Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez expressed this sentiment in an interview with Church-run Radio Veritas yesterday as he commented on the questions facing the Arroyo administration, particularly on whether President Arroyo and former election official Virgilio Garcillano rigged the results of the May 2004 presidential elections.

"That is a sad thing that in a democracy we have such a thing as people’s congress when we have actually in our Constitution or in our structure ways by which we can reach into the truth," he said.

But this people’s court, he said, is but a symptom of what is happening in the country.

"It seems that there is that feeling that we cannot reach for the truth in the legal or constitutional manner and so we have to resort to this," said Iñiguez, the Public Affairs head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Nevertheless, the bishop said he feels the people should attend the "hearings" of the "people’s court."

"We should follow this and we really have to listen to this. Of course this will not be like one of those in the legal courts, but at least this is a way by which the truth can perhaps come out," Iñiguez said.

"If the people see that this is a good way, then their support here might help change what is happening in our country. That for me is democracy," he said.

However, Iñiguez said he would not be able to attend the first hearing at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, tomorrow due to an earlier commitment.

The "people’s court" initiated by the Citizens Congress for Truth and Accountability (CCTA) will reportedly have its sessions on Nov. 8, 9, 15 and 16 in UP.