Vol 41, No 5 MAY 2007

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Quote in the Act

If I win the election, I win a ... huge responsibility. But if I lose, I win my freedom to do whatever I want, to be a writer, to be an academic, to be a tourist, to travel.
Jose Ramos-Horta, East Timorese Prime Minister and presidential candidate; after voting on May 9 elections which, according to foreign observers, took place without violence.

ISSN 0300-4155 Asian Magazine for Human Transformation Through Education, Social Advocacy and Evangelization
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IMPACT
REMITTING ADDRESSES

Copyright 1974 by Social Impact Foundation, Inc.

I want to win with dignity, but if I lose, I will also accept that with dignity.
Francisco Lu-Olo Guterres , the presidential contender of Nobel prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta; A former guerilla who spent years in the jungles fighting Indonesian rule, he is perceived as the underdog in what may turn out to be a tight race.

While records from the Philippine National Police [PNP] show that the number of electionrelated killings, 89 as of the last count, is still lower than the 189 recorded in 2004, the boldness of the attacks targeting local candidates themselves reveals a heightened state of violence.
International Observer Mission (IOM) , composed of 30 observers from 13 countries to join an observer mission that will visit 13 areas in 8 regions during the Philippine May 14 elections where election related violence has been intensifying and where the probability of fraud is perceived to be high.

This is why he wants to go there, because he is worried. Because Latin America cannot be lost. I say that Latin America could be lost. If you lose Latin America, it would be a substantial loss, that could be irreparable.
Cardinal Claudio Hummes , a Brazilian and fromer Archbishop of Brazil who now heads the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy; of the Popes first to Latin America on May 9.

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Yes, this excommunication was not an arbitrary one but is allowed by Canon law which says that the killing of an innocent child is incompatible with receiving communion, which is receiving the body of Christ.
Pope Benedict XVI, when asked whether he supported Mexican Church leaders threatening to excommunicate leftist parliamentarians who last month voted to legalize abortion in Mexico City; aboard a plane on his way to Brazil on May 8, 2007.

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IMPACT May 2007

IMPAC T

May 2007 / Vol 41 No 5

CONTENTS
AT press time, the East Timorese are counting the votes of the presidential elections that have been regarded as peaceful by foreign observers. And this, despite a backdrop of a plummeting economy and a new democracy bereft of mature political experience. But thats not all. The presidential contenders are so magnanimous one would think they just came fresh from a holy retreat. Francisco Guterrez, for instance, who is a former guerilla who spent years in the jungles fighting Indonesian rule and who is considered the underdog in this political race told everybody after casting his vote: I want to win with dignity, but if I lose, I will also accept that with dignity. That puts all the politicians in the Philippines, who never gets defeated but only cheated, into shame. On the other camp, the incumbent prime minister and presidential candidate Jose Ramos-Horta goes with the dignity of a Nobel Prize winner, If I win the election, I win ahuge responsibility. But if I lose, I win my freedom to do whatever I want, to be a writer, to be an academic, to be a tourist, to travel. You will never hear such sensibility and, really, Christianity, from Filipino politicians. In Filipino that statement maybe aptly rendered this way: If I win the elections, I win a huge contract in infrastructure, under-the-table arrangements, and remittances from gambling and drugsif I lose then I am cheatedthereforebang, bang, bang! Sadly, in the Philippines good men do not become politicians. Sadly, too, in Philippine politics, what defines the art of governance after getting elected is not the assumption of a huge responsibility but rather the recovery of a huge profit and the return of investment after buying votes and expensive airtime in political ads. In the Philippines, the cradle of crime and corruption is the election. One winsor better buysa political office at election time and dispenses his office by building an empire of machinery and money through crime and corruption in preparation for the next elections. And the cycle goes on and on at the expense of the common good. This issue is devoted to graft and corruption. In our cover story, Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who considers the advocacy against gambling and corruption as part of the Churchs mission in the world, writes The Hidden Cost of Graft and Corruption. Read on.
EDITORIAL

Corruption Not Population ......................................... 23

COVER STORY

The Hidden Cost of Graft and Corruption ............. 16

ARTICLES

Mass Communications: A Review of Philippine Church Media ................................................................... 4 What Corruption Has Done to the Filipino People .... 6 Ehem! Aha! Striving to Build a Graft-Intolerant Culture................................................................................ 9 The Measurement of Corruption ............................... 21 Salafist Islam Spawns Islamic Terrorism ............... 26
STATEMENTS

A Pastoral Letter to Priests, Religious and the Faithful on the Forthcoming Elections ..................... 12 Reflection for Labor Day ............................................... 13 Conscience, Competence, Commitment ................. 14 Pastoral Letter on the Upcoming 2007 Elections ... 15
DEPARTMENTS

Quote in the Act ................................................................ 2 News Features ................................................................ 24 From the Blogs ................................................................ 27 From the Inbox ............................................................... 28 Book Reviews .................................................................. 29 CINEMA Review ........................................................... 30 Quotes in Quiz ................................................................ 30 News Briefs ...................................................................... 31
Volume 41 Number 5

Cover photo by Denz Dayao

ARTICLES

Mass Communications:
A Review of Philippine Church Media
By Fr. Ari Dy, SJ he Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. We recite this line three times a day as we pray the Angelus, and thus we are reminded daily not only that God became human in the Incarnation, but that God came among us as The Word. What is the significance of this article of faith? A word is not a word if it is not spoken and heard, written and read. It is that simple. If God is The Word, then God needs to be communicated. This is the task of the Church, and this is why Avery Cardinal Dulles says that The Church is communications. Everything that we do in the Church is intended to communicate the reality of Gods love and compassion, to facilitate communion among people and, between people and God. Still, the Church has a specialized field of endeavor called social communications. It is one of many ministries in the Church, a reality that has contributed to the attitude that communications work is for the specialists rather than the concern of every Christian. Even within the communications ministry, it can be said that various individuals and groups are operating on their own, without a common vision. This is why other Christian churches have international radio, TV, and multimedia networks that are funded by their members, but the Catholic Church, despite its size, has only limited communications infrastructure in various parts of the world. In the Philippines, many have wondered why the Catholic Church has no television station that is comparable to those of other churches in the Philippines. There are at least two Protestant churches with

their own TV channels on free television, and though they spend much time attacking each other (a relief to Catholics because one of them used to attack the Catholic Church), their commitment to the use of mass media for religious purposes is quite commendable. Fortunately, the Philippine Church is slowly catching up. Since January 2006, TV Maria has been on the air as a satellite channel on the Dream network owned by Mr. Antonio Cojuangco. The infrastructure has been provided for free by Cojuangco, and the challenge is for TV Maria to produce fresh programming for its viewers and to increase its subscriber base. TV Maria is the Catholic channel for the entire Philippine Church, but the leadership has been provided by the Archdiocese of Manila. The various Catholic production houses and diverse Catholic groups provide the programs for TV Maria, and some efforts are underway to train young people in writing and producing shows. The goal to make TV Maria accessible to all televiewers will only be realized once ways and means are found to have it carried by all the local and national cable networks. TV Maria, because of its limited reach at present, does not have the national impact that other religious channels have. There is much hope, however, in the community-based networks that are already in place. The Archdiocese of San Fernando, Pampanga, recently inaugurated the offices and studios for its Archdiocesan Media Apostolate Network Unlimited (Amanu). For more than three years now, Amanu has been producing Men of Light a weekly

talk show based on the Sunday readings and hosted by three priests (Fr. Deo Galang, Fr. Raul de los Santos, and Bishop Pablo David). The show is carried by about 40 local cable stations throughout Pampanga and many other cities in Luzon and the Visayas. With creative and technical guidance provided by Ms. Marilou Diaz Abaya and Mr. Nonong Buencamino, Amanu is able to train seminarians and lay people in all aspects of TV production work. Cebu and Sorsogon also have Catholic shows or channels operating on local cable channels. On national television, some Catholic production houses regularly contribute programs to the commercial TV networks. At present, ABC-5, also owned by Cojuangco, has the most number of valuesoriented or religious shows. The Family Rosary Crusade has a magazine-type show that features Catholic news, lives of the saints, and Gospel reflections. Every Sunday, ABC-5 has Catholic programming that is not limited to the TV Mass that is already a feature of all the national channels. Aside from the TV Mass intended for the

IMPACT May 2007

Mass

Communications:

Review

of

Philippine

Church

Media

homebound, ABC-5 has Soul Mix, which features inspirational music videos; Word Made Flesh, hosted by Salesian Fr. Jun Lingad and the only Bible study show on the air; and Light Talk, a talk show hosted by Bishop Chito Tagle on the issues affecting the nation today. The seasons of Christmas and Lent are natural occasions during which Catholic shows are given more exposure. Last December 2006, ABC-5 pioneered the nineday primetime (11:00 p.m. with replay the following day at 5:00 a.m.) TV Mass, as a modern way of observing the Simbang Gabi. For Holy Week 2007, ABC-5 coproduced a 3-part reality retreat with Jesuit Communications, and also featured live coverage of the Paschal Triduum at the Ateneo de Manilas Church of the Gesu. These are new contributions to the landscape of Philippine Church media. The other national channels also have their share of Catholic programming. Aside from prayers at sign on and sign off, the traditional 3 oclock habit, and the Sunday TV Mass, most channels now feature religious shows during the Holy Week. The

Seven Last Words organized by the National Shrine of St. Jude, St. James the Great Parish in Alabang, and Sto. Domingo Church, have been televised for a number of years. The prayer rally of the Shalom community has also been televised. Jesuit Communications has been producing Holy Week documentaries and specials for many years, sometimes in partnership with Bo Sanchez and his group of lay preachers. The latter also has a weekly show called Kerygma TV. The TV movie genre is an emerging trend. GMA-7 and its affiliate, QTV, has produced stories for television that have a decidedly Protestant approach to faith. The last two Christmas seasons saw Jesuit Communications producing TV narratives for ABS-CBN-2. In 2005, there was Maging Akin Muli a vocation story directed by Marilou Diaz Abaya and starring Marvin Agustin while in 2006, Yes to Xmas chronicled the story of four kids who wanted to ban Christmas in their town. With the advances in digital technology and the popularity of independent films, we might yet see more Catholic stories produced for cinema and television.

Television productions require huge amounts of money to produce and to air. Notwithstanding the heroic efforts of Catholic groups to be present on television, perhaps radio is the more successful Catholic mass media in the Philippines. The Catholic Media Network headed by Fr. Francis Lucas has more than thirty members across the nation, all operating as community radio stations using the language of their respective places, sharing programs in English and Filipino, and making a direct impact in their constituencies. At certain hours of the day, the network has common programming under the banner of Veritas Pilipinas and can thus be considered a network with national scope. Radio Veritas, operated by the Archdiocese of Manila, is best known for its role in the EDSA People Power revolution of 1986, but it is now making strides in becoming an attractive alternative to AM listeners in the Greater Manila area. We have focused on TV and radio because these can be considered mass communications, media that reaches the masses. As has happened in other countries, the Internet will also become a mass medium in the Philippines. At the moment, Catholic productions in the Philippines like books and music can be purchased online, but much more can be done in terms of tapping the Internet as a way to communicate with people. Blogs, podcasts, and videos are slowly being used by tech-savvy ministers of the Gospel. Various services like daily inspirational messages and music downloads are also offered on the mobile phone by entities like JesCom (text SEEK to 2346 to get the menu), Fr. Jerry Orbos, and Fr. Jim Reuter. Specialized Church media, like books, magazines, videos and music albums, are thriving in the Philippines. Most of the members of the Asian Catholic Communicators are in fact book publishers like the Society of St. Paul, Shepherds Voice Publications, Claretians, Daughters of St. Paul, Logos, Catholic Book Center, Jesuit Communications, Word and Life, Salesiana, Sinag Tala, and the UST Publishing House. This review has outlined the various Church Media available in the Philippines, focusing on TV and radio. The lack of an integrated approach to the media ministry has at least given birth to a diverse range of productions that are available to the Filipino public. It is in our diversity that the Word becomes flesh every day. I
(Fr. Ari Dy, SJ is the Chairman of the Asian Catholic Communicators, Inc. (ACCI). For more information, email ady@ateneo.edu.)

