Belmonte’s Easter wish: End to unproductive criticism, faultfinding

Speaker Sonny Belmonte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Besieged by a host of divisive issues, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has one wish for the House of Representatives this Easter: An end to “unproductive criticism and faultfinding.”

The leader of the 290-strong chamber on Saturday said he wished the nation would learn to appreciate and not to disparage the government’s efforts to achieve its goals, such as peace and prosperity.

“I wish for an end to unproductive criticism and faultfinding that will only result in a pained and divided nation,” Belmonte said in his Easter message.

“I wish for us to achieve genuine peace and growth that stems from shared efforts and hard work coming from each of us,” he said.

The House will be put on the spotlight this week as it resumes its probe on the Jan. 25 Mamasapano debacle, the worst crisis to hit the Aquino administration.

The committees on public order and safety, and on peace, reconciliation and unity will continue on April 7 and 8 their investigation into the bloody encounter between police commandos and Muslim rebels in Maguindanao province, which left more than 60 dead, 44 of them on the government side.

That incident has sparked outrage and threatened the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which would flesh out the peace agreement with the rebels.

On April 20, the ad hoc panel on the BBL also resumes its executive sessions on the BBL, drawing insights from the Mamasapano probe, particularly on the peace and order provisions of the draft law.

Belmonte, in his message, said the Lenten season should give Filipinos time to meditate “on our personal path as well as that which we seek for our families and for this nation.”

“I wish that we are each able to experience the blessings borne of our Savior’s sacrifice. And that this blessing brings forth a grateful awakening in us as a people and affords us the meaningful changes we seek, and the upliftment of the lives of every Filipino family,” he said. RC