The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) joins all men and women of goodwill now clamoring for change in the leadership of our government. We stand in solidarity with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Jaime Cardinal Sin and the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Manila, and the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines.
We are an association of Catholic Schools, whose task is to guide our students and form them so that in their own time they learn not only how to earn a living, but more importantly, how to live a life. For this we need role models. We try to be that to them, and we point to our leaders whom they can emulate. We realize this is not easy. We ourselves fail. But as we look at our government today, we see that there the failure in leadership is even more glaring. We therefore, believe it is now time for a change.
We understand the constitutional schedule for political change through elections. But our economy is eroding so fast we fear its recovery cannot wait four more years. And we reject any thought or move to have a change through a coup d'etat or a bloody uprising.
What is left for us to contemplate? Impeachment? Finally, it has been set in motion. We support it. And we ask our lawmakers to attend to the task promptly, responsibly, honestly, justly. May they took beyond personal and party interests, to the nation's life which is at stake.
But even as our Congress and, we hope, our Senate proceeds with impeachment, we consider an even quicker way to possibly stem the sagging of out economy and our national pride and spirit: The Resignation of President Ejercito Estrada.
As constitutional as impeachment, resignation is a real, even honorable and heroic alternative. It should also spare us the long, uncertain, and volatile wait to know what will happen tot he President legally, to our nation economically and to our people morally.
We therefore, join the many voices asking President Estrada to resign. And we insist that the constitutional provisions on succession be followed.
We know that what we ask is not easy for us, for the nation, and surely more so for the President. But we believe this is what is necessary. It may not solve all our national problems immediately. What move ever does? Still, it would be a crucial move in meeting the crisis of today. If we cannot now point to the national leadership as a model of moral integrity, we can then extol stepping down from it as an example of heroic humility and humble heroism.
"Heroes", says a movie blurb, "are just ordinary men who do extraordinary things in extraordinary times." Here, of course, is no longer reel but real life. And ours is no mere blurb. But our times now call for extraordinary things. One of which is the resignation of the President.
They also summon the hero in each of us. We therefore ask all our member schools and indeed the whole nation to continue to pray and study the present situation in our country. Let there be reflection, research, discussions, debates on what is happening and what can be done. Let there be humble prayer and honest soul-searching. Let our administrators coordinate with our students and their parents and teachers in planning what actions are best to pursue. Let there be continuos discernment of what the Holy Spirit wants us to be and do to bring to our nation a part of God's Kingdom - a Kingdom of truth, justice, unity, love and peace.
CHANGE is the national call. In the Presidency and in us all. It
is likewise the challenge of the Great Jubilee, which not only say as
REJOICE, but also REPENT and RENEW.
Father Roderick C. Salazar Jr., SVD
CEAP President
October 19, 2000