Denz Dayao / CBCPMedia

Volume 41 Number 5

What Corruption Has Done to the Filipino People

n this day and age in our country, corruption has become a way of life. It has become so ingrained in our culture that hardly anyones conscience is stung when we see other people, organizations and sectors being duped for the love of money, honor and fame. It is no longer seen as a plague or as a disease we should eradicate and cure. It has become a means and an instrument to reach goals. Corruption as an instrument and as a way of life has destroyed the lives of so many people. And yet it continues to thrive in our society. Why does it seem like Filipinos dont do enough to combat corruption? Dont we know that its effects on us are direct and extremely harmful? Effects of corruption on children Corruption has invaded our homes and has threatened the very existence and safety of even little children. Its adverse effects on the young have far reaching consequences. One glaring example is how corruption has undermined the public school system in the country to the point that graduates of elementary schools can hardly read or write. Cheating done in the salaries of teachers and the budget for the public school system has adversely affected school-aged children. It has deprived students of the necessary skills and knowledge they need to make it in life. In addition, the lack of facilities and materials in public schools has also long been the subject of many debates and arguments, but still, no palpable change has been done. The corruption inflicted on the public school system has become a normal thing. Now when we speak of the countrys public schools, it is normally perceived as low quality and inferior. Its just the way it is, most people would say. Another example of how corruption has hurt children can be seen in the effects of high priced medicines supplied to health centers and local drug stores. Due to corruption in the supply and pricing mechanisms, medicines, vaccines and vitamins needed by children who need nurturing, healing and cure are overpriced, and thus, cant be afforded by poor families. Another example of corruption that has directly compromised the health of children is the use of medicines as political pork. According to Transparency International, local politicians use medi-

cines, vaccines, vitamins and painkillers as instruments for their political campaign. Local officials, according to a report from the International Herald Tribune in May 2006 (Mydans, Seth, 2006) would hold medical missions during campaign season and give medicines away. On ordinary days, medicines would be so expensive, and thus out of reach. Thus, poor children who need basic health care are deprived of much needed vitamins, vaccines and medicines.

Our efforts to nurture our children are rendered useless by corruption. The very sectors and institutions that are supposed to help us create a better future for the children and youth of the country have been eaten up by corruption that many of us have become resigned to the idea that all is normal, even though corruption has killed and continues to kill young children, and those it has allowed to live, are given a slim chance to do well in life.

IMPACT May 2007

ARTICLES
also affects even those who go to offices and are delayed on a regular basis due to heavy traffic caused by poorly made roads. These delays may equate to lost hours for meetings and opportunities, loss of remuneration for hourly paid workers, etc. Corruption thus has a direct hand in impeding our economic growth as individuals. Corruption also can mean loss of livelihood for some of us. There are many cases wherein qualified applicants are not given the opportunity to work in various offices because somebody inside knows somebody else who can do the job. This somebody can be a relative, a friend and may not have the qualities the job demands, and yet would still be hired because of his/her connections. There are also cases where people are hired in various offices because a high ranking official owes them a favor. These acts of corruption would correspond to a lost of opportunity for qualified and deserving workers. Effects of corruption on our culture Corruption has engendered a breed of Filipinos that is apathetic to the plight of the poor, the most affected by corrupt practices. It has spawned a generation of citizens who believe that corruption is actually a victimless crime, unless a corrupt act directly takes away their money, time and honor. If they are not personally harmed by corruption, most Filipinos would not raise a hoot against it. Eric Vincent Batalla in his article put it succinctly (Philippine Daily Inquirer, August 27, 2001) - Corruption damages the national psyche. It miseducates people and tells them that there is nothing wrong in being corrupt. Maybe this is the reason why corrupt celebrities never even see the inside of a jailhouse and can still build mansions to house their mistresses, why questions of illegitimacy hound this government, and why we celebrate thieves instead of urge them or move them to restorative justice. We have lost the ability to be outraged by graft, deceit and lies. Corruption as a way of life and an instrument to reach goals has led people to think that it is alright to do corrupt practices because we all do it. It has given us a wrong sense of oneness with others because we think were doing something that everybody else is doing. This oneness gives us a false sense of security and lulls us to a stupor that has bred Volume 41 Number 5

What Corruption Has Done to the Filipino People

By Lourdes Didith Mendoza-Rivera Effects of corruption on our livelihood We sometimes fail to recognize that indeed, corruption has directly and negatively affected our livelihood, and consequently our net income. It may be hard to quantify, but for those of us who are engaged in businesses where time is of the essence, corruption may play a huge role when it comes to delays. For example, kickbacks made in infrastructure projects such as roads and highways would mean that road quality and safety are undermined if the roads and highways are constructed at all. For businesses such as farming or sales that require delivery, these would mean that delivery vehicles will not have roads to get to their points of destination, or where there are roads, deliveries would be delayed because drivers would have to contend with road pockmarks and holes, floods and mud. This type of corruption
Denz Dayao / CBCPMedia

What Corruption Has Done to the Filipino People

unfathomable nightmares for others, most especially the poor. Corruption, aside from robbing us blind physically and financially, has robbed us of our capacity to feel and think morally and compassionately. The question is, given the direct and extremely harmful effects of this way of life of the Filipinos, how can change be initiated? Changing a corrupt lifestyle To effectively change a way of life requires great effort. Consequently, one can imagine the labor it would take to change or counter a societys way of doing things, which has been fully ingrained into its culture. Others have tried to counter corruption by pointing an accusing finger against anyone but themselves. Others have opted to go to the boondocks and fight subversively. These efforts have borne fruit, but they are not enough to conquer an enemy as huge and as pervasive as corruption. As time goes on, more people become embroiled in the web of corruption as silent accomplices or witnesses or even perpetrators. This may be due to our failure to recognize that corruption is not an external enemy. It is not like a foe you can punch senseless into nonexistence. The enemy is not outside of us. When it

comes to corruption, the enemy is us. Most of us would say that unless we directly connive, conspire, or initiate theft, we are not committing corruption. However, seeing the extent and pervasiveness of the ill-effects of corruption, arent we becoming passive conspirators to a crime that victimizes all of us? There is still hope, however. There is a movement, initiated by the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus. It is called EHEM and it aims to sensitize every Filipino about corruption; it aims to make people see that each one of us is part of the web of corruption, and being a part of it, we cause suffering and heartache to other people. EHEM! is a new approach to battling corruption. It moves us to reflect on how we are both perpetrators and victims of corruption. It enables people to look inward and see how their own actions contribute to the corruption of other people and ultimately, of society. It also enables people to reflect on their own vulnerabilities, to see what makes them susceptible to deceit, lies, dishonesty, and sleaze. Those who have participated in numerous EHEM seminars come home with the conviction that corruption may slowly be eradicated from our systems. They have learned that fighting corruption doesnt necessarily mean exposs

and daring-dos. Fighting corruption doesnt always mean confronting others. It is actually, a never-ending confrontation of the self. It forces us to pause and question the motives of our actions. In the EHEM seminars, we call it the teka moment, the moment where we pause and consider actions, and draw upon our own reservoir of Christian and Filipino values. It enables us to live and act according to our conscience. The way the EHEM! anti-corruption campaign is gaining ground gives a glimmer of hope. All over the country, individuals and groups from both the private and the public sector are signing up. Those who have been touched by it have been reaching out to others as well. They support and inspire each other. Through movements such as this, we may still be able to counter the current flow of deceit and corruption in our midst. By forcing us to look within our selves, both for faults and good values, corruption may soon be defeated, and we can start rebuilding our lives and our society. Maybe, through movements such as this which forces us to look within ourselves in order to change, we can someday look forward to a culture where integrity and honesty reign. I
(Lourdes Didith Mendoza-Rivera is the editor of INTERSECT, the quarterly magazine, of John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues .)

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ARTICLES

Ehem! Aha!

Corruption has become so ingrained in everyday life. Corruption is rooted in a fundamental selfcenteredness, an evil that contravenes the human responsibility to exist with others and for others. The effects of corruption extend beyond the economic losses incurred when money is stealthily diverted from public coffers to private pockets. Corruption has weakened the moral and spiritual fiber of a people that sees almost everyone as on the take, lahat nandadaya. Unlike most other anti-corruption campaigns and programs which are exclusively oriented toward exposing wrongdoings in government, the Ehem! approach aims to sensitize people to their own involvement in dishonest and corrupt practices. Sustained action in combating corruption can only come from self-aware individuals. If people in general began to curb their tendency toward dishonesty, they would become less tolerant of corruption in society, including corruption in government. Indeed the social and cultural tide favoring tolerance of corruption is very strong and can in fact lead one to despair. But as the experience of Ehem! has shown, there is hope that Filipinos may yet succeed in building a counter-culture that refuses to accept that corruption is normal or that it is an intractable problem.

Striving to Build a Graft-Intolerant Culture

By Anna Marie A. Karaos, Ph.D

ow many Tagalogs know that the word bukol can mean something other than a bump on ones head or some other part of the body? We are told that in media circles, a reporter is considered nabukulan if he or she fails to partake of the largesse distributed by a politician or a news source. A word as innocuous as orbit apparently refers to the practice by reporters of making the rounds (analogous to planets revolving around the sun) of police stations and other government offices for the purpose of soliciting money. These are examples of how ordinary Filipinos conceal their practices of cheating and by doing so make them a normal part of everyday life. The terms sound inoffensive yet their frequent usage suggests that the acts they portray have somehow become accepted practices. Journalists have their own vocabulary to represent their dishonest deeds and so does every other institution and subculture in Filipino society. Volume 41 Number 5

ARTICLES
Corruption has become so ingrained in everyday life that the Philippine Church sees it as gravely damaging to our character as a Christian nation. In the Philippine Bishops Pastoral Exhortation for the Year of Social Concerns, corruption is singled out as a major challenge to the Churchs task of building character and building community. The document points out that corruption is rooted in a fundamental self-centeredness, an evil that contravenes the human responsibility to exist with others and for others. In other words, it distorts the essential character of the human person which, in the Catholic faith, is meant to be other-centered. The Pastoral Exhortation declares that transforming persons from this selfcenteredness to the life of virtue and social responsibility remains our primary task and contribution to nation-building. The costs of corruption What is the extent of the consequences of corruption on Philippine society? The effects of corruption definitely extend beyond the economic losses incurred when money is stealthily diverted from public coffers to private pockets. But confining ourselves to just the economic costs which are easier to quantify, the numbers can be quite staggering. Speaking of corruption in the public sector alone, one estimate places its cost at three to ten percent of the Gross National Product and 20 percent of the national budget. A World Bank report in 2000 estimated that the government was losing $2 billion a year in the last twenty years due to corruption. In 1999, the Ombudsman claimed that the government was losing as much as PhP100 million daily since the agency began investigating graft cases in 1988. The Commission on Audit, in 1998, reported a slightly lower cost of corruption at two billion pesos a year (Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, 2005). Translating these numbers into foregone public goods and services, studies have shown that up to 65 percent of textbook funds is actually reserved for bribes (Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, 2005). Commissions on public works reportedly run up to an average of 30 percent of the project cost. It is claimed that at least 12-20 percent of pork barrel funds allotted for building artesian wells, bridges and roads is pocketed by legislators (Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus, 2005), while in the purchase of medicines, books and instructional materials, legislators get to keep for themselves as much as 45 percent of allotted funds (Parreno, 1998). CBCP Pastoral Letter Let Integrity Flow Time and again, the Catholic Church has called attention to the ill effects of corruption, enjoining its members to do something about the problem. In 1989, the bishops wrote a pastoral letter entitled Thou Shalt Not Steal, already expressing their grave concern over the harm the problem has brought to the country, especially to the poor. In 1997, the bishops issued the Pastoral Exhortation on Philippine Politics, strongly condemning graft and corruption as a sin against God. In this document, the bishops proposed very concrete steps to combat corruption: the formation of peoples councils to promote public awareness, monitoring the use of public funds and initiating charges against guilty officials. In its latest pastoral letter on graft and corruption, Let Integrity Flow issued in 2003, the bishops take a step backward and start off with a call to self-examination as the foundation for action. Thus the pastoral letter begins with an admission that sinfulness, and specifically corruption, has been a part of the history of the Church itself. Today we once more point an accusing finger at ourselves, the letter declares. Then admitting the wrong the Church has inflicted on the rest of society, it goes on to say that we all suffer the pain when one part of the Body of Christ, that is the Church, does wrong. Emphasizing the cultural dimension of the problem, the bishops note that Our high tolerance of evil is still the greatest problem. We as a people are also responsible. They lament that corruption has weakened the moral and spiritual fiber of a people that sees almost everyone as on the take, lahat nandadaya. Not exempting themselves, they openly admit that even some in the Church have been known to accept donations from persons known to be corrupt. Fighting corruption through Ehem! This stance embodied in the pastoral letter Let Integrity Flow is the basic approach adopted by a program launched by the Jesuits Committee on the Evangelization of Culture, known as Ehem!. The Committee wanted to make the fight against corruption accessible to ordinary people by helping them become more conscious of the practices and effects of corruption in everyday life. In order to do this, it was important to first understand peoples per-

ceptions of and attitudes toward corruption and how they are affected by it. Thus a series of focus group discussions was conducted among different sectors of society to bring to light these attitudes and perceptions. The results were written up in a book entitled A Cross-sectoral Study of Corruption in the Philippines published in 2002. The study meant to do more than simply help people understand common perceptions of corruption. More important, it was intended to inform the design of an awareness-raising tool to help people formulate their own action agenda for reducing corruption. Thus a second book was soon produced in 2003, the Ehem! A Manual for Deepening Involvement in Combating Corruption which has since been printed in two editions and has been read and used by at least 18,000 participants in over 200 seminars conducted nationwide. These seminars were held in the cities and regions where the Ehem! networks are strongest, namely Regions II, III, IV, NCR, V, VII, IX, X, XI and XII. Attending them were mostly people from government agencies, religious congregations and schools.

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Ehem! Aha! Striving to Build a Graft-Intolerant Culture

cies as part of their training and education programs. Aside from the anti-graft bodies such as the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission which would be logical partners for a program such as this, a number of agencies perceived by the public as extremely corrupt have been among its most committed adopters. Among them are the Land Transportation Office, Department of Public Works and Highways, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Department of Education. Through a partnership with the Ombudsman that aims to institutionalize the cultural sensitivity approach in the educational, investigative and prosecutorial functions of the agency, Ehem! seminars are being organized in the different government agencies by a Technical Working Group created by the Ombudsman. Other agencies that have used the Ehem! manuals and requested for Ehem! seminars are the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Finance, Department of Energy, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior and Local Government, the Office of the President in Mindanao and the Mindanao Economic Development Council. Recently the Civil Service Commission accredited the Ehem!sensitivity seminars as a personnel development program for government officials and employees. This means that civil servants can now use their attendance in the Ehem! seminars to enhance their credentials for promotions and salary increases. This development is expected to further increase the number of regular Ehem! users among the governments frontline agencies. Beyond Ehem!Aha!, whistleblowing and more While creating awareness and sensitivity to dishonest and corrupt practices is seen as the foundation for building an anti-corruption movement, the campaign does not stop here. In 2004, the Ehem! Project Team headed by Fr. Albert Alejo, S.J. and Dr. Ronnie Amorado, launched the Walang Hihingi campaign in time for the 2004 elections. Consistent with the Ehem! approach, the campaign directed its appeal not so much to the politicians engaged in vote-buying and distributing funds for projects in order to win votes, as to the electorate, and specifically to those in the habit of soliciting funds from candidates for all sorts of projects like basketball courts, team uniforms, trophies, fiestas and even to church people asking for donations for their charities. People who want to stand up against corruption need tremendous support and protection to enable them to act according to their conscience. In 2005, a study was initiated among whistleblowers towards the preparation of a book, the Aha! A Citizens Primer on Whistleblowing. The project is again a joint effort between the Ehem! Project Team and the Technical Working Group of the Office of the Ombudsman. The primer provides useful tips and advice to whistleblowers and is used in the orientation seminars and literacy courses being given to prospective whistleblowers. How do people cross the line from awareness and intolerance to actually doing something about the evils of corruption? Also in 2005, the Ehem! team embarked on a research project on the Spirituality of Integrity which will feed into another publication, a resource book on integrity and good practices in combating corruption, to be titled Ehemplo!. The book will feature true-to-life cases of people who have successfully resisted corruption and expound on the inner resources that have sustained these courageous people in their crusades. As an accompaniment to the book, a 3-minute Ehemplo! MTV has also been produced to try to communicate the value of integrity to a more popular audience, and especially to young people. A Graft-Intolerant Culture It is said that it only takes good men and women to do nothing for evil to triumph. In their 2003 pastoral exhortation, the bishops lamented the fact that corruption has weakened the resolve of many to work for change as they are gradually being conditioned to accept and tolerate systematic and institutional corruption as being part of the nature of things, and no longer as a matter of individual wrongdoing by those in power. Indeed the social and cultural tide favoring tolerance of corruption is very strong and can in fact lead one to despair. But as the experience of Ehem! has shown, there is hope that Filipinos may yet succeed in building a counter-culture that refuses to accept that corruption is normal or that it is an intractable problem. I
(Anna Marie A. Karaos, Ph.D., is the Executive Director of the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues of the Ateneo de Manila University.)

The Ehem! Approach What is distinctive about the Ehem! approach to fighting corruption? As the name implies, the campaign is essentially an invitation to self-examination. Unlike most other anti-corruption campaigns and programs which are exclusively oriented toward exposing wrongdoings in government, the Ehem! approach aims to sensitize people to their own involvement in dishonest and corrupt practices. It is premised on the behavioral principle that sustained action in combating corruption can only come from self-aware individuals. If people in general began to curb their tendency toward dishonesty, they would become less tolerant of corruption in society, including corruption in government. Moreover, the long-term goal of Ehem!s intervention is not just to reduce corruption in government, even though this is an important objective of the program, but also to promote a culture of integrity. Collaborators in government The success of the Ehem! Campaign is perhaps best seen in the fact that the Ehem! sensitivity seminars have been adopted by a number of government agen-

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STATEMENTS
s the May 2007 Elections draw near we are caught by the feverish excitement that customarily accompanies elections in our country. Let us not be drowned by this passing sensation and shove aside the decisive impact of the elections that could bring foreseeable dismal consequences to our future as a democratic nation. I am writing you this letter to put back to our consciousness the crucial necessity of preparing ourselves for another critical moment of our lives as Filipino Catholics. First and foremost, I remind you that we live in a democracy. The late Pope John Paul II emphasized this in his encyclical: The Church values the democratic system.(cf. Centesimus Annus, 46). In a democracy we, the people, rule. In a democracy the people rule through their vote. This God-given power is a pearl of great price (cf. Mt. 13.46) which must not be thrown to the pigs. (cf. Mt. 7.6) Through this God-given power we, the people, become active builders of our own future. And as Christian believers we fulfill what we all pray when we say in the Lords Prayer, Thy Kingdom come! (cf. Mt. 6.10; Lk. 11.2) I ask you then to exercise this God-given power as faithful Catholics who must be a leaven in the world and transform our culture in Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord. Secondly, as we look forward to the celebration of the 40th anniversary of our diocese, a unique occasion that challenges the maturity of our Christian faith, God calls us not just to renew our religious faith, but to make it the guiding force in our lives, both public and private.The Second Vatican Council in the document Gaudium et Spes advises us of the eminent significance of the practice of the Christian faith: One of the graver errors of our time is the dichotomy between the faith we profess and the practice of [our] daily lives Let there be no such pernicious opposition between

professional and social activity on the one hand and religious life on the other. The Christian who shirks his temporal duties shirks his duties toward his neighbor [and] neglects God himself (Vatican II,Gaudium et Spes, n. 43) Thirdly, let us remind ourselves of our vocation as baptized Christians. Vatican II tells us that we each share the obligation of spreading the faith, and that the whole Church is missionary and the work of evangelization [is] the fundamental task of the people of God. John Paul II stresses in his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, that all Christians are involved in a struggle for the soul of the contemporary world. In every compartment of our livesfrom our families, to our jobs, and even to the solitude of the voting boothGod asks us to be His witnesses, His apostles. St. Pauls words, Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel, apply to us all every single day in our choices. We either preach Jesus Christ in our words and actions, or we lose him. It has always social consequences and that means cultural and political consequences. Democracy thrives on those consequences. Having said all that, I direct your serious concern to the May Elections. Having given a brief recall of the gloomy situation experienced by our nation because of past controversial electoral exercise that further aggravates social distrust and hopelessness, the Catholic bishops of our country enjoin us to come together once more and organize ourselves more effectively to make this years elections credibleand as free of violence as possible. (cf. CBCP Letter to Dioceses and Parishes, 28 January 2007) 1. Hence, as your shepherd and your bishop I urge you as faithful citizens and as faithful Catholics: 2. To form your conscience according to the social teachings of the Church

A Pastoral Letter to Priests, Religious and the Faithful on the Forthcoming Elections
The Lord is risen! May the joy and peace of Easter grant us the courage to witness to our faith in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. concerning the active participation of all Catholics in social affairs. Your active involvement demands a critical moral judgment. 3. To know and understand the issues and critically evaluate the platform and programs of candidates and parties seeking political office. (cf. PPCRV, Ten Commandments of Responsible Voting, n. 4) The platform and programs must promote peace, justice and development. 4. In effect, when you enter the voting booth, you are not there simply to pull a lever for a favorite or a popular candidate or in favor of your own personal and possibly selfish self-interest. You are there with the power to effect change and shape the future of our society. 5. To critically choose candidates who possess the following qualities necessary for public office: (cf. PPCRV, Ten Commandments of Responsible Voting, nn. 6-10) a Competency: The candidate must be competent to hold public office and be judged by his/her personal behavior and his/her commitment to serve the people. b. Personal Integrity: The candidate must have moral integrity; be honest and adhere to his moral principles. He or she must also have strong family values. The candidate must be true to his words and be serving God through his deeds. c. Commitment to the common good: The candidate must be able to champion the causes of all citizens not just that of their family members or close relatives and friends. Finally, let us be aware that the past elections in our country had always been marred by coercion, unfairness and dishonesty. The Catholic bishops affirmed that many of our current political problems which have hindered fuller economic development and social injustice can be traced to unresolved questions concerning the conduct of past elections. (cf. CBCP Letter to Dioceses and Parishes, 28 January 2007). I enjoin all of you, then, as concerned citizens and faithful believers, to work to help clean the dirt from our easily corrupted electoral process. (cf. CBCP Letter to Dioceses and Parishes, 28 January 2007) Therefore, as your pastor and your bishop I strongly admonish: All government officials: Many of you are Christians. In fact, majority of you are Catholic Christians. I admonish you not to resort to ways and means that will impair a free, fair and honest election. I appeal to your good Christian hearts and minds to

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STATEMENTS
take heroic courage to definitely curb all abuses and all forms of violence, intimidation and corruption. All political candidates and all those affiliated with them: Politics is not an exercise of popularity or of showing off ones wealth and power but it is an exercise of ones commitment to look after the common good. I admonish you not to employ whatever form of violent and corrupt means to achieve success in the political race. Some sectors of society who take advantage of the election commotion: In the past your unorthodox means of participating in the elections in the name of helping the people had sown fear and anger among the population. I admonish you to cease taking advantage of some ambitious politicians and of the vulnerability of the people. If you honestly have the good of the country in mind, sowing terror, violence and anger are absolutely way out of your vision to make your idealisms come to reality. All who work in the service of the Catholic Church: In past experiences I had known of Church workers who decided to give up their Christian principles and get mired up in dirty politics. I admonish you not to abandon God in favor of mammon. Indeed, this is the appropriate occasion for you to witness to the Gospel values of justice, peace and love which you preach as servants of the Church. To all Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) throughout the diocese, I make this special appeal: The bishops of our country underscore your critically significant role in this years elections not because you form the majority of the electoral populace but because you possess an extraordinary strength that comes from your solidarity and unity, that strength that comes only from the Lord who is always present whenever two or three are gathered in His name. The Lord assures us, Do not fear! It is I! (Jn 6.20) Thus, I appeal to you to stand up and show yourselves as self-governing, self-sustaining, self-nourishing communities who cannot be manipulated and overcome by gold, guns and glamour. Let your actions show that you are governed, sustained and nourished by the Gospel values of love and forgiveness, of humility and obedience, and of justice and peace. For us all, our responsibility to our faith and to our nation requires that we consider seriously the action we are going to make, and that we do what is right. For only action that is right and true will in the end rescue our country. This is a critical momentand to do nothing would be a great tragedy. Therefore, let us implore the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and to enlighten our country. As a sign of our dependence on God, I ask each vicariate or, if circumstances allow, each parish to hold a pre-election Holy Hour before Christ, the Bread of Life. I urge each family to recite a daily Rosary prior to the elections; we beseech Mary, Immaculately conceived, the patroness of our country, to intercede for us; and we ask the intercession of St. Joseph, the protector of the Church and patron of our diocese, to protect us. Through intense prayers and acts of self-giving, I ask all Catholics to witness to all our brothers and sisters about the profound moral significance of the decisions being made that day. May the Risen Lord grant us the strength to live up to our convictions as witnesses of his resurrection striving towards the building up of a new heaven and a new earth. Given this 23rd day of April 2007, the feast of St. George the Martyr, at the Bishops Residence, Ampayon, Butuan City. In Marys fiat, +Juan de Dios M. Pueblos, DD Bishop of Butuan

Reflection for Labor Day

oday the nation honors, appreciates and salutes the millions in the labor force all over the country. We might even consider these workers as also genuine servants of the state. They are the hands and feet, even to some extent the mind and the soul, of production. On them too rest the rise and fall of economy. The condition of labor is probably a key to the question of social progress. We can gauge the countrys poverty level by looking at the condition of the majority of our labor force. In some real sense, the primary basis for the value of work is the worker himself. As the classic saying goes: Work is for man, not man for work. Every human being achieves fulfillment by working for himself and his family and then for the great society whose life he participates in. This means everyone must be able to derive from his work the means of supporting himself and his family, and of serving the human community. It is necessary that solidarity among workers themselves and with workers on the part of business establishments be promoted for the protection of mutual rights. While approaching and advocating the ideal situation of solidarity and communion between labor and businessmen, still the priority of labor over capital should be accepted as a fundamental and classic principle. This is based on the principle of the primacy of man over thingssuch as, science and technology, the instruments of work, money,

profit, which are thought of as capital. Numbers or statistics might help our reflection on Labor Day. While government claims that 5 million jobs have been generated from 2001 to the present (Philippine Star, April 30, 2007), one study has it that in January 2006 the unemployed individuals have reached 3.9 million and still increasing, while the underemployed were 5.4 million of 31.7 million employed. Overseas work has helped to a great extent the Philippine economy by mitigating the employment problem in the country. As of 2004 the overseas Filipino workers totaled 8 million. It is an accepted fact, their remittances have provided an important source of income for a great number of Filipino families. During the present campaign period for the May election, the condition of labor must be one of the concerns addressed to our future leaders of government in all levels. We may have many good laws that are pro workers, but how many of them are still waiting for implementation? The poverty level of labor could be a sign (one anyway) indicating the genuine level of economy. We hope that the future leaders of our countryfrom the bottom upin solidarity with the business sector, will ensure through implementation of just legislation the workers rights as well as the just development of the world of work. +ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO Archbishop of Jaro President, CBCP May 1, 2007

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STATEMENTS
s we enter the final weeks before elections, it would be good to remind ourselves of three Cs for choosing candidatesi.e., Conscience, Competence, and Commitment. First and foremost, the candidate must be a person of conscience. He or she is guided by a sense of morality, of what is morally right or wrong. He is maka-Diyos and maka-tao. He takes to heart the commandments: Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not bear false witness. Since he is running for public office, he must be transparent in his actions and accountable for all his transactions involving public funds. In short, he upholds the values of Truth, Justice, and Love. Secondly, the candidate must be a person of competence. He has a record of public service that we can verify. His academic qualifications are sound. His previous work experience gives us assurance that he will be a good steward of human, natural and financial resources. Merely belonging to a political dynasty is no assurance of competence; it may even be seen as a negative mark. Thirdly, the candidate is a person of commitmenti.e., he is sincere and committed to serve the common good and the participation of the governed through people empowerment. He is committed to causes beyond his own selfinterest and family aggrandizement. Some of these causes have been articulated by the Church in recent statements of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. 1) There is a need for electoral reforms. The credibility of some COMELEC officials has been eroded, particularly in the conduct of last elections. In this regard, I highly endorse to our parishioners the call for volunteers to join PPCRV,

Pastoral Letter

Conscience, Competence, Commitment

NAMFREL and NASSA in helping in voters education, poll watching, and the quick counting of votes. 2) There is a need forgenuine democratization and political reforms. The sordid practices of vote-buying and voteselling and mindless marshalling of command votes are symptoms of a deeper malaise. This must be counteracted by a political culture of principles, party platforms and genuine peoples participation. The recent stand of the local Church against the railroading of charter change through a so-called Peoples Initiative or a Constituent Assembly highlights the need for continuing vigilance and genuine democratic processes. 3) Corruption in public

office must be checked by engaged citizens groups that demand social auditing of the use of public funds, especially for infrastructure projects. The use of pork barrel funds must also be fully accounted for. Drug-pushing and rampant gambling must be checked. These social vices eventually give rise to narcopolitics and the dominance of jueteng lords. 4) In terms of social reform, the CBCP statements in January 2007 express the bishops concerns in upholding the dignity of the rural and urban poor. In particular, we call on government to complete the implementation of agrarian reform and provide housing opportunities for the urban poor. 5) The integrity of family

life has to be protected and promoted. The Church has been in the forefront of pro-life issues particularly against the social ills of abortion and artificial contraception. The archdiocese promotes responsible parenthood and a comprehensive natural family planning program which we invite government agencies and local governments to support. 6) The support of private schools in the public service has been a recurrent concern for the local Church. Moreover, the rights of parents and students for optional religious instruction in public schools as upheld by the Constitution should be fully honored. There is need to strengthen the moral fiber of our citizenry through religious instruction according

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STATEMENTS
condemn the extra-judicial killings of individuals. Two of these have taken place over the past months in Misamis Oriental. The public safety of peasant and labor leaders as well as of journalists exercising their profession must be upheld. The basic freedoms of expression and association are hallmarks of a genuine democracy. Conscience, Competence, Commitmentthree qualities we look for in our public officials. But these are the same attributes we should look for in ourselves as voters. It is time to take democracy in our own hands and make it work for our communities and future generations. We commend all those who volunteer their time, talents and treasure to ensure the viability of our democratic institutions. These include volunteers who take a neutral stance to watch the polls. On the other hand, we also encourage the Catholic laity together with other citizens groups who wish to take a trans-partisan stand in the choice of worthy candidates. Trans-partisanship in this sense does not only mean choosing and openly endorsing candidates across political parties. More profoundly, it means transcending the narrow bounds of party politics to choose candidates who uphold the Gospel values for building what the Social Teachings of the Church envision as a civilization of love. May your involvement in the political life of our country personify your collective conscience, competence and commitment to rebuild our damaged institutions and create a brighter future for your children and coming generations. The candidate who buys your vote is a candidate without the three Cs. He is the last one you should vote for. Your vote is sacred. Your vote counts. Antonio J. Ledesma, S.J. Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro 1 May 2007

Pastoral Letter on the Upcoming 2007 Elections

Choose wise, intelligent and experienced men from each of your tribes(Deut. 1:13) BELOVED people of God: Peace be with you! Once again we are to face another election this year. And once again our maturity and ability to choose leaders who will become public servants in our government will be put to the test. Thanks to the democratic process in our choice of candidates whom we want to elect. This process also demands of us the responsibility to take actions to ensure peaceful, true, clean, and just elections. As a people of God it is our responsibility to safeguard our right to choose and to protect the sanctity of ballots. Let us always uphold activities that will help us achieve peaceful and true elections. Important activities are Voters Education before elections and vigilance during and after the elections, and securing the election returns and results. The CBCP Pastoral Letter to the dioceses and to the parishes has this request every parish organization and institutionand the BECs most especiallybe mobilized to the utmost to do what each can do towards that endthat they must form linkages with one another and with other like-minded civic and religious associations that are working to help clean the dirt from our easily corrupted electoral process. THERE SHOULD BE NO VOTEBUYING,CHEATING, COERCION, FIGHTING, STEALING, DISHONESTY DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY PROMISES THAT HAVE NO FULFILLMENT.LETUSMAKEOUR ELECTIONS PEACEFUL, TRUE, CLEAN AND JUST. As a guideline here are the ten (10) commandments for responsible voting: 1) You shall vote according to the dictate of your conscience; 2) You shall respect the decision of others in choosing their candidates; 3) You shall seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote for; 4) You shall strive to understand the issues, platform and program of candidates and parties seeking your vote; 5) You shall not sell your vote; 6) You shall not vote for candidates using guns, goons and gold; 7) You shall not vote for candidates with records of graft and corruption, and Human Rights Violation; 8) You shall not vote for candidates just because of utang na loob, personal appearance, popularity, or pakikisama; 9) You shall not vote for candidates living an immoral life; 10) You shall put the welfare of the country above all else in choosing the candidate you will vote for. It is our hope that the Virgin Mary, the Queen of Peace, will always inspire us to do the will of Her Son Jesus. We hope that St. Michael the Archangel will protect us from every evil. May the God of love, peace, and justice unite all of us in our work for a peaceful and clean election! In Christ, +Elenito D. Galido, D.D. Bishop of Iligan February 23, 2007

to the students own faith tradition. 7) Conserving the environment has been a major concern of many dioceses, including our own. The CBCP has issued statements against irresponsible mining and logging wanton practices that apparently are still taking place at a small or fairly large scale in the upstream areas of Cagayan de Oro and Iponan rivers. We have also issued a call against the introduction of geneticallymodified organisms (GMOs) in our food chain. This has been done surreptitiously without proper labeling that should protect the consumers rights. 8) Finally, the rule of law and promoting the human security of households and local communities must prevail. We

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The Hidden Cost of Graft and Corruption

y way of a better understanding of our focal subject concern, it would be good to know or review the difference and similarity between graft and corruption. For practical purposes, they are interchangeable terms and pursuant realities for good reasons: one, their mere mention immediately brings to mind the misuse or abuse of public office. Two, they both instantly bring to mind gross dishonesty and flagrant fraud in governance. Three, their pairing infallibly says the issue of deceitful private gains of public officials eventually effective of losses of the public sector. In the technical sphere of law and pursuant jurisprudence, however, there is a given and accepted difference between the nature of graft and that of corruption: a. Graft is specifically applicable to public officials who betray their oath and take advantage of their office by pocketing public funds, giving favors, readily doing or actually sitting on their functions due to agreed upon considerations. In graft, the key element is someone holding a public office and betraying a public trustplus stealing public funds, denying or undermining public service. b. Corruption concretely refers to public officials who conspire with private citizens, organizations or institutions under the triad of the briber (private persons or entities), the bribe (money, gifts, favors), and the bribed (public official). In corruption, the essential conspiring figures are at least one public official and one private person, entity of corporation. c. The screaming and dismaying headline RP MOST CORRUPT IN ASIA according to the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) (cf. Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 14, 2007) means exactly the following: first, the distinct and pervasive actuality of the Triad of Dishonesty between government officials and private individuals and enterprises. Second, the triad is particularly operative in the sphere of Philippine politics and corporate business. Third, the triad has ascended to a superlative degree to the extent that it gathered the first ranking in the whole continent of Asia. A. Anti-Corruption Agencies in the Philippine Government It is both intriguing and disheartening to know and remember that the Philippine Government has an impressive number of no less than constitutional bodies plus

presidential entities categorically and concretely established to specifically counter graft and corruption in its own fold. Established in 1986 to 2001 by different Presidential Executive Orders, they are either in fact obviously involved themselves in such detestable practices they are mandated to counter or are strongly suspect of being manned by no less than big grafters and corrupt officials, or basically dysfunctional and wherefore pernicious even to the general public. All the officials of these distinguished and impressive government entities are not only fully paid by the direct and indirect taxes of all the citizens of the Philippines from their birth to death. A good number of them are even enjoying enviable perks and privileges supposedly for doing their jobs. For these reasons alone, it becomes understandable that they are practically glued to their official chairs only for their personal interests but also on account of their patrons in government by reason of transactional politics. That is why notwithstanding the repeated and loud praise-chanting about these government agencies by the incumbent national leadership plus the high profile they have in the present administration, it is both to their fame and shame that for 2007, the Philippines gained the aforesaid qualifying distinction of the odious title of Most Corrupt in Asia. For recall and reference purposes, the following are some of the more known and often mentioned supposedly anticorruption entities by the 1986 Constitution and the last six continuously constituted by Executive Orders from 1986 to 2001: 1. Commission on Elections; 2. Office of the Ombudsman; 3. Sandiganbayan; 4. Commission on Audit; 5. Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas; 6. Civil Service Commission; 7. Presidential Commission on Good Government; 8. Inter-Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council; 9. Presidential Committee on Effective Governance; 10. Presidential Anti-Graft Commission; 11. Governance Advisory Council; 12. Anti-Money Laundering Council. The irony of it all rests on the fact that just last year 2006, the incumbent Head of Government even proudly announced that it has earmarked no less than an additional amount of two billion pesos to combat graft and corruption in government! This brings to mind the height of futility and the summit of hy Dennis Dayao / CBCP Media Office

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C O V E R S T O R Y

The Hidden Cost of Graft and Corruption

By Oscar V. Cruz
Denz Dayao / IMPACT

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C O V E R S T O R Y pocrisy as may be perceived in the ridiculous images of feeding the sharks, trusting thieves, converting evil! This is why one year later as above said, 2007 is a title year for the Philippines openly declared for the whole world to know as tops in corruption in the Asian Continent! B. Graft and corruption in government By way of a more concrete perspective and particular understanding of graft and corruption in government, it will be useful to consider though briefly the three following signal realities. In effect, they come by way of conclusions of many studies, prolonged researches and proper inquiries by certain non-government groups and organizations: 1. Dirty Money For purposes of both technicality and practicality, the so-called dirty money comes in three categories. Though they have their respective terminologies, in substance, however, their common denominator is greed productive precisely of flagrant graft and blatant corruption in this pitiful country. a. Extortion. This is an agreed amount of money demanded by a person holding public office and wherefore exercising public authority so that the payee could evade penalty, big damage or grave inconvenience. Needless to say, this is the vilest form of graft and corruption. In the vernacular this is called patong. b. Grease. This is standard, agreed upon or acceptable payment usually given to high or low public officials for the purpose of making these precisely do their functions better and/or faster, or for facilitating the instance or insistence of payees. This money changing hands usually comes as a form of corruption. In the vernacular this is called padulas. c. Bribe. This comes in form of relatively big amount of money paid to the public officials with decision-making power usually to favor the payee. This particular form of corruption ordinarily happens in the Judicial System, the immediate and disastrous result of which is that justice has become illusive to the poor and common tao. 2. Graft-prone government agencies Among others, the twelve government agencies that are prone to graft practices pursuant to records and consequent cases filed against some of their officials last year alone, are the followingarranged in alphabetical order: 1 Bureau of Customs (BOC); 2. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR); Commission on Elections (COMELEC); 3. Department of Education (DepEd); 4. Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG); 5. Department of National Defense (DND); 6. Department of Natural Resources (DENR); 7. Department of Public Works & Highways (DPWH); 8. Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC); 9. National Housing Authority (NHA); 10. National Irrigation Agency (NIA); 11. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). It might be worth noting that the most known and commonly considered most graft ridden and corrupt government agencies are the followingarranged in their order of demerit: First, Bureau of Internal Review. Second, Bureau of Customs. Third, Department of Public Works & Highways. It is for this reason that the key public offices in these government entities are the most sought after and accordingly dispensed by the Administration to those it owes to appease and/or those numbered among its favorites for political and/or personal reasons. It is not altogether unfounded for many people to believe that the high public officials appointed to these three distinct agencies are well screened in their loyalty to the appointing power. 3. Graft and Corruption Particulars Considering graft and corruption as but one composite reality, viz., G/C, whereby any public official uses his or her public office for promoting private interests and/or acquiring personal gains, there are more than a thousand and one particulars that can be pointed out in conjunction with this subject matter. For purposes of brevity however, there are certain conclusory items that are worth mentioning for a better understanding and appreciation of the reach and impact of these practices of greed, avarice or covetousness obtaining in government: a. G/C has taken deep and extensive rootage in the whole Philippine political system from the national to the local levels, and vice versa. It comes primarily in terms of the promotion of partisan interests, the reality of transactional politics, the tenets of political patronage and consequent appointments to high positions in government agencies, departments and offices.

b. G/C has become a matter of course in the workings of the Executive Department, in the manipulation of the majority and the independent members of the Legislative Department especially the Lower House of Congress, and in the inducements of the key figures in the Judicial Department in promoting the big interests and protecting the distinct concerns of the present Administration. c. G/C is such practiced in Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC) with Philippine Amusement and Gambling Corporation (PAGCOR) deserving special mention, in building government projects and making procurements, in the preferential treatment of public officials who contribute

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The Hidden Cost of Graft and Corruption

(Marcos Rule); 2. Kamag-Anak, Inc. (Cory Regime); 3. PEA-Amari (Ramos Regime); 4. Dummy Corporation (Estrada Presidency); 5. Hello Garci Tape (Arroyo Reign) C. Pork Barrel Since its ominous introduction in the national budget specifically in favor of the honorable members of the Legislative Department, the pork barrel system euphemistically called Countrywide Development Fund (CDF)has been the object of many investigations and consequent denunciations, repeated adverse findings and pursuant censures. Many consider it as an efficient vehicle of endemic graft and systemic corruption in the Philippine governance: 1. Even but for purposes of recall, it would be good to cite how much fats are eaten up by the Philippine legislators under the following interesting observations: a.) There are legislators who in fact deliberately refuse to get their allotted pork barrel. This they do as a matter of principle for which reason they can be counted with ones finger; b.) There are legislators who in effect are denied their pork barrel for not being pro-administration; c.) There are indications that the pork barrel is even bigger in the 2007 National Budget. It has been acknowledged that there is a somehow good side to pork barrel in the sense that it in a way provides for the needs of the constituents of a legislator especially so when they are neglected by the national government. 2. By way of general information, hereunder are the yearly sum totalsas of last years national budgetcredited for their respective dispositions of legislators according to law: a.) 70 Million Pesos per Congressman; b) 200 Million Pesos per Senator; c) Thousands more for certain items. Pork Barrel also provides some means of developmental projects particularly in favor of the 5 thand 6th class municipalities. 3. And by way of concrete data, hereunder are the yearly particulars of the pork barrel, i.e., the beneficial items included in the whole barrel for application by the legislators: a.) 10-20 M for Priority Development Assistance Fund; b.) 15M as Congressional Initiative Allocation; c.) 30-60M for Public Works fund; d.) 4-5M for School Building Fund; e.) 05-1M for Farm-to-Market Road Construction Fund. There are marked findings that in adVolume 41 Number 5

Denz Dayao / CBCPMedia

most to partisan gains thus enjoying practical immunity from judicial penalties even for gross offenses. d G/C stands out when it comes to government regulatory activitiessuch as in securing national and local government permits and licenses, in getting public contracts, in making payments for direct taxes. e. G/C is a given in dealing with the government officials concerned in conjunction with the following corporate businesses especially in big and medium scales: manufacturing, trade, finance, transportation, communication. f. G/C has already long since become the special concern of certain Non-Government Organizations, among which

are the following more known ones: Procurement Watch, Inc., Bantay Katarungan. Transparency and Accountability Network, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)where a good amount of the information and data in this page have been taken and crosschecked with other sources. g. G/C has shown its most signal and scandalous expression in certain unique phenomenon and singular facts in the country that merited historical recording for many generations to know and remember. Among the well noted and corrupt acts in the Philippines the following surely deserve special mention for their significance and pursuant implications: 1. Cronyism

19

C O V E R S T O R Y dition to the pork barrel proper, legislators get additional takes and perks under various entitlementsmonthly, occasionally, yearly: a) Salary per month: P35,000.00; b) Credited Expenses per month: P200,000.00; c) Foreign Travel per day: $300.00; d) Special occasions: P50,000.00; e) Election of Speaker: P200,000.00 max; f) Allowance from Speaker: P100,000.00 max; g) Christmas gift from Speaker: P200,000.00 max; h) Attendance for selected bills: P50,000.00 +; i) Christmas gift from Malacaang: P100,000.00 +; j) Committee Chairmanship: variable. D. Costs of Graft and Corruption Needless to say, graft and corruption cost people much nationwide in terms of their eventual big losses individually, as a sector or as a composite wholebe these immediately evident or hidden which is worse as to their deeper and longer impact. First, they cost them as direct and indirect tax payers in the sense that a big amount of their hard earned money goes to the pockets of many unscrupulous public officials. Second, they further cost them as citizens deprived of what is due them such as their public welfare or common good they have the right to expect and to have. Third, they finally cost them in their ethical perspective and pursuant values system that in effect undermine their dignity as human persons. The costs of graft and corruption can be thus identified and categorized: a. Money Cost. According to the most conservative estimate of the Commission on Audit, graft and corruption in the Philippines cost a minimum of 2 to 3 Billion pesos a year to the people. It is a given that the COA itself is sadly not altogether free of graft and corruption. b. Social Cost. The supposed beneficiaries who constitute the Filipino people are robbed of what is due them in social development. This translates to socio-political instability and citizens discontent brought about by poverty, hunger and sicknessnot to mention poor education, lack of medical and welfare services. c. Ethical Cost. Most costly of all the ill-effects of flagrant graft and blatant corruption are the hidden ones of ethical nature and/or moral import such as the following: 1) Graft and corruption become a political given. Acceptance of greed and consequent deception in money matters become but a fact of life. The pursuit of fast and easy money comes as a matter of course. Honesty and integrity are only for the simpletons and fools who know no better. 2) Promotion of the culture of lying, cheating, and stealing. Erosion of the fundamental values of honesty and integrity. Deadening of conscience even among young peopleto the extent of their loss of the sense of right and wrong, the distinction between virtue and vice. 3) Indifference to the gross violation of social justice, apathy to the oppression of the common tao, resignation to the reality of easy life, abuse and thievery among public officials. Adoption of the see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing stance as a rule of life to the extent that each one is responsible only to oneself. peace productive of human developmentwhich are basically in conjunction with the here and now, and which are precisely the primary concern of the Social Doctrine of the Church. Among the thousand and one key social teachings of the Church which has particular relevance to our subject concern, the following signal doctrinal stance is expressly and clearly forwarded: Among the deformities of the democratic system, political corruption is one of the most serious because it betrays at one and the same time both moral principles and the norms of social justice. It compromises the correct functioning of the State, having a negative influence on the relationship between those who govern and the governed. It causes growing distrust with respect to public institutions, bringing about a progressive disaffection in the citizens with regard to politics and its representatives, with the result of weakening institutions. (Cf. John Paul II, Sollicitudo rei socialis, 44). In other words, corruption plus graft destroys democracy, ruins morality, violates social justice, ruins state functions, alienates the governing and the governed, undermines social institutions, depreciates politics and politicians.

The Philippines has not earned the odious and shameful title of the Most Corrupt in Asiafor nothing!
E. Social Doctrine of the Church It is a big pity that the Social Doctrine of the Church somehow still remains her best kept secret in the world in the sense that it has not been really taught and acted upon as the Clergy and the Religious did much regarding cultic matters, viz., devotional, spiritual, supernatural agenda. For this reason, the Catholic faith in the Philippines could have become too verticalistic, with its rightful horizontal dimensionthe Social Doctrine of the Churchsomehow sadly forgotten. To this date, a good number of political and business leaders in the country are graduates of Catholic schools, colleges and universities. They presence church liturgy, have their favorite devotions and even attend retreatswhich are basically with reference to the hereafter and beyond. Yet, the Philippines is not exactly known for honesty and integrity, for the promotion of social justice, the quest for

Conclusion By way of ending this little paper with a more recent and concrete glaring example of graft and corruption, it would suffice to look into the atrocious costing of the purchase and installation of lampposts in Cebu on the occasion of the much trumpeted 12th ASEAN Summit last January: a. There were no less than 1,800 lampposts bought and placed along the ceremonial route of the Asean Heads and Delegates on their way to their convention site. b. In Mandaue City, the simple lamppost cost but P7,536.00 each, while the tipple armed structure only cost P9,523.00 each. c. Lo and behold, after their purchase and installation the lamppost cost the government no less than P300,000.00 each! The Philippines has not earned the odious and shameful title of the Most Corrupt in Asiafor nothing! I

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ARTICLES

lection time is here again. Surveys from Pulse Asia taken last January 29 before the start of the campaign showed Loren Legarda leading the pack of the Genuine Opposition (GO) senatoriables. A second survey was done in March and the results were essentially the samethe Genuine Opposition leading over the Team Unity (TU) candidates. Atty. Adel Tamano, the GO campaign manager, taunted Team Unity for its poor showing in these surveys. Of course, the Administrations spokesman, Secretary Gabriel Claudio was quick to demolish the early claim of the Opposition. The local government leaders, he avowed, 90% of whom promised support and allegiance to the Administration, will deliver a 9-3 or 84 victory in TUs favor when election time comes. How accurate are these surveys? Aside from its use as material for political campaigns and the like, what reactions are expected by those affected by the surveys? In the recent survey published in March, of the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) of Hongkong, the Philippines was rated No. 1 as the most corrupt of 13 Asian economies. We beat Indonesia which was always ranked higher in the corruption index than the Philippines. The Philippine government and private sector complained with reason that the survey was inaccurate, a mere perception that contradicts the results of a recent survey made by the Social Weather Station (SWS) of Mahar Mangahas which showed more encouraging results. We quote the SWS reportThe Philippines scored 73 and was classified as moderate in the 2006 Global Integrity Index. The Philippines is rated as strong in the Category of Oversight & Regulation (85); as moderate in Civil Society, Public Information and Media (72); Government Accountability (71); Administration & Civil Service (73) and Anti-Corruption and Rule of Law (78). In the Global Integrity Index on 40 countries, the Philippines was rated very weak in the category of Elections (60). This should give us poseinstead of believing outright and emotionally reacting to results of new surveys, we should instead question how these surveys are done, by whom and for what purpose. The accuracy of surveys depends to a great degree on the measures used. The use of statistical sampling and other means like the use of baseline indicators, properly validated, can be used to extrapolate the outcome to give a credible rating, e.g.,

The Measurement of Corruption

By Jose B. Lugay the majority voters choice. The technology of measurement is now as scientific as it could be. In the case of the PERC it is only one of the 10 world institutions who provided data for theCorruption Perception Index (CPI) which surveyed 163 countries in the world. They used a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to get the residents viewpoints which correlate well with those of experts abroad. In the case of PERC, they used only the opinions of 1,436 expatriate businessmen, with no inputs from the local businessmen. It is interesting to note that the 2006 CPI survey on corruption, the Philippines ranks No. 4 with Myanmar as No. 1, Cambodia No. 2 and Indonesia No. 3. What is notable is the final comment of Transparency International, which we quote, As the index is based on polls, the results are subjective and are less reliable for countries with fewer sources. The poll results must be understood as measuring public perception rather than being an objective measure of corruption. How does one measure corruption in an objective way? In a recent meeting last February 26, 2007, the measurement of corruption was done by the World Bank in its Country Procurement Annual Report

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The Measurement of Corruption

(CPAR) deliberation. I believe the process is more objective than opinion surveys. Representing the CBCP-LAIKO, and having been involved for the past 3 years in the government procurement process as Observer, I was invited by the World Bank and Government Procurement Policy Board organizers to attend a meeting to deliberate on the corruption index for procurement. Now it is clearer to me how they ranked the Philippines next to Indonesia and Vietnam in the year 2000 as the top three most corrupt countries in East Asia. This past year however the Philippines showed a good measure of improvement in governance. The exercise given to the participants was to discuss the validity of the observations using Base Line Indicators, orBLIs. These are measures of systems of good governance, its laws and policies; and how implementation is managed and reported for corrective action. To be measurable, these Base Line Indicators are grouped into four pillars, namely, Pillar I Legislative and Regulatory Framework Pillar II Central Institutional Framework Pillar III Procurement Operations Pillar IV Integrity and Transparency of Procurement. Each Pillar has 3 or 4 indicators with their sub-indicators and is correspondingly rated. The score of 3 is the highest and 0 is the lowest. Once the four pillars and their corresponding indicators are approved by the World Bank and the OECD donors, these are going to be used to measure the participating countries procurement performance. For comparison, each country will be rated using the Compliance Performance Indicator or CPI and will be ranked accordingly. The findings that are of most concern to me as a technical man serving the Council of the Laity, is the concentration of the corruption measurement on its adherence to the legal system, the procedures, the management system and the areas for the improvement for good governance. It would seem from the discussions that when all the above pillars and indicators are measured, and assuming the government, lawmakers and local executives follow the ideal system of governance of procurement, all is well and donecorruption may now be a thing of the past! Yes, the legal framework was rated almost perfect with the passage of Republic Act 9184, the new government procurement law, receiving a very high score! Will this mean that the Philippines will now succeed in eradicating corruption? Not quite! What is missing in the whole equation is the moral aspect of corruption. The measures arrived at, the Base Line Indicators, are measures of performance in implementing the procurement system. Corruption in procurement is an activity that occurs between the supplier and the purchaserbetween the private sector and the government sector. The root of corruption is a moral problem of individuals, hence, it can only be solved by formation. As we are predominantly Catholics, the moral problem is addressed by conversion and evangelization of the laity. The intervention for change therefore should be the training of participants of procurement in the private sector, the government sectakers, is a sin against one of the ten commandments of GodThou Shalt Not Steal. Nevertheless, the World Banks Country Procurement Assessment Report (CPAR) and their methodology to measure corruption should be supported by the government regardless of its weakness. Hopefully what it lacks in moral formation has been addressed partially by the Presidential Anti-Graft Commissions (PAGC) Integrity Development Action Plan. Using 4 strategies of corruption prevention, investigation and strategic partnership, inculcating these to 70 government agencies, has resulted so far in rating these agencies as compliant with 22 doable anticorruption measures. PAGC chairperson, Constancia de Guzman recently announced the ten most compliant agencies of the anti-corruption program of the IDAP. They are the 1) DOH, 2) DSWD, 3) DOST, 4) DTI, 5) BIR, 6) DPWH, 7) PNP, 8) Office of the President, 9) DepEd, 10) MMDA. This is a good sign that there is improvement in the governments advocacy drive for good governance. It is a challenge however, to the Church in the Philippines, particularly the Catholic Lay Organizations, to undertake the moral regeneration program. The parishes must redouble their efforts to catechize the youth and support family evangelization programs. Everybody has a stake in the redemption of this country from the evils of corruption. Hopefully we elect legislators who are morally formed and untainted by corruption. Their pork barrel allotment, which will be sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) now amounts to P11.445 Billion for the year 2007 and could be the handy source of funds to recover their election expenses. Needless to say, the electoral candidates with high integrity and good moral foundation should be known by the electoratetheir background and track record. It is not easy since there are about 38 names they should know by hearttheir senatorial, congressional and local government and party list candidates. Let us all help the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) that is now doing this job. I

"It is a challenge however, to the Church in the Philippines, particularly the Catholic Lay Organizations, to undertake the moral regeneration program. "
tor and civil society. The training syllabus aside from subjects of procurement, the governing law, systems management and professional ethics, should include basic Catholic doctrines from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church for the moral formation of all Catholic procurement practitioners in government and the private sector. How can this movement be funded? It is a fact that the World Bank which receives donated funds from OECD countries will not support funding for religion-related activities. Funds must be coming from the private sector and the Church. As observed, the approach to solving the problem of corruption by the World Bank does not address the root cause which is moral in nature - the violation of buyers, suppliers, bribe givers and bribe

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IMPACT May 2007

EDITORIAL

Corruption Not Population

15 Million Pinoys Live on $1/Daythus reads and rings the recent headline of a known broadsheet as a finding of the World Bank. A likewise known survey made earlier said that a big majority of the respondents favored the use of contraception for the country and as expected, vote-hungry politicos hurriedly aligned themselves with anti-population advocates. Irrespective of their political affiliations, ethical persuasions and/or social beliefs, it can be rightfully said that all anti-population crusaders sing one and the same song: the bigger the population, the more is poverty. The lesser the population, the greater is prosperity. This is a good example of superficial thinking, quickfix mentality and a pitiful perception of the nature, dignity and value of human life. They perceive people merely as mouths to feed, bodies to clothe, heads to shelter. Conclusion: the less people there are, the more food, clothing and shelters there will beplain and simple logic! Wrong! Were it not for its big populations, where would this Administration get its big multi-billion E-Vat money to fund its glorious plans and super programs? Were it not for its big population, could this government have its big multi-billion OFW remittances to keep the country financially afloat and to enable it to borrow even more and more money from the World Bankfor the citizens to pay from one generation to another? The poverty in the country is not on account of its population but due to endemic graft and corruption in government. The Filipinos are poor because the Philippines is the most corrupt country in the whole Asian continent. Honesty in government is what brings prosperity. Thievery in public office is what makes the citizens live in poverty. Human persons are not merely heads to count but potentials to develop and wealth to care for. When their government steals what lawfully belongs to them, it is then that they become a social liability. Every single Filipino pays direct and/or indirect taxes from birth to death. They pay for government services they do not get, for public education they do not receive, for the common welfare they do not enjoy. No wonder they are poor!

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N E W S FEATURES

Waiting for Justice, Funeral for Murdered Missionary is Held

Philippines most Corrupt Asian Nation

HONG KONG, April 16, 2007The most corrupt system in the Political and Economic Risk Council Asian continent is the Philippines. Thats according to recent investigations conducted by the Hong Kong based centre Political and Economic Risk Council (PERC), in a report published last March 13. The Council report states that politicians empty promises to combat corruption have tired investors. The data was collected from interviews with over 1,476 business men who are operative throughout the Asian continent. Results show that Manila has the worst track record among foreign investors, whereas China, Indonesia and Vietnam have progressed in their fight against corruption. According to investors, Hong Kong and Singapore are the economically cleanest countries, but the latters situation is worsening because foreign investors taking advantage of the Asian corruption seek refuge for their illicit earnings in Singapore, where thanks to the presence of new industries they have found a haven for recycling their money. In fact Indonesia followed by Thailand found the second place in the survey. The PERC has confirmed that the campaign of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to combat corruption has produced some positive results, but is still swimming upstream. In Thailand corruption has worsened even if some improvement is expected following September military coup which unseated Prime Minister Shinawatr, and saw the military junta assumed power promising to combat illegal trafficking. Despite this, the Council maintains that there is no reason to believe that their behavior will be more transparent than there predecessors. The report puts China in seventh place among the continents of most corrupt nations while Vietnam is in tenth place. These countries have improved their placing, but this improvement could be due to the fact that there is no open debate on corruption. In fact, mass media, be it Chinese or Vietnamese are strictly censured and the only bad news that these governments allow to published are those considered right for the general public. (AsiaNews/Agencies)

MANILA, April 11, 2007The funeral of Fr Francis Madhu, a Divine Word missionary from Flores Island killed on Good Friday as he was preparing to celebrate mass, took place yesterday at Christ the King Seminary in Cubao, near Metro Manila. More than a hundred people, including local priests, Catholic missionaries and Muslims attended the service. Three bishops were also present. Msgr. Prudencio Andaya, bishop of Tabuk, called the incident an incredible crime, a shattering experience to all of us. He added: There are many who can testify that Father Madhu was killed for no reason. We condemn this crime and demand justice. Similarly, Indonesias ambassador to the Philippines, Irzan Tanjung, said We hope that the Filipino government will soon conclude the

whole investigation into this senseless murder, and we are sure that justice shall prevail. We are close to the family and very saddened by this ugly story. Meanwhile police have already detained Nestor Wailan (aka Sukman), the man who carried out the murder. A farmer from the northern province of Kalinga, he shot Father Madhu five times with a rifle when the latter was making his way to Barangay Mabungot to celebrate mass. Police are also trying to determine the degree of involvement of two other men who were detained as a result of the incident, Joel Awingan and Acmor Bonggawon. For the police, the men acted under the influence of alcohol and drugs. However, local residents refused to co-operate with police fearing retribution. (Santosh Digal / AsiaNews)

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N E W S FEATURES

The Cost of Discrimination against Women in Asia

Filipino Bishops Celebrating Easter on YouTube

MANILA, April 11, 2007 In addition to those in churches, Filipino bishops celebrated Easter this year on YouTube. They inaugurated in fact their own YouTube video blog last week by posting Church teachings and reflections on the essence of Holy Week for the benefit of Filipinos, especially the young, around the world, thus heeding the call of the late Pope John Paul II to make the most of the Internet to spread the Gospel. The launching was timed for Holy Week, it being the most appropriate time to issue short catechesis on the liturgical significance of the celebrations that have been most misunderstood, said Msgr. Pedro Quitorio III, spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and director of its Media Office. The first CBCP video blogs feature Quitorio in a Holy Week series where he discusses various Easter traditions, such as the Washing of the Feet, Visits to Churches and the Veneration of the Cross. The CBCPs YouTube account is intended for the young faithful today who are more inclined to listen to the latest technology rather than the age-old-sermon, he said. It seemed a good way to reach our target audience.

