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IMPACT
Quote in the Act
CCTV employees had accidentally created one of
the biggest stories of the year and then failed to
cover it.
Wang Xiaofeng, a blogger on the burning of Mandarin Oriental Hotel by
employees of China Central Television (CCTV) who fred illegal pyrotechnics
at the fnal night of the Lunar New Year; immediately, pictures and videos
of the burning hotel were removed from internet portals with directive from
propaganda offcials that read, no photos, no video clips, no in-depth reports.
What I want from NATO is more of a wartime
mentality.
John Hutton, Britains defense secretary accusing NATO of an obsession
with bureaucracy in the face of its apparent failure in handling insurgency in
Afghanistan, which, according to a recent Obama representative, will be much
tougher than Iraq.
Theres genocide going on.
Maya Arulpragasam, also known as M.I.A., the pregnant rapper who gyrated
across stage at Sundays Grammy Awards, referring to the killing of Tamils
in Sri Lanka; nominated for Oscar for the song she co-wrote for the hit flm
Slumdog Millionaire, she is tagged as an apologist for the separatist Tamil
Tiger rebels that are also accused of being terrorists.
They simply think that all problems can be fxed
with military might and bombs and guns.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, president of Iran, talking about how NATO and the
United States were putting too much emphasis on a military solution in a
country they did not really understand.
Assassins!
Italian Senators, some of them shouted during an emergency session to debate
a bill aimed at keeping Eluana Englaro, 38, to her feeding tube, when Italys
health Minister, Maurizio Sacconi, announced her death consequent to feeding
tubes removal.
I hope rice will make me rich.
Ndeye Sarr Diop, 57, rice trader and farmer of Senegal, together other farmers
across West Africa who are reaping what experts say is one of the best harvests
in recent memory; but the global price index of rice is plummeting.
Volume 43 Number 2
3
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February 2009 / Vol 43 No 2
EDITORIAL
The illusion of 2010 elections ........................... 27
COVER STORY
Back to Bataan: Who is not afraid of being
nuked? .............................................................. 16
ARTICLES
The OFWs and the global economic slump .... 4
B. E. C. Questions, Problems, Challenges ..... 7
No More Excommunication for the Lefebvrists.
But Peace is Still Far Off ................................. 12
Beating up on the pope ..................................... 13
BNPP Rehabilitation: More Questions than
Answers ............................................................ 16
Network Opposed to Bataan Nuclear Power
Plant Revival .................................................... 21
DEPARTMENTS
Quote in the Act ................................................. 2
News Features ................................................... 14
Statements .......................................................... 23
From the Blogs ................................................... 26
From the Inbox .................................................. 28
Book Reviews ..................................................... 29
Entertainment .................................................... 30
News Briefs ........................................................ 31
CONTENTS
T
he defeat of the commu-
nist East by the capitalist
West in the battle between
systems by the end of the 20th
century has blown the theories
of Karl Marx in both Das Kapital
and The Communist Manifesto
into smithereens.
The critiques of Marx on capi-
talism was heckled while most
of his utopian predictions about
revolution and the triumph
of socialism were shamefully
wrongin fact, many of his
political thought fanatically
carried through the century
brought misery to millions in
countries ranging from China
to Russia.
But that was way back when
credit-default swaps and sub-
prime mortgages and global
economic imbalances were
beyond imagination. Today,
the critiques of Marx on capi-
talism may have been prophe-
cies. Were Marx critiques on
capitalism right after all? asks
the Archbishop of Munich, Re-
inard Marx, in his latest book
titled Das Kapital, borrowing
the famous book title of his
namesake. He adds: Could
it be that capitalism is just an
episode of history that will
end at some point
because the system
will collapse as a
result of internal
contradictions?
Capitalism is in
shambles. The panic to avoid
fnancial collapse and economic
depression is now the overarching
itch of government leaders, central
bankers and regulators all over
the globe. If governments are not
in a position to show that we can
create a social order for the world
in which such crises do not take
place, warns German Chancellor
Angela Merkel, then well face
stronger questions as to whether
this is really the right economic
system.
The creative destruction of capi-
talism means that, much like a
fock of vultures, some industries
and enterprises will always fnd
nourishment in the misfortunes
of others, says economic writer
Michael Elliott. He cites the bal-
looning poverty as one big paradox
of capitalism. He says: Conven-
tional wisdom has long insisted
that if nations got the economic
fundamentals rightallowed the
market to set prices, were fscally
responsible, established systems
of property rights and dispute
resolutionsthe gains would
trickle down to the poor. Hor-
ribly, that is not the case.
On January 28 to February 1,
politicians, industrialists, f-
nanciers, academics and NGOs
gathered in Davos, Switzerland
for the annual meeting of the
World Economic Forum (WEF);
they went and gone looking for
answers. But former British
Minister Tony Blair gives the
best assessment: Ask experts
what to do and the most honest
reply is I dont know.
Still, a mea culpa is better.
Such as Obamas admission
that the weakened state of U.S.
economy or say, capitalism,
was a consequence of greed
and irresponsibility on the part
of some, but also our collective
failure to make hard choices.
Our staff writer Charles R. Avi-
la writes our cover story: Back
to Bataan: who is not afraid of
being nuked? Read on.
IMPACT February 2009 4
By Fr. Edwin Corros, CS
F
or so many years now, the Church
in the Philippines had expressed her
consistent disagreement with the
Philippine government policy of exporting
labor. As early as 1985, then Episcopal
Commission for Migrants and Tourism
(ECMT) now known as the Episcopal
Commission for the Pastoral Care of Mi-
grants and Itinerant People (ECMI) of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Phil-
ippines had already criticized the policy
of the Marcos administration of deploying
Filipino workers overseas, particularly the
highly skilled professionals, because of
ailing economy and political instability
at home. The Church was consistent in
disapproving such policy not only because
of the social costs migrants have to pay,
but on the governments dependency to
the migrants remittances in developing
its economy.
The labor export systematically started
in the mid 70s to address the unemploy-
ment and underemployment of the country.
In one of the usual meetings that ECMT had
organized concerning migration, it asked
then Labor secretary Nieves Confesor of
the governments future plans in the event
that natural or man-made crisis happened
in countries where Filipino workers are
The OFWs and the
global economic slump
deployed. During that meeting which I
have attended as a student interested in mi-
gration, the invited speaker did not deliver
any practical answer. Today after twenty
fve years, the Philippine government has
not come up yet with concrete plans as to
the reintegration program that could help
migrant returnees except to assist them in
case they had been successful in bringing
home the baconthat is, they have saved
enough money to open up a business.
A governments attempt to address the
problem
The government would like perhaps
to address this problem, but maybe it has
not developed enough wisdom. Two years
ago, the National Reintegration Center
Offce (NRCO) was established fnally
during the term of Labor Secretary Arturo
Brion to address in fact the insistent call of
the many migrant workers and NGOs to
come up with a tangible plan for overseas
Filipino workers (OFW) who have reached
retirement and are returning. It was opened
to showcase how much the government has
been expressing concern to the needs of
the modern heroes.1 The programs were
not completely that of NRCO. They are
the programs developed by other groups
or companies that are trying to address the
needs of the OFWs. The center facilitates
migrant workers to access the programs
of these groups, government agencies and
companies. Many of OFWs unfortunately
are not tailored to work as businessmen
and yet the chief orientation of the NRCO
is into entrepreneurship. Most likely, the
programs are indeed designed for success-
ful OFWs who now want to join the busi-
ness sector to prop up further the countrys
economy. The program looks well for
some, but not appropriately addressing
the needs of the OFWs specifcally when
approached by unexpected event. The
NRCO program in fact was challenged this
early after an unforeseen global economic
meltdown started in 2008. The NRCO has
to address the case of the many retrenched
OFWs from Taiwan who were repatriated
last year.
