Archbishop not rattled by gov’t arrest threat

crackdown vs outspoken priests

“Arrest me? Please, I do not deserve it—yet!”

This was Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz’s reaction in the wake of reports that Cruz, together with three other bishops in the country, is in the “order of battle”.

Cruz, a vocal critic of the Arroyo administration, said in a statement that he was told he and the other bishops could be picked up anytime by police authorities.

“Needless to say, such a thinking and option appear to be making me much more than what I really am. It seems desirous of giving me an honor I do not in any way deserve. To arrest, jail and penalize me for sedition, treason or rebellion could be worthy of entry in the Guinness Book of World Records,” Cruz said.

Cruz, former president of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said “the government appears to be afflicted with paranoidal mentation”.

“Or it could be such a really big weakling that I would be able to bring it down. Or it could be simply without anything better to do. Or all of the above,” he added.

He said the CBCP (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines) itself formally said that there should be a relentless search for truth regarding the result of the 2004 National Elections.
 

And this was officially said no less than three times from July 2005 to January 2006. This can only mean that the moral legitimacy of the one holding the presidential office remains in doubt and therefore under question,” he said.

He added there is also the quest for truth regarding the many public anomalous transactions brought to the national attention. These huge financial questions range from fertilizing roads to looting loots, he said.

“This could be the reason why Malacañang seems so nervous, so afraid of truth, and appears so rattled by more and more protest rallies and marches. It even acts and reacts as if it is afraid of its own armed forces,” Cruz said.

He said the CPR (calibrated preemptive response) and EO 464 seem not enough as there are now the habitual declaration of the State of National Emergency and the issuance of the cryptic General Order No. 5.

“I simply wonder what would the administration think and do next,’ he said.–EVA