BANGKOK, May 5, 2007Despite the progress of recent years, social discrimination against women remains a serious problem, which does not only have grave social consequences, but also causes heavy economic losses. A report by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), states that the region is losing about 42 billion to 50 billion dollars annually because of restrictions on womens access to employment opportunities. According to the study paper by the Bangkok based UN group, sexual discrimination in the fields of education and employment persist, while progress has been made in female participation in the world of politics. Female primary school enrolment is about 26 per cent lower than that of males, while violence against women continues unabated in the region. In some countries, states the report, one in every ten girls dies before reaching the age of one, and one in every 50 women dies during pregnancy and delivery. Still, the Asia-Pacific region, which produced women leaders in seven countries (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and New Zealand), has made tangible progress in several other areas. Since 1997, the number of women parliamentarians in the region has increased by 50 per cent.

As of April 8, Easter Sunday, the CBCP has posted nine video blogs, the latest of which is the Easter Vigil ceremony, including the homily by Manila Archbishop Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales. Msgr. Quitorio said that issues relating to the environment, gambling, politics, and the family would be loaded on the video blog after the Holy Week. Since its start, the video blog has become a place where many faithful both within and outside the country can interact with the prelates. On Sunday, a Filipino living in the United States wrote: I am so happy that you are now in YouTube. Filipinos like me find it convenient to listen to the words of God in the sanctuary of our homes. How I miss our Christian rites and traditions during the holiest of weeks [even if here] in the Midwest we tried and exerted our efforts to observe Holy Week. (Santosh Digal / AsiaNews)

The largest representation of women in parliaments was in New Zealand, followed closely by Vietnam, Turkmenistan and East Timor. The lowest representation was in Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh (which produced two women prime ministers) and Vanuatu. There has been tangible progress also in other sectors. Womens life expectancy has increased from 44 years during 1950-1955 to 70 years in 2000-2005. Robert Vos, director of the UNs development policy and analysis division

said the region is losing about 42 billion to 50 billion dollars annually because of restrictions on womens access to employment opportunities. At the same time, he said, the Asia-Pacific region is also losing an additional 16 to 30 billion dollars a year because of gender gaps in education. If female workforce participation was placed on a par with developed countries, such as the United States, Indias gross domestic product (GDP) would increase by about 1.08 percentage pointsa gain of about 19 billion dollars, said Vos. (AsiaNews/Agencies)

Volume 41 Number 5

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ARTICLES

Salafist Islam Spawns Islamic Terrorism

by Samir Khalil Samir, SJ

For example it regulates eating and fasting habits, they way to dress and pray according to a series of purification rituals; it indicates how Muslims should relate with others (according to whether they are men or women, Muslim or non Muslim etc..), in the choice of profession and how to exercise it, in the use of money and how to invest it, in sex (how, when and with who it can be done) as with marriage: in short an unending list of every day gestures. Islamism penetrates everything and leaves little space to human freedom or personal choice. Fatwa and puerile terrorism A characteristic consequence of this concept of Islam is the widespread social phenomenon of the fatwa. In this picture, the Muslim believer feels ignored by his religion, incapable of discerning right from wrong, of choosing between Islamic good and evil. He is afraid of becoming a bad Muslim such as those who surround him, all because the Islamists have nurtured the idea within the believer that he is the only true Muslim. Thus, for any given reason the believer turns to the ulema, asking for a fatwa. In Egypt this phenomenon has arrived at an extreme: hundreds of thousands of fatwas are issued each year, often for nothing. Fatwas can be requested via specialized telephones, or by direct request to the Muftis, or even by internet, television and radio. This results in reducing the faith and the faithful to a childish, puerile state; making the Muslim believer totally dependent and robbing him of the ability to take on an adult responsibility for his religious or spiritual life. Islamist thought forms people who have renounced their right to think or make personal judgments, to blindly follow teachings of those who indoctrinate them. It reduces the believer to the state of a docile follower, incapable of critical thought. In the end this docile follower can easily become a terrorist: he only needs to be convinced that what he is about to do is a religious duty, which pleases God and will save the Islamic community (ummah). It is important not to confuse or identify Islam with Islamism, but is also necessary that we push Muslims to reject Islamism as an alteration of authentic Islam and to fight against this spreading tendency. Western society must defend Muslims from Islamism. For this reason, giving even minimal credence to the demands of the Islamists is a regression which only serves to open new terrorist fronts. I

t the very roots of the violence is an ideological interpretation of the Koran, rather than mere reactions to Western aggressions. The time has come for Muslims to react to this blind and childish style of religion.

THE bloody attacks on Algiers, along with Moroccos suicide bombers once again show that Islamic fundamentalist violence is born of violence within Islam itself. This is contrary to what some Western observers would have us believe, that it is a reaction to western aggressions. The root cause lies within a certain current in Muslim thought. Islamic terrorism is caused by Islamism that is a certain mode of reading the Koran and Sunnah, which has become widespread in Muslim schools and Universities, such as Cairos Al-Azhar. Islamic terrorism particularly in the Sunni worldis caused by Salafism, in short a blind attachment to the tradition of the Ancients that preceded us (Salaf), a literal and rigid reading, without life and without soul. Terrorism is not an Islamic disease: it is merely the manifestation of a far more deeply rooted illness, of a certain way to interpret life and the Islamic religion. As a result, terrorism cannot be fought by force alone, but must be countered with a culture that promotes a more open interpretation of the Koran. Ideological and Islamic terrorism Islamic terrorism is neither gratuitous nor brutal violence, it is a religious ideology. It is seen as a sacred duty, the concrete application of divine will, as clearly expressed in certain excerpts of the Koran and in some of the practices and sayings of Islams Prophet. Terrorists and Islamists consider the majority of Muslims who do not agree with this point of view to be hypocrites (munfiqn), as God himself defines them in

the Koran, thus they are not worthy of to be called Muslims. And the Muslim states? They are not Islamic, but a caricature of Islam: their hypocrisy is far greater, because they founded their constitutions on western standards (which is for the most part true) merely adding Muslim elements. In doing so they have deceived their people. They are worse still than the Western States and governments who at least do not deceive Muslims! These are the type of Islamists we see every day on the streets of Muslim countries. The Algerian Salafists, the Afghan Taliban make up a small part of this giant spiders web, which spawns terror far beyond the Middle East: in Pakistan, Somalia, Northern Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia ... and tomorrow in Europe. My intention is not to alarm. I only wish to underline that the web spreads by its very nature where it finds fertile ground. The relationship between Islamism and Salafism It is essential that the intrinsic link between Islamism and Salafism is understood, as well as the difference which separates them. Salafist thought is rooted in the Koran and the Sunnah, in other words it finds its justification and elaborates its thoughts and way of life within these texts. Salafist thought was not borne of this century, but goes far back to the early years of Islam. This tradition is one of the most interpretative of the Koran and Sunnah. The Islamist current basis itself on the Salafist interpretation of Islam and it radicalizes it, turning it into a concrete application, through intense propaganda and presenting it as authentic Islam. It renders Salafism extreme, by prescribing precise rules applied to the actions of daily living.

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IMPACT May 2007

FROM THE B L O G S

Poor Priests!

T
PAGCOR Gambit

he country excels in the violation human rights to the extent of continually killing people who dare question twisted government policies and challenge sick national practices, people who dare tell the truth about the sociomoral errancies in public offices. The nation is well divided in both political and ideological principles. The people are becoming more and more poor, hungry and sick. To date, the Philippines is even the holder of the odious and shameful title of the most corrupt country in the whole Asian continent. There is much crime in the streets. Prohibited drugs are becoming more abundant and available for adults and young people alike. Numerous women and children become objects of exploitation. There is dire lack of decent work in the country. The administration is much distrusted and thereby disrespected. The forthcoming elections are looked upon with fear and reservation instead of the optimism it should generate as an affirmation of democracy. Lo and behold the deviate response of the government to so many and serious national problems: Put up a PAGCOR US $20 billion dream project! Are people hungry and sick? Make them gamble! Are killers, criminals and thieves on the loose? Make them go to casinos! Are there too many grafters in government and corrupt public officials? PAGCOR welcomes them all with wide open arms. The pervasive existence, the enhanced operations plus the projected multibillion peso PAGCORs Las Vegas Dream only spell and mean one and the same reality: the government is morally bankrupt. For the present administration, big corporate gambling becomes a big na-

his is certainly not about priests living in poverty. It is neither about priests who are overworked but under-appreciated. This is not even about priests who are killed or who are already marked to be killed in the performance of their ministerial duties. This is about priests who for one reason or another made the dangerous option to run for elective public offices notwithstanding all advisories and arguments to the contrary. Needless to say, there is nothing in the constitution of this country that disqualifies priests from pursuing and holding elective government positions. By being priests, they do not become less Filipino citizens. And whereas it can be readily presumed that they know how to read and write, there is nothing in the law of the land that says they may not vote or be voted upon on the occasion of national and/or local elections in the country. But the universal Church has something to say about priests running for elective public offices. After some two thousand years of existence and experience the world over, there is the strong presumption akin to moral certitude that the Church has acquired some wisdom in the ways of the world. It would be thus hard to say that she is altogether ignorant about the nature, the workings and implications of politics. There was even a priest who became the president of his country. But he ultimately proved to be a big failure before his own people. This is why there must be something serious and profound behind the universal law of the Church that extional pride. This is why the national leadership has no claim to moral ascendancy of any kind, in any degree. How much of PAGCORs take from its gambling clients goes to whom and what for? Is it true that according to PAGCOR insiders themselves, recently no less than an 8 million peso check was handed to a boxer as a presidential gift for purposes of his political campaign? All the while, PAGCOR repeatedly and loudly professes its noble and everlasting commitment to uplift the poor, to fund charitable works, to

pressly and officially forbids priests from holding any office that participates of civil power or authority. This is exactly the case when priests run for elective public offices and in fact win the elections. The truth is that it is a lose/lose situation for priests running for elective public positions. In other words, they lose not only when they lose but also when they win the elections. They evidently lose when any of the other candidates for the same office, win the elections. But a greater loss is what they do after losing. Would they simply return to the priestly ministry as a fallback, as the only recourse and wherefore a non-option? This is like someone leaving a wife to look for an apparently better woman, only to go back to her if the said woman eventually rejects him. When they win the elections, they will be at a loss even more. What do they do to the opposition politiciansnot to mention their constituents with the different socio-ethical convictions and even contrary principles and political beliefs? How will they exercise the power they wield? What will they do with the money that regularly and abundantly goes their way? There is a whale of difference between ecclesiastical and civil administration, between religious and political governance. In this context, how on earth will those winnerpriests live their life of continence, their spirit of poverty, their ecclesial communion? Just asking.
www.ovc.blogspot.com

promote human development. One thing is certain: it is so hard to perpetuate lies, to sell fantasies, to promote deceit, sooner or later the truth comes out. In due time, liars, cheaters and thieves are exposed and vanished. This is the standing lesson of living historical present. People eventually find the way of getting rid of their exploiters and oppressors. Time ultimately incapacitates and subsequently terminates even a most pretentious potentate, an odious filthy rich individual.
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FROM THE I N B O X hile walking down the street one day a Philippine senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance. Welcome to heaven, says St. Peter. Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so were not sure what to do with you. No problem, just let me in, says the senator. Well, Id like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What well do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity. Really, Ive made up my mind. I want to be in heaven, says the senator. Im sorry, but we have our rules. And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are all having such a good time that before the senator realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises... The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is wait-

Vote Wisely
ing for him, Now its time to visit heaven. So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns. Well, then, youve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity. The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell. So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and hes in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders. I dont understand, stammers the senator. Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now theres just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened? The devil smiles at him and says, Yesterday we were campaigning ...Today, you voted. VOTE WISELY!
rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net

n old monk prayed many years for a vision from God to strengthen his faith, but it never came. He had almost given up hope when, one day, a vision appeared. The old monk was overjoyed. But then, right in the middle of the vision, the monastery bell rang. The ringing of the bell meant it was time to feed the poor who gathered daily at the monastery gate. And it was the old monks turn to feed them. If he failed to show up with food, the poor people would leave quietly, thinking the monastery had nothing to give them that day. The old monk was torn between his earthly duty and his

The Monks Vision

rowena.dalanon@cbcpworld.net

heavenly vision. However, before the bell stopped tolling, the monk had made his decision. With a heavy heart, he turned his back on the vision and went off to feed the poor. Nearly an hour later, the old monk returned to his room. When he opened the door, he could hardly believe his eyes. There in the room was the vision, waiting for him. As the monk dropped to his knees in thanksgiving, the vision said to him, My son, had you not gone off to feed the poor, I would not have stayed. The best way to serve God is to reach out in service to our brothers and sisters, especially those less gifted than ourselves.