The migrant workers and the global
economic recession
Migrant workers are the frst to be
affected by the global economic recession.
Their case are not different from those
OFWs who had fed the war that erupted
between Kuwait and Iraq in early nine-
ties or similarly to those Filipina migrant
workers caught in the cross fre between
Israel and Lebanon in July 2006. Just like
those affected by natural calamities such
as the earthquake that hit Taiwan in 1997,

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Volume 43 Number 2
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migrant workers are the frst people to be
repatriated, because the host country has to
look after the needs of its citizens frst more
than those of their guest workers. This is
the reason why the Church recognizes the
vulnerability of the migrant labor policy of
the government and consistently proposes
to improve the socio-political environment
of the country.
As early as August last year, manufac-
turing companies in Taiwan, one of the top
fve destination for Filipinos had started
retrenching workers due to poor demand
for computers and similar products in
the US and Europe. Many Filipinos were
terminated and eventually repatriated,
although this may not be the way Taiwan
reported their cases. Those ailing facto-
ries had to downsize their operation and
sometimes needed to stop momentarily
their business. Factory owners allowed
their Filipino workers to look for jobs, but
it was impossible for them to fnd one as
everyone especially the locals wanted a job
too. The Taiwanese Labor Bureau allows
foreign workers to stay and look for another
job (job transfer) within two months before
they can be sent home. Most Filipinos
who were terminated decided to go home
rather than stay in Taiwan, afraid that in
two months they would have to spend more
money while waiting to be transferred to
another company. As they were summarily
repatriated, they had to face the trouble
of being jobless again. Meanwhile, the
OFWs continue to pay for the loans they
had incurred as placement fees to their
agencies in the Philippines.2
Immediately upon arrival, OFWs
started to check what programs govern-
ment has for the migrant returnees, espe-
cially for those who had been displaced
due to the effects of global economic
recession. The OFWs were advised to visit
the National Reintegration Center Offce
(NRCO) in Intramuros, Manila. Earlier,
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has
announced the 250 million pesos pack-
age assistance to the OFWs affected by
the global economic recession. With such
pronouncement from the highest offcial
of the land, the OFWs arriving or visiting
at the NRCO were coming in hordes and
are made to register with their passport as
evidence of their unexpected repatriation.
They were then advised to take or attend
skills training courses that might ft into
their needs. This is one approach to check if
a former computer skilled worker may like
to embark into a course in food business
or acquire another skill that may bring him
or her to another job overseas or locally.
Unfortunately, most OFWs are not inclined
to go into becoming new entrepreneurs or
pursue a career or other services. They feel
that the programs prepared by the govern-
ment offce are not addressing suffciently
their real needs.3 They were asking for
fnancial help instead, because many of
them had worked in Taiwan for shorter
period but had paid for a placement fee
intended for them to work for a two-year
contract. Obviously, when the worker has
made a loan of 85,000 pesos to be used as
placement fee in Taiwan and worked only
for three or fve months, such deployment
made him poorer than ever. This is one
case why OFWs feel so cheated by the
nature of paying a huge placement fees
in exchange for a contract. The exorbitant
placement fees are illegal practice, but this
is a daily fare for Filipinos who could not
see hope to get a job in the home country
that would feed, cloth, provide shelter and
secure their future.
Checking the policy again
Is there however security in the labor
export policy of the government? Would
this still be a practical choice for the gov-
ernment to implement particularly amidst
the global economic depression? Recently,
the President has issued administrative
orders 247 directing the POEA to execute
a paradigm shift by refocusing its functions
from regulation to full blast market devel-
opment efforts, the exploration of frontier,
fertile job markets for Filipino expatriate
workers. How to achieve this directive,
the President further ordered her Cabinet to
render full support to the POEA so it can
aggressively deploy Filipino expatriates...
with urgency and unbothered by institu-
tional hurdles. The AO targets to break
through the 200-country barrier.
Such instructions coming from the
President to POEA were quite contrary
to the intent and spirit of RA9422 which
The OFWs and the global economic slump

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ARTICLES
strengthens the regulatory functions of
the POEA thereby repealing Sections 29
and 30 of RA 8042 on deregulation. The
President was with us in this campaign
which took 11 years before RA9422 was
fnally enacted in 2006. She certifed
this bill as urgent in the 12th and 13th
Congress but now, she is setting it aside
in favor of aggressive marketing of our
people overseas, was the reaction made
by the Philippine Migrants Right Watch4
(PMRW) in its statement sent to the
President last January 20, 2009. PMRW
eventually commented on the presidents
AO 248 directing DOLE and Overseas
Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA)
on the so-called payback program of the
government to the heroic efforts of the
expatriate Filipino workers to create a Fili-
pino Expatriate Livelihood Support Fund
with the initial funds of P250M to come
from OWWA. The second component of
the program is governments full support
in helping returning expatriate Filipino
workers to fnd remunerative jobs. This
is exactly what the NRCO was trying to
implement when the repatriated OFWs
from Taiwan swamped the center as soon
as they arrived in the country.
The PMRW said, The intent of the
AO was commendable. But alas, it would
seem that the noble intention was all there
was to it because government is NOT put-
ting its money where its mouth is, so to
speak! On the frst component, the PMRW
questioned the governments sincerity in
reciprocating to the OFWs because the
initial funds will come from OWWA which
is purely OFW money, mostly illegally5
collected from the OFWs themselves.
What is in store for Filipino workers?
Last 2007, an average of 3,000 Fili-
pinos has left the country to work and live
overseas. They remitted into the country
over 18 billion US dollars and are consis-
tently heralded by government offcials as
the modern-day heroes. They work in
all levels of industries and sectors. They
are considered as premier workers in their
respective felds in their host countries.
Our government capitalizes on that read-
ing. Amidst the global economic crisis,
other labor exporting countries such as
Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bangladesh or Nepal
are equally looking at all countries where
they could send their own people for jobs.
All labor countries like the Philippines
would apply for the same jobs available
in the world that all other labor sending
countries would aspire to get them. What
is the chance of the Filipinos to get these
jobs remains to be seen in the future of the
volatile economic situation of the world.
Europeans would fnd jobs as well around
Europe now. Take the case of Iceland that
was frst to declare bankruptcy last year.
Defnitely, those affected by jobless-
ness would have to fnd a way to look for
solution and the policy of Europe for the
Europeans hints that there would be a
slim chance for Filipinos to get those jobs
in this region. If ever they will get jobs,
would the same economic slump expose
again the affected OFWs to punishment
of joblessness and repatriation? Once it
happens, the volatility of migrant workers
situation is extended to their families. We
know that the main reason why OFWs leave
is because they aim to secure the future of
their families. They continue to pay for the
social costs because there are not as much
jobs in the country that pay suffciently to
provide food on the table, better education,
and secure their future. Interestingly, they
were the same reasons that drove the origi-
nal OFWs during the Martial Law years to
fnd jobs overseas.
Notes:
1 Modern heroes, term coined by government
offcials to recognize the contribution of OFWs
in priming the economy especially during the
Asian economic crisis in the late nineties through
remittances sent to families at home.
2 OFWs believed that deployment for job
overseas is not accessed until they pay their
placement fees. Most of them borrowed money
from credit and loan companies referred by their
recruitment agencies to pay their placement
fees.
3 This is based on the interviews ECMI has
conducted among OFWs who have approached
them for para-legal assistance.
4 PMRW is an umbrella of NGO working for
migrants and their families to which ECMI is a
founding member.
5 OFWs are being charged US$25 by POEA
for every contract they sign before they are
deployed overseas. The Magna Carta for the
OFWs RA 8042 orders the employer to pay
the 25 dollar OWWA contribution, but in reality
it is the OFW who pays for it. I

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B. E. C.Questions,
Problems, Challenges
By Fr. Sim Sunpayco, S.J.
I
n the last 40 years I have shared pastoral and formation ex-
periences with many co-workers in some 54 dioceses; also
have read, lectured, written many pages about the WHAT,
WHY, and HOW of B.E.C.
I now present some questions, problems and challenges
facing B.E.C. formation. B.E.C. is described here as a MODEL
of being Church developed for the mission of proclaiming the
Good News of the Kingdom of God in Third World countries
like the Philippines. (To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom
of God [evangelization]; the purpose why He was sent Luke 4:
16-22; 43; and having chosen us His friends He sends us to go
and bear fruit that will remain John 15:15:. . . to make disciples
of all nations; Mt 28: 16-20.)
The Jesuit Cardinal Avery Dulles talks of models of Church
way of presenting and understanding the LIFE and unchanging
nature of the Church: Mystical Body, People of God, Institution
of Religion, Servant Community [of disciples]. Fr. Jose Marins,
the Brazilian theologian of the Consejo Episcopal Latinoameri-
cano from the Medellin to the Puebla Conferences, looks at
model as the different ways the Church undertakes its WORK
(mission), the evangelization in different eras and situations.
B,E.C. belongs to this category of Church models: (Marins not
Dulles presentation).
[A]. Church models
1. The frst model for the mission [A] were the Small
Communities of love and sharing, (year 33 to 100 cf. Acts 2:
40-47) [B] Persecution (100300) dispersed these charismatic
communities. They went underground; evangelization had to be
by way of being the Church of the Martyrs; but took on the [C]
Institutional model (300600) after the persecution to organize
its creed, code and cult, hierarchy and seminaries. [D] The
barbarians from northern Europe descended on Rome. Monks
taught them how to read, write, pray, build houses, cultivate
felds and domesticate animals (6001300). A Monastic model
of being Church became the priority. [E] The Christianization
of most of Europe brought in the Christendom model. The Pope
crowned the Emperor, Cardinals were Kings Prime Ministers;
the Church took charge of the development of culture and the
arts, universities, war and peace in the Crusades, exploration of
newly discovered lands to be Christianized; in the process they
became colonies that supplied riches to Europe.
2. With wealth bringing luxury, lust for power and ease,
corruption and immorality into Church institutions, not sparing
monasteries and the papacy; a weakened Church was torn to
pieces by the so-called reformers. They taught heretical doctrine,
defed the laws and authority of the Pope and bishops, got rid of
the Mass and most of the Sacraments. Bringing the Good News
into politics in the time of Constantine, to economics during the
Middle Ages and to culture when the Church was in the seat of
power and infuence, came to a halt. The Church as a religious
institution had to fght the Protestants for its very survival.
The Holy Spirit painfully led the Church to put its house in
order. It took 18 years, 15451563 and fve popes to struggle with

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IMPACT February 2009 8
human weaknesses, quarrels between popes and kings, diffculty
in communication, to the reforms of the Council of Trent.
3. In 25 sessions TRENT defned and clarifed the doctrines
and dogmas of the Church, enforced strict discipline; went after
abuses among clergy and monasteries. To make sure of unity
with Rome, uniformity became the rule even in every detail
of the liturgical language, vestments, practices, also religious
habits. To deviate from the doctrine was to be condemned a
heretic and risked to be burned at the stake. The Church was
known not only as Catholic but also Roman. With religion as
the battleground evangelization became cultic and clerical, and
with the close relations between the bishops and the nobility,
elitist toothose who wielded power in politics, economics and
culture were infuential, also favored in the Church. Closed and
defensive against the Protestants and other non-Catholics, to be
Katoliko Sarado was the claim of devout Catholics: they were
pure Catholics no stain of Protestantism in them.
4. The Holy Spirit never took any vacation. For some 400
yearsfrom Trent to Vatican II there would be events, move-
ments, initiatives from lay people, bishops and priests ushering
changes in the Katoliko Sarado Church: e.g., non-monastic
Religious Orders, the Jesuits in 1540, Rerum Novarum of Leo
XIII in 1891, new approaches to biblical studies from Pius XII
in 1942: Catholic Action, the Cursillo Movement, Family Life
Apostolate, Barangay Sang Birhen, Better Word Movement,
the Charismatic Renewal, the 1967 Catholic Rural Congress in
Cagayan de Oro, Theology of Liberation and Development in
Latin America.
The dramatic updating of evangelization in the Church came
with the election of Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncali to the
papacy in 1958 who took the name of John XXIII. He took note
of the Signs of the Times, women movement for liberation: toys
for gratifcation no more, the right to vote, equal treatment in
society: countries seeking freedom and independence from their
colonizers, labor unions and peasants organized to get their just
share of the fruits of their labor.
Pope John called on all people of good will, not only Catho-
lics, to promote freedom, justice, God-given human dignity, total
human development. For this he convened Vatican II (1962-65)
and directed the Church towards aggiornamento: [1] return to the
sources, [2] renewal of inspiration and [3] reform of methods.
5. Vatican II led us to development of body and soul for
the new heavens and new earth (Rev 21). The 1971 Synod of
Bishops however noted in this development the rich were be-
coming richer; the poor, poorer resulting in a wide gap between
them. The greater part of humanity became marginalized, victims
of oppression, deprived of basic services in the injustices of the
socio-economic, political, even in religious institutions (the
Church). The Synod came out with a declaration that action on
behalf of justice and transformation of society fully appears to
us as a constitutive dimension of evangelization. To the concept
of sin as personal responsibility the Church now adds societal
sin in unjust structures.
[B] In the Philippine Setting
1. The CBCP decided in 1988 to convene PCP II to speed
up Philippine aggiornamento called by Vatican II. After three
years of preparations, surveys and working papers, 94 bishops,
61 laywomen, 95 laymen, 222 priests, 15 religious (12 Sisters, 3
Brothers) met at the San Carlos Seminary Formation Complex,
January 20 to February 17, 1991. The Acts and Decrees of the
Council were sent to Rome. It took a year before they were given
recognition. The offcial promulgation; . . . and acquire their
binding force for the Catholic Church all over the Philippines one
month after the date of this promulgation, this July 22, 1992.
2. This was followed on July 23 with a one page Vision-
Mission Statement of the Church in the Philippinesa succinct
summary of the decrees and Acts of PCP II. The Statement
begins with the paragraph summarizing the 16 pages that depict
the shadow and light of the socio-economic, political and
religious situation in the Philippines: a society fragmented by
divisive conficts and afficted by widespread poverty yet deeply
aspiring for fullness of life in God.
Three succeeding paragraphs give us a triple thrust or priority
of priorities to respond to the situation.
We, Church in the Philippines, with total trust in Gods love,
envision ourselves as the community of disciples... in solidarity
with one another, with creation and with God... following the
way of the Lord, we opt to be a Church of the poor, ...which har-
nesses the transformative power of the poor among us under
the leading of the Spirit of God and with Mary as our guide, we
shall embark on a renewed integral evangelization of salvation
and liberation
Following the triple thrust is the identifcation of their
agents: bishops, priests, religious and laity Then the
Vision-Mission Statement concludes: Ours will then be a civi-
lization of life and love, a sign of the in-breaking of the Fathers
Kingdom.
3. But though hailed as a Pentecostal Event we hardly hear
of PCP II being talked about even among Church leaders. How is
familiarity with (and commitment to) the Vision-Mission State-
ment shown by bishops, priests and lay leaders? There was not
even an offcial Tagalog version of the Statement. Has it become
another well kept secret in the Church?
Jan. 22-27, 2001: CBCP convened the National Pastoral
Consultation on Church Renewal (NPCCR) with a similar
We, Church in the Philippines, with total
trust in Gods love, envision ourselves as the
community of disciples... in solidarity with
one another, with creation and with God...
following the way of the Lord, we opt to be
a Church of the poor, ...which harnesses the
transformative power of the poor among us
under the leading of the Spirit of God and
with Mary as our guide, we shall embark
on a renewed integral evangelization of
salvation and liberation
ARTICLES
Volume 43 Number 2
9
composition of participants as PCP II ten years before. It came
up with a confession: In the Church many of the prescriptions
of PCP II have not been implemented ....the root cause is our
hardness of heart and resistance to conversion. Has NPCCR
succeeded in igniting genuine interest...?
The implementation and realization of the triple thrust
in all our Church ministries, in our seminaries and formation
centers, is expected to bring about our becoming a new way of
being Church. It should be the centerpiece, the priority in the
pastoral planning of all church entities for the evangelization of
our country in the situation it faces today.
[C]. More into the mystery of this Church Model
1. Basic Ecclesial Community (singular?) or Basic Ecclesial
Communities (plural)? The singular [b.e.c.] would be the name
of the new model; while the many communities (plural) [b.e.c.s]
are the ingredients that will produce the new model. These would
be cells: three types [i] families in the same neighborhood
(kriska), [ii] sectoral groups, (e.g. students, vendors) [iii] some
faith communities, etc.
2. Helpful to the understanding of the new model is to look
at its contrast, the PARISH, the traditional model for evange-
lization since the Council of Trent. Its characteristics: big with
thousands of members hardly knowing one another, cultic,
clerical, and elitist catering to the prominent well-to-do people
and its regular clientele (suki) the pious Catholics. Most of its
services are rendered inside the church.
3. The gospel passages (Mt. 9:36, Mk. 6:34) report how the
heart of Christ was moved with pity on seeing so many people
abandoned like sheep without shepherd. At that time a shepherd
left the 99 good sheep to look for the one needing his caring.
Today should not a pastor leave the few favored ones to fnd
ways to attend to the 80% marginalized poor whom they see
only when they are hatched, matched, dispatched! B.E.C. is an
experience of the INCARNATION again! Christ (in the Church,
the People of Godclergy and laity), becoming one with His
fock, with preferential love for the marginalized, the weak, the
poor, joining their human condition where they live and work
and love in families and neighborhoods.
Clearly in this model lay people are to be the evangelized
communities evangelizing in their neighborhoods.
Nazareth spirituality; three hours on the cross, three days
in the grave unto His resurrection, three years going around the
villages with the apostles: how many years in Nazareth? What
did He do there with Joseph and Mary?
Would that our pious Catholics who visit statues and talk
with their favorite saints are made aware of the life of the Holy
Family in their dialogue of life with the neighbors. 4. B.E.C.
is not a fnished product, not a religious organization or a Church
agency like a partner of NASSA to deliver assistance and goods
to needy people. It is a process of becoming the church model
for evangelizing a Third Word country. This process will not take
a long time but all the time, to end only when the alreadybut
not-yet Kingdom is fnally here, at a time only the Father
knows!
5. This new Model in proclaiming the good news sees the
bad news, the block to the Kingdom not only in personal sin
but in sinful structures of injustice. Societal sin, the huge gap
between the powerful minority and the majority of our people
the marginalized poor, a sinful situation where both the powerful
and the weak are dehumanized!
B.E.C. formation has to be much more than ordinary prayer
sessions. Goals must be clear. Familiarity with Christ of the
Gospel, growth in friendship as community, and service coming
from organized action involving the men of the families even if
they do not attend the prayer sessions.
The Good News of the Kingdom of God for total human
development and for social transformation that will include
We, Church in the Philippines, with total
trust in Gods love, envision ourselves as the
community of disciples... in solidarity with
one another, with creation and with God...
following the way of the Lord, we opt to be
a Church of the poor, ...which harnesses the
transformative power of the poor among us
under the leading of the Spirit of God and
with Mary as our guide, we shall embark
on a renewed integral evangelization of
salvation and liberation
B. E. C. - Questions, Problems, Challenges

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reform of the widespread corruption in all our institutions can
succeed only with the empowerment of the poor in communities
of disciples so they can participate responsibly in the affairs af-
fecting their lives in society. They comprise the majority of our
people, they also are the victims of marginalization in society
and in the Church. The most neglected are our people in remote
rural areas. They fock to urban areas, end up in the inner city,
becoming slum dwellers.
Heretofore taken for granted they must be in the ongoing
process of conscientization, evangelization, formation to become
communities of friends, discerning, learning how to make deci-
sions together and affrming what is good in their leaders and
with power from their organized action, demand, when needed,
services for their own and the common good.
6. The parish is not abolished but must become active in the
aggiornamento resulting in, or joining the process of becoming
evangelized evangelizer according to Vatican II and PCP II. It is
ironic that the block to the formation of B.E.C. are good priests
who with good people are doing good works. How come? Because
the good they are doing are according to the directions of the
Council of Trent and not according to Vatican II and PCP II.
[D] Some questions, more observations, comments
The same name or term or acronym B.E.C. is used by dif-
ferent people to mean many different ecclesial or pastoral realities
and activities. These people do not share the same experience
and have not come together to agree on what they mean with
the words they use or reality they refer to. This situation is a big
block to integrated pastoral planning, to clear objectives and
coordinated strategies. Result: much energy, time and resources
are wasted, real needs of the people are neglected.
Really sad is when B.E.C. is considered as an organization
with a new canonicalism: those who are not members of our
B.E.C. may not have their babies baptized nor may they stand
as baptismal sponsorsmore Catholic than the pope!when
the new way of being Church should be more compassionate,
more friendly even with non-Catholics.
[E]. In the Seminary, unto the Ministry
1. Seminary professors teaching different tracts naturally
expect expertise on these topics from the seminarians. Is there a
conscious and explicit convergence from their efforts to produce
priests who are evangelized [His chosen friends] evangelizers
[invited to be His mission partners]?
2. During the long course of studies seminarians look
forward to the day they can do priestly work in parishes. In
their exposure to priestly functions and when ordained deacons
they eagerly perform the cultic tasks the veteran priests are
just as eager to pass on to them. Is this the best preparation
for our young priests to become the servant-leaders PCP II
would like them to be in a situation where the priority should
be the conscientization, evangelization, and organization of
the poor for their empowerment in order to bridge the wide gap
between the powerful minority and the great majority who are
the marginalized poor?
Seminarians join seminary activities they call B.E.C.
How are they introduced to them? With what kind of orienta-
tion: theological? in Church history of evangelization? with the
pastoral and spiritual dimensions?.
3. Seminarians are trained to pray in the seminary setting;
with schedules, routine, atmosphere conducive to silent study
and refection, assisted by appointed spiritual directors and
rector to look after their formation. After ordination they are
on their own, with an extended family claiming their attention
and time and energy: Nobody denies that solid prayer life is
essential to a dedicated priesthood, but too often it is taken
for granted.
A friends solution: B.E.C. cells that regularly meet once a
week to pray with the Sunday Gospel. He joined them, prayed
with them. A different cell each time. There were 60 cells in
his parish; some were neighborhood families, others were sec-
toral groups, like students, etc. Only 12 were active, leaven is
expected to be a little morsel in a mass of four. A shepherd
energized by his fock!
4. Newly ordained priests are invited by well-to-do friends
to bless, offer Mass, give talks, etc. How can they refuse good
people asking them to do good things. No such invitation from
the marginalized poor. Sooner or later one falls into a tender
Granted the Mass is the highest form of worship, but since it is
available only to a few, should we not consider an alternative
way to evangelize our people more effectively?
Volume 43 Number 2
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B. E. C. - Questions, Problems, Challenges
trapno more time, no more energy to go to the poor for their
formation into Small Caring Groups.
[F]. Bishops, Priests Frontier [challenging their courageous
creativity]
1. Mass for the people is the primary concern of bishops
and priests. For a variety of reasons in most cases only about
15% of the people attend Sunday Mass: hard to believe when
our churches are crowded with Mass goers. Granted the Mass
is the highest form of worship, but since it is available only to
a few, should we not consider an alternative way to evangelize
our people more effectively?
What we wish all our people will experience and receive
for their spiritual life are these three nourishments: 1) experi-
ence of Gods love; 2) the Word of God; 3) the Bread of Life.
They can and have received Christ, the Good News, without
ordained priests.
2. Radical change in our traditional catechesis is another need
of our people. Taught as another subject in our parochial school,
facts are memorized and forgotten after the exams. What is con-
nected with life in communities is to be given endless repetitious
emphasis: that Christ is truly a LIVING PERSON we encounter
in PRAYING, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, three moments
in the Eucharistat Mass, Holy Communion, alive as Bread in
the Tabernacle, a FRIEND who has invited us to His MISSION,
beginning with the immediate neighbor.
3. While the population is increasing the number of ordi-
nations to the priesthood is decreasing. We go to the laity as
a necessity and also in recognition of their own vocation and
mission. The practical and realistic thing to do? Formation
program of LAY LEADERS, pursued as seriously as we do it
for the clergy. Then we have to convince people that what is
important is Christ: who brings Him to them (Lay leaders or
priests) is secondary.
We are proposing a long-range program. Instead of priests
trying to do the impossibleevangelization of the majority of
our people by bringing the Word and the Bread themselves to the
people, let them spend more of their time and energy in effecting
evangelization of the people by the people themselves.
4. Corollary to this proposal is a program to harness the ability
of the priests. They are unequal in talents, ability and dedication.
Assignments to parishes must consider presence of competent
priests in every vicariate and deanery or district. Formation of
Parish Lay Formation Teams becomes a cooperative venture in the
vicariate. Regular and more frequent meetings for praying together
and training for pastoral skills are held in all the vicariates for
the formation of parish lay formation teams and the preparation
of the rural and urban communities to accept the liturgy of the
Word and the Eucharist presided over by Lay Ministers.
5. Tragic it is for a physician to prescribe a delicate surgery
without diagnosis. The operation could be a success but the patient
dead! Is it also not sad for church people to minister to their fock
without social analysis, and praying for the gift of discernment?
But too much analysis also causes paralysis.
Coordinated pastoral planning is most diffcult if each group
has its own Vision-Mission. If only our Church leaders would
begin with the Vision-Mission Statement from PCP II. But many
of them think and say they have to begin with their own analysis
because their situation is unique. But there is enough in common
in the essentials. Actually to repeat the analysis done for PCP
II is not necessarythe diocese or parish can take the PCP II
description of the Philippine situation as fragmented by divisive
conficts and afficted by widespread poverty, and test their
veracity in their own locality by asking their people to share their
actual experience of them. Then they are internalized, owned by
them, and pastoral planning can go on effectively.
6. In any diocese perhaps 5% of the clergy are so creative,
on their own they initiate formation programs; another 5% are
mysteries why God allows them to remain priests! The major-
ity are good pastors but they wait not only for inspiration but
also for the political will of their bishop, a strong even forceful
leadership from the chief shepherd of the local Church.
In the absence of a common formation thrust when reshuffed
in the parishes, the frst thing a new pastor does is to erase the
memory of his predecessorthus sowing confusion among
the people. We see a piecemeal approach. Every year a new
theme is bannered: family life, youth, bible. Well and good, but
is it in relation to the overall goal of the mission?
Granted the Mass is the highest form of worship, but since it is
available only to a few, should we not consider an alternative
way to evangelize our people more effectively?
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B
enedict XVI
often finds
himself in
particular diffculty
with two intersect-
ing areas of confict:
the Lefebvrists, and
the Jews.
On January 24,
Pope Joseph Ratz-
inger revoked the
excommunication
of the four bishops
illegitimately or-
dained by Marcel
Lefebvre in 1988:
they had incurred
the excommunica-
tion "latae sententiae," meaning that it
was activated automatically by what they
did. However, the four bishops are still
suspended "a divinis," which means that
they may not exercise their ministry in
the Catholic Church, and their community
remains in a state of schism.
One of the four bishops, Richard Wil-
liamson, is a staunch Holocaust denier and
has recently re-issued his ideas denying
the extermination of Jews by the Nazis.
The coinciding of his statements and the
lifting of the excommunicationwhich,
moreover, took place just before the world
day for the commemoration of the Holo-
caust, on January 27provoked strong
protests from many Jews, even those who
are generally more friendly toward the
Catholic Church and the current pope.
An analogous combination of circum-
stances had given rise to a similar contro-
versy in recent months. When Benedict
XVI liberalized for all Catholics the ancient
rite of the Massone of the cornerstones
for the Lefebvristsmany Jews protested
because it contained a prayer that they
maintain is unacceptable and offensive,
in that it is directed toward their "conver-
sion." The pope rewrote the text of the
No More Excommunication
for the Lefebvrists. But
Peace is Still Far Off
prayer, but some Jews have rejected the
new formula as well.
The fundamental reason behind the
uproar is in the anti-Jewish theology that
generally distinguishes the Lefebvrists. Ac-
cording to many Jews, the Catholic Church
does too little to oppose this anti-Judaism
and demand that its supporters recant.
In effect, the "magnanimous gestures
of peace" that Benedict XVI has repeat-
edly made toward the Lefebvrists have not
been followed, so far, by any signifcant
step of reconsideration and reconciliation
on their part.
The frst of these gestures was the audi-
ence that Benedict XVI granted on August
29, 2005, to Lefebvre's successor as head of
the community, the bishopexcommuni-
cated at the timeBernard Fellay.
The second gesture was the pope's
address to the Roman curia on December
22, 2005. It was a discourse of capital
importance, because it went to the heart
of the question that gave rise to the Lefe-
bvrist schism: the acceptance and inter-
pretation of Vatican Council II. Benedict
XVI demonstrated that Vatican II did not
mark any rupture with the tradition of the
Church, but on the contrary, was in conti-
nuity with this even
where it seemed to
mark a clear break
with the past, with
its complete recog-
nition of religious
freedom as an in-
alienable right of
every person.
"L'Osservatore
Romano" repub-
lished the pope's
speech three days
ago, together with
the decree revok-
ing the excommu-
nication of the four
Lefebvrist bishops.
January 25 was also the fftieth anniversary
of the frst announcement of the Council
by John XXIII. But in more than three
years, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X
founded by Lefevbre has shown no sign of
agreement with Benedict XVI's ideas on the
interpretation of Vatican II.
The third gesture was the liberaliza-
tion of the ancient rite of the Mass, with
the motu proprio "Summorum Pontifcum"
on July 7, 2007. With this decision, Pope
Ratzinger was frst of all addressing the
Catholic Church as a whole, but his inten-
tion was also to heal the schism with the
Lefebvrists.
Nonetheless, the Lefebvrists are inter-
preting this gesture simply as a concession
to their positions. In addition to this, there
was the reaction of many Jews to the prayer
for their "conversion," in spite of the fact
that Benedict XVI reformulated it.
The fourth gesture is the one that took
place in the past few days: the lifting of
the excommunication. Pope Ratzinger
did this unilaterally, as a "gift of peace,"
in the stated hope of encouraging a rapid
discussion and solution of the points of
division.
Lefebvrists, page14

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By Carolyn Moynihan
A
lmost two weeks ago the news broke in Rome that the
Pope had lifted a 20-year-long sentence of excommuni-
cation from a bishop who was not only anti-Semitic but
actually denied the Holocaust. It was a story tailor made for the
secularist media and all those who, knowing full well that it is
not anti-Jewish, resent the Catholic Church for other reasons: its
stand on homosexuality, birth control, or simply persisting in its
belief in God.
Listen to der Speigel:
What's defnite is that the hon-
eymoon between the Germans
and their pope is over. For almost
four years this thoroughly secu-
lar country of Luther firted with
the pomp, the self-assuredness
and the proud lack of modernity
of the Catholic Church. Com-
mentators admired the rigor of
the Tridentine Mass, the media
covered our pope with fond-
ness, curiosity and empathy.
That's over. Benedict's rule has
now passed a turning point. It
is likely to be divided into a
before and an after. This scandal
surrounding Bishop Williamson
has robbed this pope of his
magic. It's a pity.
Why a pity, for heavens
sake, when you fnd the church itself so repugnant?
Some of these ready critics are to be found within the church.
US columnist Andrew Sullivan, who is Catholic and homosexual,
wrote: "I am truly, deeply ashamed of my church for this action
and hope this provokes such an outcry that it is reversed."
An outcry it certainly has provoked. Headlines about the
Holocaust-denying Bishop Richard Williamson rehabilitated by the
pope ran like wildfre around the globe. Jewish groups were dis-
tressed and angry; Catholics were embarrassed and confused; there
was a heated debate in the British House of Commons (Williamson
is a Briton); the furor in Germany, where denying the Holocaust
is a crime, reached such a pitch that Chancellor Angela Merkel
was emboldened to call on Pope Benedict (who has made several
visits to Auschwitz) to clarify his own position on the Holocaust.
Catholic bishops in Germany and elsewhere were clearly furious at
the implied insult to the Jews, and German Cardinal Walter Kasper,
who heads the Vatican's Commission for Religious Relations With
Jews, distanced himself from Benedict by saying he had not been
informed in advance about the Pope's action.
As a matter of fact, nobody relying on media headlines has
been properly informed either. The Bishop Williamson story has
been a massive beat-up, a spark from a torch that became a bush-
fre. Pope Benedict never set out to rehabilitate a crank who not
only believes there were no gas chambers in Nazi concentration
camps but also that the 9/11 attacks on the United States were
carried out by the American military "professionally". The pope
knew nothing of that. The decree he signed in January 21 was
not even directed individually at Williamson.
What Benedict actually did, as chief pastor of the Catholic
Church was lift the excommunication of four bishopsnot one,
fourillicitly ordained in 1988 by the late Archbishop Marcel
Lefebvre, founder of the Society
of St. Pius X, an organization of
Catholics alienated from main
body of the church by changes
carried out in the name of the
Second Vatican Council. In
doing so he also opened the
door for a large number of lay
Catholicsreported numbers
vary from around 400,000 to
a millionto be reconciled
with Rome and the universal
church.
Moreover he did thisas
a statement from the Vatican
Secretariat of State this week
points outin response to re-
peated requests from the head
of the Lefebvrists, Swiss bishop
Bernard Fellay. It was a gesture
of compassion from the Holy
Father and one close to his heart, since he dealt personally with
Lefebvre over the 1988 schism, doing everything he could to avert
it and being personally distraught when it fnally happened. The
pope is regarded as the "supreme shepherd" of the Catholic fock
and cannot be indifferent to lost sheep. Benedict said from the
outset of his pontifcate that healing the breach created by SSPX
would be a priority. That some of the strays depend on an eccentric
like Bishop Williamson in hindsight made it even more urgent.
Lifting the excommunications implies absolutely nothing
about the status or views of the individual bishops or anyone
else in the society. The Vatican's statement makes clear that it is
merely the beginning of reconciliation, and that future recognition
depends on "full recognition" by the members "of the Second
Vatican Council and the magisterium (teaching)" of all the popes
during and since the council.
Addressing the Williamson issue directly, the statement
says his views "on the Shoah are absolutely unacceptable and
frmly rejected by the Holy Father" who already in his general
Wednesday audience last week "reaffrmed his full and indisput-
able solidarity with our brother recipients of the First Covenant"
Beating up on the pope
Benedict XVI opens the door to some lost sheep and
secularists cry wolf.
No More Excommunication
for the Lefebvrists. But
Peace is Still Far Off
Pope, page15

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IMPACT February 2009 14
NEWS
FEATURES
But it must be said that last December
15, in his latest letter to the authorities of the
Church of Rome before the "gift," Lefebvr-
ist leader Fellay showed no sign of wanting
to accept Vatican II in its entirety:
"We are ready to write the Credo with
our blood, to sign the anti-modernist oath,
the profession of faith of Pius IV, we ac-
cept and make our own all of the Councils
up until Vatican II, concerning which we
express reservations."
And then there were the statements
denying the Holocaust by Bishop Wil-
liamson, who is not new to these kinds of
outbursts. After September 11, 2001, he
produced a delusional explanation of the
collapse of the Twin Towers, which he at-
tributed to a phantom "police state" aiming
to overpower America and Europe.
A few of the Roman curia and the
bishops criticize Benedict XVI for making
unilateral gestures toward the Lefebvrists,
without having anything in return.
It is observed that all of his gestures
have a clear coherence and theological
consistency. But they are falling on soil that
has not been adequately cultivated.
Even the lifting of the excommu-
nication of the four bishops falls under
these criticisms. It is observed that the
excommunications have also been lifted
between Rome and Constantinople, but
that this strongly symbolic gesture took
place within a process of real ecumeni-
cal reconciliation. This process is absent
among the Lefebvrists, and the divisions
with them remain intact.
It's the same with the Jews. It is
acknowledged that Benedict XVI has
produced the most lofty and constructive
texts ever for dialogue between the two
faiths. But it is charged that there are too
many facts contradicting his words.
One example is what took place in
recent days. At the Angelus on Sunday,
January 25, Benedict XVI spoke boldly
about the "conversion" of Paul, a Jew. He
even said that for Paul, the term "conver-
sion" is improper, "because he was already
a believer, in fact, a fervent Jew, nor did he
have to abandon the Jewish faith in order
to adhere to Christ."
But on the same day, a bishop whom
Benedict XVI had recently absolved from
excommunication ranted against the Jews
in the worldwide media.
Authoritative Catholics have raised
their voices to point out that these state-
ments were not Ratzinger's fault, nor were
they connected in any way to the pope's
decision to revoke the excommunication
of the bishop who made them. But on the
level of communication, it was inevitable
that the two things would be connected.
Everywhere, the news was reported the
same way: the pope lifts excommunication
of Holocaust denier bishop.
For some, it was easy to throw into
the faces of the Vatican authorities their
excessive silence on another, much more
dangerous form of denial of the Holocaust,
the one publicly supported by the leaders
of Iran. In the almost four years of this
pontifcate, in effect, only once has an
offcial Vatican document condemned, in
vague words, Iran's intention of wiping
Israel from the face of the earth.
But now, the Holy See cannot be
accused of remaining silent in the face of
the denial of the Holocaust expressed by
Lefebvrist bishop Williamson.
Lefebvrists, from page12
ROME, February 10, 2009China is angry that the Dalai
Lama, Tibets spiritual leader in exile, was granted honorary
citizenship yesterday by the City of Rome. It warned of possible
consequences.
This seriously hurts the feelings of the Chinese people,
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular
news briefng. We express our strong dissatisfaction and op-
position.
We hope Italy pays attention to China's deep concerns and
takes immediate, effective measures to remove the negative
impact and maintain the healthy, stable development of bilateral
ties, she added.
Jiang repeated that for
China the Dalai Lama is not
a simple religious fgure, but
has for a long time been a politi-
cal exile engaging in separatist
political activities in favour of
Tibet independence.
A few months ago Beijing
abruptly cancelled a China-
EU summit, angry over French
President and then EU rotating
President Nicolas Sarkozy's
meeting with the Dalai Lama.
