Catholic bishops on Jan. 31 have called on Filipinos not to “sign or agree” to any petition advocating for Constitutional amendments “without careful discernment”.
“This is not a simple signature. By signing, you are giving our lawmakers the power to change our Constitution,” Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said in a statement.
The CBCP issued the statement following its 127th plenary assembly in response to ongoing attempts advocating for a People’s Initiative aimed at amending the charter.
The prelates expressed concern about the gathering of signatures, which could involve “deception and disregard for our true and free participation in the democratic process of our country”.
“It seems that this People’s Initiative was initiated by a few public servants and not truly from the initiative of ordinary citizens,” the bishops said.
On Jan. 29, Commission on Elections Chair George Garcia told reporters that the Commission “decided to suspend any and all proceedings concerning the people’s initiative”.
The prelates, however, said that the public “should not be complacent”. The bishops warned that “there may be other attempts” for Charter change.
“We will strive to initiate discussions about the Constitution and the issues facing our nation. Our hope is to reflect and decide for the genuine good of all!” the prelates said.
“Let us not allow such deceptive systems to continue, encouraging those who continuously exploit our nation. Truly, this is not good,” the bishops added.
