CASH GIFTS OR BRIBES?

“The more people and social groups strive to resolve social problems according to the truth, the more they distance themselves from abuses and act in accordance with the objective demands of truth…The unscrupulous use of money raises ever more pressing questions, which necessarily call for greater transparency and honesty in personal and social activity” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 198).

In the News too many question marks surround the recent distribution of 500,000 pesos each to governors among whom, appearing like a hero, is Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio. What was the purpose of the cash gifts? Where did they come from? Who was the personal source of the cash? Were they for local government projects? Were they for the forthcoming Barangay Elections? Why were they distributed only to pro-administration local officials? Why not also to the opposition? Who ultimately will profit from these cash gifts? Are they really gifts or bribes?

“The unscrupulous use of money raises ever more pressing questions, which necessarily call for greater transparency and honesty in personal and social activity” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 198).

Bribery is not an acceptable word even to culprits: so, it is better called “gifts.” And so, in order to feel good and escape the blame of conscience, …bribe is also called a “gift.”

With this sort of thing happening, our country is not only suffering from economic bankruptcy but also moral bankruptcy, disappointingly being shown by our leaders. We are very much concerned with our youth who are looking at our leaders for models in honesty, integrity, and transparency.

From the moral standpoint, one should not accept money about which questions can be asked because it renders responsibility, accountability, and transparency a dubious subject matter.

I encourage and support the plan of our respectable senators to make the appropriate inquiry on the matter of distributing said cash gifts.

+ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, DD
Archbishop of Jaro
October 16, 2007


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REGALO O SUHOL?

Sa patuloy ng pagdami ng mga mamamayan at mga samahang naglalayong malutas ang mga suliranin ng lipunan ayon sa katotohanan, higit silang lumalayo sa mga pag-abuso at kumikilos ng naaayon sa pangangailangan ng katotohanan. Ang walang pakundangang paggamit ng salapi ang siyang nagiging dahilan ng mas maraming mga katanungan, na mangangailangang magkaroon ng katapatan sa larangang pangsarili’t panglipunan. (COMPENDIUM OF THE SOCIAL DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH, No. 198.)

Mas maraming mga katanungang nagmula sa naganap na pamamahagi ng tig-kakalahating milyong piso sa mga gobernador, na kinabibilangan ng lumalabas na bayaning si Gobernador Ed Panlilio ng Pampanga. Ano ang layunin ng ipinamahaging salapi? Saan ito nanggaling? Sino ang pinagmulan ng salapi? Ang salapi bang ito’y para sa mga proyekto ng mga pamahalaang lokal? Ito ba’y para sa nalalapit na halalang pambarangay? Bakit mga kapanalig lamang ng administrasyon ang nabiyayaan? Bakit hindi naabutan ang mga mula sa oposisyon? Sino nga ba ang makikinabang sa salaping ipinamahagi? Ito ba’y mga regalo o suhol?

“Ang walang pakundangang paggamit ng salapi ang nagiging dahilan ng mas maraming mga katanungan, na higit na mangangailangang magkaroon ng katapatan sa larangang pangsarili’t panglipunan. (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, No. 198).

Ang panunuhol ay katangang ‘di katanggap-tanggap kahit na sa mga salarin kaya’t mas makabubuting tawaging “ala-ala o regalo.” Kaya upang makahinga ng maluwag at mawala ang bagabag sa konsiyensya, ang suhol ay tinatagurian ding “ala-ala o regalo.”

Sa ganitong mga nagaganap, patuloy na naghihirap ang bansa sa kakulangan ng magandang kabuhayan at kawalan ng paggalang at pagkilala sa kung ano ang tama’t kung ano ang mali, na nakalulungkot na nakikitang kagagawan ng ating mga pinuno. Nababahala kami sa mga kabataang tumitingala sa mga pinuno ng bansa bilang mga huwaran sa katapatan, integridad at kalinisan.

Mula sa usaping moral, hindi marapat at lalo’ng hindi matuwid na tumanggap ng salapi nang hindi nasasagot ang mga katanungan hinggil sa responsibilidad, pananagutan at katapatang kaakibat ng kasalukuyang usapin.

Kailangang ituloy ang balak ng mga kagalang-galang na Senador na magsagawa ng pagsisiyasat sa pamamahagi ng salapi sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan kamakailan.

ARSOBISPO ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO
Arsobispo ng Jaro
Ika-16 ng Oktubre, 2007

OUR FIRM STAND AGAINST CONTRACEPTIVE MENTALITY

We hope it is not true that congress plans to appropriate one billion pesos for the purchase of condoms, birth control pills and other “reproductive health” products to control population growth. It if is true, we categorically object to it and instead strongly recommend that the one billion pesos be directly appropriated and/or added for hunger and poverty alleviation projects, as well as for free education of extremely poor children.

The use of abortifacients, contraceptive pills and devises, sterilization, directly willed abortion are wrong in themselves. They are against nature and God’s law. They are wrong not because the Catholic Church forbids them; rather the Church forbids them because they destroy the fruitfulness of human reproductive capacities given by the Creator and hence are morally wrong. (CBCP said this already in 1990 and at other times!). It is not just a matter of being conservative, but also of being morally upright.

The church advocates Natural Family Planning as the only morally acceptable way of practicing responsible parenthood. The Church does not forbid the advocacy of the increase or decrease of population provided the freedom of the couple to exercise sexual and family morality according to their religious conviction are respected. Since the Church objects to the use of artificial contraception, the church likewise objects to their dissemination, creating thereby a contraceptive mentality towards a culture of death.

It is not true that the Philippines growth rate is 2.36%. The Unite Nations using the same census data has arrived at a very much lower rate. The National Statistics Office has already projected a Philippine population growth rate of 1.99%. These notwithstanding, we do not subscribe to the allegations that population must be controlled because it is the main cause of poverty; there are other grave factors. We will not join countries with collapsing population growth rate.

We exhort our clergy to proactively preach the doctrine of the Church on principled population control. We strongly encourage and support our legislators in Congress and the Senate who promote the moral teachings on life, family and population.

+ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO
Archbishop of Jaro
CBCP President
October 6, 2007

PRESS STATEMENT

From Lipa City , 4th National Pilgrimage to Lipa


WE have received the decision of the Sandiganbayan declaring the former President guilty of the crime of plunder.

We respect it as a human judgment by a human court tasked precisely to examine the case.

We regard it also as a call to repentance and a call for change or conversion affecting not only the person of President Estrada but also many others in our government. The one who will profit from the good fruit of such a decision or judgment is no less than the country itself which is known to have been suffering from all kinds of graft and corruption and plunder. It is a warning sign.

We pray for President Estrada that he may have the spiritual strength to face the new situation which is not beyond the reach of “divine mercy.”

Thousands of people have gathered here in Lipa City for their Fourth National Pilgrimage to pray to God for our country.


+ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO
Archbishop of Jaro
CBCP President
September 12, 2007