Yesterday the Dalai Lama
China objects to Dalai Lama granted
honorary citizen status by Rome
was awarded honorary citizenship in Romes Campidoglio, seat
of the city government. In the Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar) Hall,
Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno said that the award is a symbol
of our moral rejection of injustice, violence and oppression. It
is a moral revolt in defence of the identity of nations.
We stand by you and strongly demand the full recognition
of the autonomy of the Tibetan nation, the mayor added, albeit
within the territorial integrity of China.
More conciliatory the Dalai Lama stressed again his option
for non violent action which he will pursue until death.
He noted that for many Tibetans their situation is dramatic;
things are ready to explode, but
urged them to remain patient
and choose peace.
Starting last January 18
China has launched another
harsh anti-Tibetan crackdown.
About 6,000 people are said
to have been arrested since
then.
After his award the Dalai
Lama left the Italian capital on
his way to Venice. In the city
of Marco Polo he will also be
granted honorary citizenship.
(AsiaNews)
I
Volume 43 Number 2
15
NEWS
FEATURES
and said the Shoah was a warning against "forgetting, against
negating or reductionism" of violence towards human beings.
The statement added: "Bishop Williamson, to be admitted to
episcopal functions in the Church, must also distance himself in
an absolutely unmistakable and public way from his position on
the Shoah, which was unknown to the Holy Father in the moment
of the lifting of the excommunication."
All this could have been established from impartial inquiries
by the media and by interest groups without the hullabaloo of the
past two weeks. Indeed, it could have been taken for granted by
anyone with the least insight into Pope Benedict's personal record
or the pastoral nature of his role in the church.
Unfortunately, since such insights are scarce, it could also have
been taken for granted by those assisting the Pope in issuing the
decree lifting the excommunications that any move to welcome
the Lefebvrists back into the fold would be used to air prejudices
against the "conservative" or even "ultra-conservative" pope and
the "right wing" or "far right" of the church. They were not to know
that a Swedish television channel conveniently had an interview
with Williamson ready to air (on the very day that the decree was
signed by the pope and the day before it was published) but they
might conceivably have anticipated sabotage.
To publicize the decree without any explanations seems a
mistake. But it was an administrative and PR failure, not a failure
of the church or the pope regarding the Jews; Jews and Judaism
simply had nothing to do with it. Doubtless the offcials could
have made a PR effort here, but no matter how hard they tried,
there would most likely still have been a furor.
The trouble is that the secular world tends to reduce ev-
erything to politicsright wing versus left wing; conservative
versus liberalbut the church is not a political institution, and
the pope is not a prime minister looking over his shoulder at the
latest opinion poll and trying to say what will please the majority
so he will get re-elected.
The pope has a larger vision of things. He is a shepherd who
has to keep the whole fock in viewall of them, saints and sinners,
philosophers and cranks, the politically astute and the incorrigibly
naveand be ready to lay down his life for them. When a man has
accepted that burden, he is not going to resile from a decisionas
some are calling for him to do over Williamson and the SSPX
because of unforeseen political fallout. He is going to keep reaching
into the thorn bushes of church life and rescuing the sheep caught
theredespite the denunciations of secularists, or even the bleating
of some within his own fold. They had better get used to it.
(This article is printed with permission by MercatorNet)
Pope, from page13
MANILA, February 4, 2009The mili-
tant youth group Anakbayan told the
Macapagal-Arroyo government to spare
the private workers money entrusted to the
Social Security System (SSS), calling the
P330 billion (US$6.971 billion) economic
stimulus package by the Macapagal-
Arroyo government a mere quackery
to fool the Filipino people.
Anakbayan national chairperson Ken
Ramos said, in a statement sent to CBCP
News, the economic stimulus package
plan by the government will not solve
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, February 2, 2009"The situation in
Wanni is pathetic. About 250,000 northern civilians are trapped
in a very small area. Continuous aerial bombing and artillery
shelling take place. Within the last 10 days, only 8 trucks of food
have been sent to Wanni to feed the 250,000 persons." A source
for AsiaNews, who has asked to remain anonymous, describes
the situation of the refugees in the northern region of Sri Lanka
where the army and Tamil Tigers are fghting.
The area of Suthanthirapuram is part of the buffer zone set up
by the government. "It is here many of the priests and religious
and thousands of people are gathered. But they were also targets
of the military. So many people are killed, daily. One nun was
injured in the attack yesterday. Aside from this place, north of
Mullaithievu on the coast there are 60,000 people. There are 6
priests staying in this place with the people. It is not a safe zone.
So they are vulnerable to the attacks."
The bishop of Jaffna, Thomas Saundranayagam, has asked
the government to include this area in the buffer zone, but so far
this has not been done. According to the source for AsiaNews,
Religious personnel under Wanni bombings
"the military is discouraging people from staying outside of the
safe zone. It is for the same reason that the military attacked the
Puthukudiyirrupu hospital." The accusation, which has also been
made by UN personnel, has been denied by the government of
Colombo, which has blamed the Tamil rebels.
The defense ministry says that on February 9, more than
6,500 civilians came to the areas of Visuamadu, Dharmapuram,
and Sugandirapuram, which have been cleared of rebels. The
civilians include 1,317 families and 334 individuals, but security
forces in Wanni affrm that many more remain trapped in the
jungle under the attacks of the Tamil rebels.
Only soldiers are in place to welcome the refugees to the
centers set up by the military. The source states that "no one
knows how many people are coming from Wanni, and how many
stay in the refugee centers, or if some of them are being taken
to prison camps." No one is being permitted to enter the camps,
and the refugees may not leave for any reason. Some of them
fear that the government wants to keep them there to colonize
the Tamil villages with Sinhalese. (AsiaNews)
the problem of poverty in the Philippines,
moreover, it will be just another fund to
corrupt by some unscrupulous government
offcials.
Based on news reports, the SSS is willing
to give P1.5 billion ($31.719 billion), as its
share to the stimulus package plan. However,
Mr. Romulo Neri, SSS president, in one of
his television interviews not so long ago said,
he himself is not sure if the investment will
proft or not.
The poor workers will be used, again,
as sacrifcial lambs in the name of Mrs.
Arroyos elusive dreams and caprices,
he said.
He advised the government that, if
it wants real prosperity for the country, it
must implement genuine land reform and
enact protectionist policies to be able for
the small and medium Filipino enterprise
to fourish.
But since the 'package' includes none
of these, we can expect the only thing it
would be stimulating is Arroyo's post-2010
future, he said. (Noel Sales Barcelona/
CBCPNews)
Spare workers money, youth group tells govt
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IMPACT February 2009 16
COVER
STORY
Back to Bataan
Who is not afraid of being nuked?
By Charles R. Avila
Atoms for Peace?
A
great technology led to Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. That should not have
ended there. So brilliant a discovery
by the human mind could not be allowed
merely to end in war, holocaust and an-
nihilation but should have led to peace,
life and happiness.
General Dwight Ike Eisenhower
thought so.
When he quit as General of the Army
and became a civilian President, Ike de-
cided that under his watch, splitting the
nucleus of an atom should translate into
achievements of peace. And so, around
Christmas time 1953, his speech before the
UN General Assembly entitled "Atoms for
Peace," set the U.S. on a course of strong
government support for international use
of nuclear power.
Earlier on, in 1951, electricity was
generated for the frst time by a nuclear
reactor. Ikes predecessor, however, Presi-
dent Harry Truman, was not impressed,
and called instead for "aggressive research
in the whole feld of solar energy. One
wonders if he knew profoundly how right
he was. But for now, under Eisenhower,
nuclear technology would have its due
appreciation while the solar energy option
was just about thrown into oblivion.
The awesome destructive power of
nuclear weapons that the two nuclear
explosions over Japan had shown was
one thing. But there was something else
intimately linked with it and that was
nuclear-powered electricity. Scientists had
now seen the most concentrated energy
available, and that was nuclear energy,
made accessible by nuclear reactors.
