Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the Arroyo administration had withstood more serious allegations of corruption and electoral fraud in the past, and the tendency of the people to support street protests has been declining in recent years.

"We have said that the people are tired of destabilization, people want this country to move forward. The people would like the economy to continue to surge, and we would like to see the benefits of a growing economy being filtered down to the people," Bunye said.

"We have had more serious problems before, and the trend of street protests has been going down consistently," he said.

But Bunye said the Senate hearings on the $ 329million NBN project should be concluded, and that formal charges against the people involved in the allegedly anomalous project should be filed before the courts where he said proceedings are conducted in a more sober manner.

"The court is the proper forum where testimonies are heard, where the accused or the aggrieved parties are given a chance to confront their accusers, and where procedures are strictly followed and the proceedings conducted in a more or less sober manner," he said.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has expressed support for the revelations of former Philippine Forest Corp. president Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr., the Senate’s new witness in the NBN hearings, and Jose "Joey" de Venecia III, son of former Speaker Jose de Venecia, on their knowledge of negotiations for the NBN project.

CBCP president and Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro, Iloilo, also appealed for "communal action" in support of the search for the truth on allegations of overpricing and bribery in the NBN project.

Bunye said the archbishop’s appeal is susceptible to interpretation, and Malacañang’s interpretation is that he was appealing for the people to collectively pray, instead of taking to the streets in support of the Senate investigations to come up with the truth.

* * * *

Malacañang rejects call for communal action as premature

Genalyn D. Kabiling

Malacañang yesterday rejected the "premature" call of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for "communal action" supposedly to uncover the truth behind the alleged irregularities surrounding the controversial National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said any collective action encouraged by the Catholic bishops should made only after a "proper evaluation of all the facts and circumstances" of the corruption scandal.

Bunye added that the truth about the tainted telecoms contract and the government’s supposed attempt to cover up the mess could be ferreted out only in the courts.

"We respect the CBCP’s call for communal action but consider it premature. Communal action precisely calls for circumspection, a consideration of all the facts, and due regard for what will serve the common good in the long term," Bunye told reporters in the Palace.

"Having said that, we humbly submit that the proper venue for the determination of truth and justice lies in the courts, not in an emotionally-charged forum where the situation is susceptible to grandstanding," he added.

Last weekend, CBCP President and Jaro, Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo called for "communal action" to uncover the truth behind allegations of large-scale bribery and corruption in government projects including the $ 329million NBN deal.

Lagdameo bewailed that the country remains "captive to the corruption of people in governance" and admitted that there was a call for a "moral revolution."

Bunye said he interprets the communal action being encouraged by the CBCP as a "collective action that we as a whole all levels of society will act together and I believe the objective to ferret out the truth and justice."

"That’s why I said that the proper forum in my humble opinion is not in an emotionally charged atmosphere but in an atmosphere of sobriety where all the facts and circumstances will be really discussed," he said.

Bunye said the government is willing to talk with the Catholic bishops to clarify their statement about communal action in relation to the addressing the bribery scandal in the scrapped telecoms contract.

He acknowledged that the CBCP’s concept of communal action was "not properly defined," and could be subject to "so many interpretations."

"We can reiterate the openness as the Palace has always been open to meet with respected leaders not just CBCP but all others who may have a say on this particular issue," he said.

Bunye made the remarks after some groups started interpreting CBCP-sanctioned communal action as anti-government street rallies.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo welcomed the CBCP call for "communal prayers" but warned the public against being used by those who will pursue their own political agenda.

Fajardo said the executive branch has always respected the "moral guidance" of the CBCP led by Lagdameo.

"We support Archbishop Lagdameo’s call for communal prayer, soul searching, and other community activities in accordance with the CBCP’s call last month for all sectors to collectively work for moral renewal to fight the age-old scourge of corruption," she said.

"We just need to be careful and be aware that this issue will not be taken advantage by some opposition who have other political agenda and to always follow the rule of law," she added.

Bunye also expressed confidence that the Arroyo administration continues to "stand on solid ground" despite reported fresh destabilization threats arising from the telecoms bribery scandal.

"The people are tired of destabilization. People want this country to move forward, the people would like the economy to continue to surge," he said.

Bunye added that the public also wants to feel the benefits of a growing economy, adding "it is in the best interest of everyone to keep our conditions stable."