Skip to content

Philippines Today

home of the Global Filipino

Menu
  • News Stories
  • Regional News
  • Business & Economy
  • Science & Technology
  • International
Menu

Nobody will listen to bishops — Zubiri

Posted on November 2, 2008

PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — ADMINISTRATION Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri believes that the bishops’ call for the people to effect “a radical change” in government will not prosper since a lot of politicians aiming for the Palace want the presidential polls to push through in 2010.

“Ayaw na ayaw ng mga presidentiables niyan. Dito sa Senado maraming presidentiables din,” said Zubiri even as Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez threatened to file sedition charges against the bishops who called for a change in national leadership.

“Ayaw na ayaw ni Senate President (Manuel) Villar (Jr.) iyan, ni Sen. Mar Roxas, ni Sen. Loren Legarda, ni Sen. (Francis) Chiz (Escudero) dahil ang papalit kay Presidente siyempre si Vice President Noli de Castro who is a frontrunner now in the presidential race. They would be fighting an incumbent in the 2010 elections,” he added.

Asked to comment on Gonzalez’s threat, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., in a text message, said:”Justice Secretary Gonzalez can no longer distinguish between sedition and calls for reforms.”

In another text message, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said:”Nakagawian na ng administrasyon na manakot tuwing may uungkat ng mga katiwalian nila kaya hindi na nakakagulat ang pahayag ni Secretary Gonzalez.”

Escudero said the bishops “just exercised their right to freely express their opinion.”

“Thus threatening them with charges of sedition and challenging them to run in the election by no less than the justice secretary is yet again a show of arrogance from this administration,” he said.

“I return the challenge to Secretary Gonzalez to automatically file proper charges against these bishops if he finds their act illegal. Verbal threats are no act of a self-respecting and thinking individual or agency,” Escudero added.

“This government has time and again stuck to its true color of wantonly chasing individuals it deems critical to them. Threats of charges and charges per se are immediately filed left and right against their critics,” he said.

He noted that former President Joseph Estrada, who is an Arroyo critic, had already been tried, convicted and pardoned “but we have yet to see them touch the cases of former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez and now the infamous (former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn) Joc-joc Bolante.”

“This is a challenge that Raul Gonzalez and Ombudsman Merceditas Guitterez should take up because they owe it to the Filipino people. Kung nakakalimutan nilang dalawa, ipapaalala ko uli na ang simbolo ng hustisya ay babaeng nakapiring, walang dapat kinikilalang sinuman,” Escudero said.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • More
  • Tumblr
  • Reddit

Related

News Categories

  • Announcement (34)
  • Business & Economy (1,567)
  • Comment and Opinion (74)
    • Random Thoughts (18)
  • Current Issues (425)
    • Charter Change (1)
    • Election (228)
    • Population (6)
  • International (389)
  • Life In Japan (66)
    • Everything Japan (41)
  • Literary (34)
  • Miscellaneous (610)
  • News Stories (5,312)
  • OFW Corner (297)
  • Others (75)
  • People (408)
  • Press Releases (163)
  • Regional News (3,362)
  • Science and Technology (502)
  • Sports & Entertainment (287)

Latest News

  • BSP keeps policy rates anew December 17, 2015
  • NEDA cuts PHL additional rice import for 2016 by 25% December 17, 2015
  • DA cites serious implications of banning genetically modified products December 17, 2015
  • BBL is not yet dead – Drilon December 17, 2015
  • Comelec recognizes Duterte’s CoC for president December 17, 2015
  • NEDA chief sees 2015 growth at 6% despite typhoons December 17, 2015
  • House of Representatives ratifies bicam report on P3.002-T national budget for 2016 December 17, 2015
  • Cebu-based developer invests PHP430M to build 709 townhouse units in north Cebu town December 17, 2015
  • City gov’t eyes P75-M income from economic enterprise December 17, 2015
  • Baguio City LGU presents traffic plan for holiday season December 17, 2015

Archives

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Science and Technology

  • DOST-ICTO targets 500,000 web-based workers from countryside by 2016
  • (Feature) STARBOOKS: A ‘makeover’ for librarians
  • Science, research reduce ‘cocolisap’ hotspot areas in PHL
  • Montejo to further improve PAGASA and empower scientists
  • 1st PPP in biomedical research produces knee replacement system fit for Asians

Press Releases

  • Microsoft to buy Nokia’s mobile devices business for 5.44-B euros
  • New World Bank climate change report should spur SEA and world leaders into action: Greenpeace
  • Save the Philippine Seas before it’s too late — Greenpeace
  • Palanca Awards’ last call for entries
  • Philippines joins the global call for Arctic protection

Comment and Opinion

  • Remembering the dead is a celebration of life
  • Killer earthquake unlikely to hit Panay Island in near future – analyst
  • It’s not just more fun to invest in the Philippines, it is also profitable, says President Aquino
  • How does one differentiate a tamaraw from a carabao?
  • Fun is not just about the place, it is also about the people, says DOT chief

OFW Corner

  • Ebola infection risk low in Croatia
  • Death toll rises to 41, over 100 still missing in landslide in India
  • Asbestos use in construction a labor hazard
  • 500,000 OFWs to benefit POEA on-line transactions — Baldoz
  • 25 distressed OFWs return home from Riyadh
©2025 Philippines Today | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme