Manila, Philippines, Feb 26, 2008 / 05:45 am
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will hold a special plenary meeting on Tuesday to discuss its position on a recent government corruption scandal involving the president of the Philippines, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.
The CBCP normally holds plenary sessions twice a year, in January and June. The special meeting will take place because of differing interpretations of CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo’s recent call for “communal action” and a “new brand of people power.”
Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and certain cabinet members have faced allegations of corruption in a now-canceled program to build a national broadband network.
Rodolfo Lozada, a former government consultant, testified before a Senate committee on February 8, claiming that a $329 million broadband service contract with a Chinese telecommunications company contained $130 million in kickbacks. Among others, Lozada implicated the former head of the election commission, Benjamin Abalos Sr., and President Arroyo’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo.