Church bells toll in Oriental Mindoro vs Cha-cha

CELEBRATION Parishioners and clergy of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan (AVC) gather at the façade of the Sto. Niño Cathedral in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, for a celebration in this undated photo. On Wednesday, the bells of the churches under the AVC will ring out as support for the opposition to Charter change. —Sto. Niño Cathedral Facebook photo

CITY OF CALAPAN, MINDORO, Philippines — The churches under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan (AVC) in Oriental Mindoro province will ring their bells today, Wednesday, to express their opposition to the proposed amendment of the Philippine Constitution, or Charter change (Cha-cha).

There will be ringing of all bells in parishes, chaplaincies and mission areas under the Calapan vicariate at 4 p.m. in solidarity with the national People’s March and Prayer Against Charter Change, according to the AVC in a statement posted on social media on Sunday.

READ: Lawmakers find new opportunity for Cha-cha push

The initiative is led by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ (CBCP) social arm, Caritas Philippines, which intends to oppose proposed amendments to the Philippine Constitution.

The Archdiocese of Manila earlier announced its participation through a circular letter by Manila Archdiocesan Chancellor Fr. Isidro Marinay.

In his letter, Marinay invited parishioners to gather in front of the Senate in Pasay City from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

“Our prayers in the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Novena will be offered for our country and leaders,” Marinay said.

The CBCP asserted that the Charter amendments being pushed in Congress are not timely. It invited the government to instead come up with policies that could help respond to pressing issues facing the country, like poverty and hunger, and to create opportunities for Filipinos, especially farmers and laborers.

Downside

Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of CBCP Caritas Philippines, said in a statement that they would strengthen the information campaign among citizens on the downside of Cha-cha, which others downplay.

“In this light, the Episcopal Commission on Social Action-Justice and Peace/Caritas Philippines and the Social Action Network, which is tasked to address this issue, would like to continue strengthening our anti-Charter change campaign to ensure that our lay faithful are correctly informed and educated about the issues surrounding our Constitution,” Bagaforo said.

Around 3,000 people from different parishes and Catholic institutions, including schools in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, are expected to participate.

Bagaforo also appealed to those who could not attend the prayer rally in front of the Senate to simultaneously undertake similar activities in their parishes.

The national Caritas, in its social media post, said the prayer rally is “open to all who care [for] and love the Philippines.”

Consultations

The Wednesday rally coincided with the holding of the regional consultations that the Senate has scheduled in preparation for its report on proposed changes to some economic provisions of the Constitution to make the country more attractive to foreign investments.

However, the Senate’s Cha-cha public hearings might no longer push through in the wake of the sudden changes in the Upper House’s leadership. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, who resigned on Monday as Senate president and was replaced by Sen. Chiz Escudero, has said that the Cha-cha hearings would have to be canceled to let the new Senate leadership decide if they would push through with the public consultations.

The Senate and House of Representatives will adjourn sessions on May 25 and resume on July 22.