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IMPACT May 2007

B O O K REVIEWS

Responsible Citizenship II
Essays on Civic Spirit and the Common Good Jesus P. Estanislao To make the common good of our people and of the whole country part of our operative, day-to-day concerns, a continuing program of responsible citizenship for all is being launched. The program reminds each one of us that as Filipinos we do have civic duties and responsibilities, and that these have to be given as much stress as our rights and our demand for privileges, writes the author at the introduction. If only for this philosophy, this book, which is a collection of short essays on responsible citizenship, is a good read. The common good is the defining element of the art of governance and politics; hence, it, too, is the guiding rule of responsible citizenship. Christianity being a gospel of love is a social doctrine that pursues as a matter of consequence the good of all. The only rub is, many times Christianity has been lived so selfcenteredly apart from social responsibility.

Penal Process for Dismissal from the Clerical State

Oscar V. Cruz, JCD The author posits that the raison detre for writing this book is to come up with as a little response to the signs of the times regarding the imperative of cleaning the ranks of the clergy, of purifying the Church of flagrant and scandalous clerical offenders who are her big pain and shame. Terrifying, at first blush, this volume seems to be and, to do an overstatement, reminiscent of a church of the inquisition. But when you get to read more pages of the book, you discover that, though written on a largely canonical lexicon but very precise in meaning and intent, the book is actually very pastoral or fraternal, if you may. In the midst of the media magnification of clerical irregularities that stretch all the way from sexual misconduct to political or even ideological digressions, reading this book gives one a sigh of relief.

Light to All
Leonardo Z. Legazpi, OP The book is the man, and rightly so in this volume that databanks a collection of essays and speeches on selected subjects over the years; but more than just an anthology of brilliance, its actually an ecclesiology couched in the ideas of a man who was right in the vortex of an ecclesia simper reformanda. Archbishop Leonardo Legazpi was the president of the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines which marked the biggest ecclesiological transition of the Church in the Philippines, so far. The PCP-II was a subtle revolution that pointed out not only the realism of lights and shadows of a Church that emerged fragile from the clutches of colonialism and a baroque ecclesiology, but more gently trailblazed a new way of being Church through the basic ecclesial communities and a redefinition of discipleship. This volume noticeably presents the teacher and the shepherd in a man who lives by his episcopal motto, illuminare omnes.

Hearts Burning
Nil Guillemette Father Guillemette is a prolific writer. He is supple in content but simple in expression. We first encountered him in his series of anecdotes that many have found very useful in giving homilies, seminars and group dynamics. He is a graduate of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and has spent years in teaching the New Testament in several countries in Africa and Asia. But this book which is a complete set of homilies for the three-year liturgical cycle is very interesting not because he is a scholar or a teacher. But rather because he is a pastor who has, like the Good Shepherd, experienced the Word in the very lives of the flock. While this book is good for homilists, this is actually better for ordinary Christians who wish to get nourished by Gods Word in the concrete lives of people.

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ENTERTAINMENT
Title: PANS LABYRINTH Running Time: 112 mins Lead Cast: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Adriana Gil Director: Guillermo del Toro Producer: Guillermo del Toro Screenwriter: Guillermo del Toro Music: Javier Navarrete Genre: Horror/Suspense/Fantasy Distributor: Picture House and Telecines Pictures Location: Spain Technical Assessment: Moral Assessment: CINEMA Rating: For mature viewers 18 and above

CATHOLIC INITIATIVE FOR ENLIGHTENED MOVIE APPRECIATION

It is 1944 in Spain. A small contingent of Spanish soldiers under the command of Capt. Vidal (Sergi Lopez) mans an outpost near the mountains to rout the insurgents fighting the Fascist government of Franco. Capt. Vidals pregnant wife Carmen (Adriana Gil) arrives at the camp with her eleven year old daughter Ofelia (Ivana Bquero). Fond of reading fairytales and creating her own, Ofelia thinks herself to be the embodiment of the spirit of the lost princess of the underworld Realm. She is friendly to creatures of the wild like the large mantis like insect whom she thinks transforms into a fairy. With her fairy guide she explores nearby, an ancient stone labyrinth where one can easily get lost. She meets a fawn who instructs her on how she can return to her Kingdom. While Ofelia communes with these woodland creatures, she also witnesses the violence and death during the war in the world of men. In the camp is Mercedes (Maribel Verdu) the housekeeper of Vidal and an informer of the rebels. The 2 women develop a special relationship when Ofelias mother dies. In danger of being unmasked, Mercedes leaves camp with Ofelia but both are caught. In the meantime, Ofelia has nearly completed the tasks assigned by the fawn. Pans Labyrinth (in Spanish with English subtitles) reveals the masterful touch of Guillermo del Toro as director and writer. This is especially evident in the clever handling of the complicated story that adeptly interweaves the world of reality with the world of fantasy. So seamless is the integration that one may easily suspend ones disbelief in fairies and the like. The title may suggest a fairytale but this is not a tale of joy, light and happy-ever-afters. Though spellbinding this dark tale is full of painful anguish and is steeped in vivid, raw details of brutality and cruelty; all these are emphasized by the dominant use of greys, sepia and muted black and white images. Guillermo Navarros expert cin-

ematography has also captured the quiet, wild beauty of the unsullied woodlands which when juxtaposed with the violent war scenes brings out effectively the contrast and the irony between the two worlds depicted. Eugenio Caballeros production design is imaginative and the prosthetics and makeup, very good. The story is replete with symbolism. Character development goes hand in hand with plot development. Thus, as the story darkens Vidal becomes more evil. The deliberate repetition of scenes emphasizes character traits. Lead actors do excellent work, To be commended, too, is the rest of the cast. There is judicious choice of music pieces, such as the lullaby theme song that sets the somber mood. Much as one admires the craftsmanship of Pans Labyrinth, one can also be dis-

mayed by the negative values of the film. In a war picture (and this is one, though it has fairytale elements), one may assume there is violence and death, but this picture accentuates the inhumanity and cruelty of man vs. another, especially in the gruesome torture scenes and the killing of the wounded. Oppression and injustice are depicted in the restriction of the villagers, subjecting them to rationing of food and medicine. Then there is the unjust murder of the innocent (rabbit hunter) on mere suspicion. Though one can understand the doctors motives, mercy killing is still killing. Little value is placed on human life in the film. Vidal says that if a choice has to be made between his wife and his son, he wants his son saved at all costs. But this is not moral. The wifes life is as valuable as that of the sons. Effort should have been exerted to save both. However, some positive values are shown by the love between Ofelia and her mother Carmen. Though sick, Carmen shows understanding of her daughters imaginative nature and tries to guide her. The admirable courage of Mercedes and others who work in enemy territory calls the mind our own resistance workers in World War II. This adult fairytale is a parable that resonates with Christian undertones as it depicts the battle between good and evil. It shows that conscience (verbalized by the doctor) is the best weapon against fascism or any ideology that violates human dignity and rights. The film suggests that strength and redemption comes through sacrifice and love. Rated R-18, this film can be traumatic for the very young.

ANSWER TO THE LAST ISSUE: THIS IS THE SO-CALLED CIVILIZATION OF 'CONSUMPTION' AND 'CONSUMERISM' ...ONE QUICKLY LEARNS THAT THE MOREONE POSSESS THE MORE ONE WANTS. -- POPE JOHN PAUL II

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IMPACT May 2007

N E W S BRIEFS

PAKISTAN

ISRAEL

IRAQ

NEPAL

Catholics Calls for Re- UN Envoy Urges Child Power Fight Leads to 13 Group Urges Release of ligious Freedom Protection Deaths Nepals Child Soldiers
A street demonstration was dramatically staged by democratic and pluralist associations, movements, unions, religious minority groups last May 4 in Lahore to affirm civil societys desire to remain secular be stopped. The Association of Catholic Women and the Catholic Bishops Commission for Justice and Peace backed the protest saying they wanted the civil societys voice to be heard so they encourage them to express what they feel. The protesters urged the government to secure and respect freedom on religion and expression.
EAST TIMOR

A ranking UN official called on the government to take concrete measures to uplift the living conditions of Israeli children. UN special envoy for children and armed conflicts Radhika Coomaraswamy stressed that while peace process in the Middle East is being worked out, many children continue to suffer hunger, fear and desperation. Children bear the greatest burden of conflicts, she said. She stressed the crucial role to restore peace in the Middle East but the effect to the children in the region must also be put into consideration.
SRI LANKA

Suicide bombers killed at least 13 people in a pair of attacks on May 7 around the Sunni Arab city of Ramadi, in what officials said was part of a power struggle between alQaeda and tribes that have broken with the terror network. In all, at least 68 people were killed or found dead nationwide.
MALAYSIA

Rights Group: Disband Abusive Volunteer Corps

Human Rights Watch said the government should immediately take steps to dissolve the Peoples Volunteer Corps (Ikatan Relawan Rakyat or RELA), responsible for numerous cases of illegal detentions, unlawful use of force, and extortion. The government has ordered half a million RELA volunteers to help maintain public order, primarily through the apprehension of undocumented migrant workers. In carrying out their duties, RELA volunteers allegedly often employ unnecessary force and illegal policing practices. The government has set up whats little more than a vigilante force to target foreigners, said HRW.

An international human rights group urged Nepals former communist rebels to free children from their armed forces. Human Rights Watch said the thousands of child soldiers who are confined in camps under a peace agreement should be allowed to return to their families. The group called on Nepals Minister to Women, Children and Social Welfare Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma to secure the Maoists cooperation with the United Nations and child protection agencies to allow children to return home without further delay.
VIETNAM

Church in E. Timor PMs Meeting with Pope Pushes Peace Spark Hope for Peace
In pursuit for harmony and fraternity and to build healthy relationships between citizens of East and West Timor, the Catholic Church here has launched a new program of education to reconciliation. The Bishops Commission for Justice and Peace held a series of meetings aimed at promoting authentic reconciliation in the countrys two diocesesDili and Baucau, through communion, discussions and to share feelings and dreams for each others differences, offences and failings. A new hope has sparked for a possible end to 20 years of bloody conflict between the government and the Tamil rebels here. This after Sri Lankas Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa met Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican recently. The Pope asked the Premier to guarantee respect for human rights and to return to the path of dialogue and negotiations, the only way to end the violence which bloodies the Island. Rajapaksa, meanwhile, assured the Pope saying: we are ready to open negotiations immediately.

Vietnam PM Approves Tiger Farms

The government was cited as saying Friday that three private tiger farms in southern Vietnam will be allowed to keep 43 of the endangered animals, handing the breeders a victory over environmental groups. The story says that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung decided that, while the owners had breached a ban on keeping the tigers, they were better equipped than Vietnam's zoos to take care of the animals which cannot be released into the wild.

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