JUICO SHOULD QUIT, OR GO ON INDEFINITE LEAVE!

I support 1001 percent calls by Catholic bishops for the resignation of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) Chairperson Margie Juico over the ‘Pajero bishops’ controversy.

If she does not have the decency to do so, she must, at the very least, go on INDEFINITE LEAVE and do the rounds of Catholic churches nationwide to admit her mistakes and apologize to the faithful.

The facts remain that:

Juico and PCSO officials MALICIOUSLY and CATEGORICALLY declared that the receipt of the bishops of the car donations was in violation of the Constitution, WITHOUT any supporting clarification from any legal authority.

Despite this, the reputation of the bishops, and for that matter the Catholic Church, was DELIBERATELY DESTROYED with almost daily press releases for a week or so by the PCSO.

Clearly, Juico DID NOT BOTHER, and DID NOT HAVE the BASIC FAIRNESS and CIVILITY, to clarify the issue first with the bishops or concerned government offices or to double-check ALL THE FACTS related to the issue before starting the character assassination of the bishops.

In case you don’t know yet, guys, acknowledged Constitution expert Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago has clearly pointed out that under the Charter, ONLY the Supreme Court has the power to settle questions of constitutionality.

Santiago has also emphasized that the power of the Commission on Audit (COA), whose assessment of the vehicle donations as unconstitutional was the basis for the PCSO’s media assault on the bishops, was LIMITED ONLY to auditing government funds.

But Juico would obviously HAVE NONE of this.

She’d rather not have PCSO lawyers review the Constitution, and the PCSO Charter first. Never mind if the unconstitutional assessment of the donations came from an UNAUTHORIZED SOURCE that was trhe COA.

She wants to attack, so she must attack. Period. Nothing can stop or stall her. Not even the repercussion on the Catholic Church and the faith of its millions of devotees.

This is nothing less than the height of MALICE, ARROGANCE and BLACK PROPAGANDA all rolled into one. A SHAMELESS EXAMPLE of what Juico wants, Juico gets, to hell with whatever happens.

Now, as Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda himself admitted to reporters yesterday, Juico now says there was nothing wrong in the use of the donated vehicles.

A DESPERATE move to save face, nothing less.

My skin crawls at the thought of thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands of my fellow Catholics, now look down on their parish priests with extreme doubt and suspicion on their integrity.

If Juico gets away with this dictatorial and atheist conduct, NO RELIGION WILL BE SAFE from her arrogance.

Justice and impartiality are now GASPING FOR BREATH!

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Fifteen of our friends on “What’s the real purpose of attack vs bishops?”

BENITO MOLINO of Antipolo, Rizal

The bishops are not being attacked. It so happened that the bishops are the recipients and they admitted na may lapses. I salute the bishops for being humble to admit the lapses. At isinauli pa ang mga sasakyan. I hope government officials will follow the example set by the bishops.

CLAIRE ESTRELLA LAUS of Guiguinto, Bulacan

Ginamit lang ng admin ni Pnoy ang issue para pagtakpan ang kanyang kawalang ginagawa para sa kapakanan ng mamamayan. Lagi niya isinisisi sa iba ang kanyang kapalpakan.

LEE SORIANO of Balasan. Iloilo

I think it was a smokescreen to divert attention from a bigger anomaly in the PCSO.

WINSTON TIZON of New Manila, Quezon City

Malapit na SONA. Ano achievement ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas?

MOMORO SIMBULAN of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija

Tagal na pala niyan, ngayon lang pinagusapan. Distorted pa"

RICKY BELGICA of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

GMA, RH Bill, the statement of Bishop Pueblos about PNoy and to divert the attention of the public from the real issues facing the country ( jobs, corruption in the present government, crime, drugs, etc.)

EMMANUEL CAMPOS of Manila

The SUVs are for a project that requires the church leaders to go to far-flung areas, meaning rough and muddy roads. The SUVs are four-wheel drive (4WD) types that can survive the road conditions better than non-4WD. If you think 4WD are luxury (cars), how come congressmen have 4WD escorts aside from their own limousines? Also, look at the service vehicles of most government agencies, mostly SUVs which they are not using for rough roads but in urban driving only.

RICHIE TIEN

What we could do is let them use or buy anything they want as long as the ownership of property is under anagency's name. Let's put up a private agency that will handle all luxuries of higher ups to be monitored by a private citizens group. That way, we can avoid or lessen graft and corruption.

JOE ALVARADO JR. of Makati City

They are creating a media blitz to cover up something big. What is a few millions compared to billions plundered secretly?

LETTY ARCILLA

Ang daming sisilipin at pupuntuhan dito sa pagatake sa mga bishops. Magaling ang kanilang spin doctor/PR men, para maipasa ang RH Bill. Si PGMA ang target nito.

REY MONASTERIAL of Manila

Diversionary tactic para sa non-performance ng gov't. Lapit na kasi ang SONA!

WILLY CAYETANO of Valenzuela City

Could have been a diversionary tactic. There are bigger issues...

VILLA VHIL

OK na rin. Kahit paano, unti unti ng nadi-discover ang mga katiwaliaan ng nakalipas na administration. Kung tutoo man ito, grabe.

MERIT SALUD of Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA

How could PCSO take back what they did not give illegally?

REX DUMUAN

Equality!

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BONG LAYUMAS on “Where are Pnoy’s accomplishments?”

Although it’s now water under the bridge, mga tao din kasi. Alam nang WALANG naipasang bill sa Kongreso si dating congressman at dating senador Boynoy, ginawa pang presidente. Kala mo, twin brother sya ni Ninoy. The only consolation of his victory has is that stopped a convicted plunderer from becoming president again.

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Two of our friends on “We’re not Idiots, Mr. President!”:

LITA SHIMADA of Soka-shi, Saitama, Japan

I couldn't agree more that P 1,500 monthly is not enough for a decent meal . But the gesture of the President is commendable. A subsidy is not to be expected as an amount that could meet the family’s entire needs. We have a similar program here in Japan, and the amount is somewhat similar, but nobody complains, because they don't expect the government to subsidize their expenses for a month. I am not pro-Aquino, I will be in the future... when the Aquinos and Cojuangcos let go of Hacienda Luisita.

APPOLINE ALDEA of Nobleton, Ontario, Canada

I am glad that we are becoming smarter, and we fight for what we stand for! Eemember, we are always in the eyes of God. The power of God’s words is our armor.

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Eight of our friends on “PCSO is either stupid or lying, or both!” :

PERRY DIAZ

Boyet, with all these exposes about plunder and corruption, I feel like drowning in a lake of shit! I just hope that the incoming Ombudsman will send a few of them to prison. Or are all these part of a grand ‘moro-moro’ where the rich become richer and the poor would still be eating pagpag?

MUFFY MARIE TAN of Redwood City, California

Thanks for letting us know, Boyet!

BILL SAGUING of Rome, Italy

Both. Lying because they hide behind their dogma and stupid because they thought they can dupe the people all the time.

LIWAYWAY DIMAPURO of Quezon City

They are really STUPID and prof liars! Juico should resign now. She has no integrity anymore. How can we, the people, trust her!

EDUARDO TEODORO of Seattle, Washington, USA

No one can ever trust her anymore (Juico).

RONALD TUASON

Iyan ang ugali ng mga opisyales at pulitiko sa atin. Laging wrong info… .pa-grandstanding na sila nakatuklas. Pag napahiya, sasabihin sinabi lang sa kanila! Hearsay! Tsismis!

KRISTINE KUA

Both!

NIQUEKY LAU

i have nothing against Juico, media and the bishops. What is done cannot be undone. We have a lot to learn from this issue, especially if you are called to carry out like to shepherd the lost.’ 30