GMA URGED ANEW TO QUIT FOLLOWING CBCPS INDICTMENT

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Nene Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines pastoral statement blaming the administrations acts of evasion and obstruction for the failure to unravel the truth behind the scandals of its own making is a severe indictment of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo which leaves her no other recourse but to step down.

Pimentel lauded the CBCPs stand that the search for truth be relentlessly pursued through structures and processes mandated by law and the Constitution.

However, he said the search for truth will remain an elusive goal and a frustrating endeavor for as long President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo remains in office and uses her powers to conceal the truth.

The people should support the Catholic bishops call for truth to measure Glorias official acts. Its up to us flesh out the CBCPs moral guidelines. Let us now pressure the immoral leader to resign, the minority leader.

Pimentel accused the President of breaking her pledge to abide by the CBCPs earlier challenge for full transparency when she issued Executive Order 464 which barred Cabinet members and other officials of the executive branch from testifying before congressional investigations without presidential clearance.

He said CBCPs pastoral letter echoes the deep disenchantment of the Filipino people over the antics of Malacañang and its political allies in manipulating and subverting constitutional and legal processes for making public officials accountable for their acts. He said this was blatantly shown in the dismissal of the impeachment case against the President by a mere technicality in the House of Representatives by last year.

Truth has become a victim of political partnership as well as of transactional politics, the CBCP statement said.