic Church and the other churches to talk to both parties as these were “neutral” institutions. “They are peacemakers,” Enrile said.
“I am okay for that specially this time of Christmas … [it’s] a time for peace, reconciliation, understanding and respect,” said Bastes.
Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez advised the two leaders of the country to set aside or talk about personal issues privately.
“They must be sensitive to the sentiments of the people … they must also listen to their feedback [following the incident],” said Iñiguez.
Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz said he was open to suggestions for the Church to mediate but “only upon invitation.”
“The one who will decide whether the church would mediate or not is not the Senate president but the parties themselves concerned, which is the Chief Justice and the President,” Cruz told reporters.
But he doubted that Mr. Aquino would “go by what the Church would say” should an intervention be realized given the President’s misgivings with the Church as an institution.
Cruz also said that Mr. Aquino’s ire “came to a boiling point” not due to the so-called Truth Commission that was thumbed down by the Supreme Court or former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whom the High Court allowed to seek medical treatment abroad.
“If I may interpret it right … the decision of the SC on Hacienda Luisita was what made him boil [since] it is a very much cared-for family wealth,” said Cruz.
In Cebu City Engr. Victor Quijano, CREW member, said they aim to gather one million signatures to lobby for Corona’s ouster before Congress.
But he said they will be satisfied if they can gather 15,000 signatures.
“The judiciary was tainted and politicized. We are dismayed,” said Quijano.
He said they are not using the group’s name and denied receiving any political backing for their campaign.
Quijano launched the signature drive in Fuente Osmeña beside the Fuente police precinct last Monday, the day when President Aquino launched his tirade on Corona.
He said they will submit their petition to House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.
Cebu’s judiciary were mixed in their reaction on Aquino’s tirade against Corona.
Regional Trial Court Judge Meinrado Paredes lauded Corona who remained silent while being criticized by Aquino.
“I admire Chief Justice Corona for keeping his cool under fire. That attitude should be emulated by, us, judges,” he said.
Paredes said while the President has the right to criticize like any citizen, “it was done in a wrong venue and at the wrong time.”
“It should have been done somewhere else like a State of the Nation Address,” Paredes said.
He said the summit was intended to unite the judiciary, executive and legislative branches of government.
“That (Aquino’s speech against Corona) will invite insinuations that the president would just want to retaliate following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Hacienda Luisita case,” he said.
Paredes said Corona can be ousted if he commits “culpabale violation of the Constitution.”
Among the grounds for impeachment are “treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.”
Earl Bonachita, president of Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City chapter, said the rift between the judiciary and the executive is a “democracy in action.”
For his part, Court of Appeals (CA-Cebu station) Justice Gabriel Ingles said Aquino’s criticism is a wake-up call for them to exercise vigilance. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol and Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan with an Inquirer report