The energy contained in 1 kilogram of
uranium, if it were all to be released in
a nuclear reactor, would be equivalent to
that produced by burning some 3,000,000
kilos of coal!
The propaganda surrounding atoms
for peace got people dreaming of so-
called 'atomic power' running a car on an
engine the size of a fst, of houses heated
by uranium, of 'atom-powered' aircraft
able to remain aloft indefnitely, of 'atom-
powered' rockets that would enable us to
cross the ocean in three minutesand so on
and so forth. For in fact, the government
announced, nuclear-powered submarines
were already patrolling the depths of the
seven seas.
Modest Market Share
And yet, as of a few years ago, nuclear
power provided only 6.3% of the world's
energy and 15% of the world's electricity,
with the U.S., France, and Japan together
accounting for 56.5% of nuclear generated
electricity. As of 2007, there were only
439 nuclear power reactors operating in
S
uch a highly contro-
versial, complex and
multi-faceted issue as
the rehabilitation for com-
mercial operation of the
Bataan Nuclear Power Plant
(BNPP) must be debated
publicly and thoroughly, be-
fore taxpayers money be
allotted for such a question-
able idea:
We fnd that Rep. Mark
Cojuangco's Bill and Ex-
planatory Notes proposing
this idea raise more ques-
tions than answers. Given
the short notice for this
BNPP Rehabilitation: More Questions than Answers
Congressional hearing, we
raise only the most impor-
tant here:
1. Where are the de-
tailed technical studies
for the permanent dis-
posal of the high-level as
well as low-level nuclear
wastes that the BNPP will
create? A nuclear power
plant, granting that it is suc-
cessfully rehabilitated and
operated, may have a useful
life of a few decades. It will,
however, create a 100,000-
year waste management
problem which, it has been
argued, is beyond human
scale. Among the safety is-
sues raised by nuclear plant
operation, nuclear waste
disposal has been the most
challenging and intractable
even in advanced countries.
It is questionable how a
country like the Philippines,
which cannot even solve its
ordinary garbage problem
properly, can manage the
permanent disposal of highly
radioactive wastes.
2. Where are the de-
tailed economic and fnan-
cial studies of the rehabili-
tation, operation, decom-
missioning and nuclear
waste disposal? Initial esti-
mates of nuclear plant costs
have always tended to be
IMPACT February 2009 16
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Volume 43 Number 2
17
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Who is not afraid of being nuked?
31 countries.
The United States produced the most
nuclear energy, with nuclear power pro-
viding 19% of the electricity it consumed.
France, however, produced the highest per-
centage of its electrical energy from nuclear
reactors78% as of 2006, and reportedly
close to 90% as of this writing.
In Europe as a whole, nuclear energy
provides 30% of the electricity. In the US,
while the Coal and Gas Electricity industry
is projected to be worth $85 billion by 2013,
Nuclear Power generators are forecast to
be worth only $18 billion.
Why is this volume of use so low when
the power unleashed by nuclear fssion
has no equal on Earth? Clearly, this small
fgure has less to do with limited resources,
technological problems, or geopolitical
constraints, than with the low cost of other
sources of energy and the widespread fears
over the safety of nuclear power plants.
Thus, for more than two decades till
only lately, there was a steady decline
in the fortunes of the nuclear industry
around the world. The decline started in
the United States in the 1970's and resulted
in the cancellation of over 120 nuclear
power plants. Subsequently, one saw the
cancelling of nuclear power programs and
reactors worldwide.
The downward trend accelerated when
the true economic and environmental costs
of decommissioning and radioactive waste
management came to light. The nuclear
industry had had almost 50 years to prove
that nuclear technology was safe, clean and
cheap but failed to do so.
Radioactivity
In the nuclear debate, proponents of
nuclear energy assert that nuclear power
is a compact, reliable sustainable energy
source that reduces carbon emissions and
increases energy security. Proponents em-
phasize that nuclear energy's operational
safety record is already very good when
compared to other major power plant
technologies. They claim that the risks of
waste and other environmental impacts
are small compared to other sources of
electricity and can be further reduced by
improved technology in new reactors.
Anti-nuclear organizations, for their
part, consider that the economics of new
nuclear power plants are unfavorable
because of the costs of constructing a
nuclear plant, the public subsidies and
tax expenditures involved in research
and security, the cost of decommissioning
nuclear facilities and the undetermined
costs of storing nuclear waste.
Nuclear physics and nuclear engineer-
ing are, to be sure, specialized subjects
that are too important to leave to the
specialists alone. What, then, is the story,
friend? A nuclear reactor releases nuclear
energy in the form of heat, which is used to
generate steam, and the steam to generate
electricityusing even conventional elec-
trical equipment. But the nuclear reactor
produces and contains enormous quantities
of material which is 'radioactive'. Some of
these are very dangerous to living things,
and can stay so for a very long time. They
must not be allowed to escape in quantity
from nuclear facilities. Such facilities re-
lease small amounts of radioactivity to their
surroundings during normal operations.
Thus, even those appreciative of nuclear
power often want it NIMBY (not in my
backyard).
Three Mile Island and Chernobyl
happened but they were not supposed to.
The Three Mile Island accident resulted
in a contained melt-down. The Chernobyl
BNPP Rehabilitation: More Questions than Answers
under-estimates. This was
true not only of the BNPP but
of many other nuclear plants
as well. We want the public
to be given time to care-
fully analyze these studies
and the impact of the costs
on electricity prices. Asked
directly by Rep. Edcel Lag-
man, Rep. Cojuangco could
only cite the old Marcos-era
feasibility studies and Wiki-
pedia articles.
3. Where are the up-
dated electricity demand
projections that take into
account the global reces-
sion is just beginning and
whose end is not yet in
sight? No detailed demand
projections were given in
the proposal at all, just a
questionable assertion than
we will have a 3,000 mega-
watt shortfall by 2012. We
do not want to repeat our
bad experience of paying
IPPs through the nose for
the capacity and later not
using this capacity we are
paying for.
4. Where are the cost
comparisons with options
like solar power, wind, mi-
crohydro, geothermal, en-
ergy effciency and other
renewable approaches? In
many parts of the world, re-
newables have been shown
to be competitive in cost to
non-renewables like fossil
and nuclear technologies.
France's nuclear electricity
costs are lower because of
huge government subsidies
to the nuclear establishment,
given its strategic objective
to maintain nuclear weapons
capability.
5. After an extended
long-debated effort to
privatize the production
of electricity, why is the
government reversing its
policy for nuclear power
alone and again planning
Volume 43 Number 2
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Back to Bataan: Who is not afraid of being nuked?
COVER
STORY
event was the result of a fundamentally
unsafe reactor design together with a
complete lack of safety culture.
In any case they are not supposed to
happen again. The governments of the
world, led by the US Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC), have re-evaluated
Nuclear Plant designs and in many cases
ordered changes. As a result of these
changed requirements which were both
expensive and time consuming, new things
have been invented. Take, for instance,
Westinghouses AP1000 technology. It
is the "foremost Generation III advanced
reactor available on the market now. (That
is not what we have in Bataan.)
Defects have been fxed, nuclear pro-
ponents swear, and they have increased the
safety of nuclear power plants. Instead of
relying on active components such as diesel
generators and pumps, the AP1000 taps
into the natural forces of gravity, natural
circulation and compressed gases to keep
the core and containment from overheating,
Westinghouse said. The design is simpler,
smaller and safer and cheaper than current
reactors. The US NRC estimates 1 major
core damage incident per 2 million years
of reactor operation for the AP1000.
So, how safe is safe? A million per-
cent safe, they assure us, except, well,
exceptthey may admit in a low voice
except for occasions of human error and
negligence. And critics, of course, are only
too quick to point out that in humanitys
history of existence, is there anything more
predictable and surer than human error?
Item: As recently as last January 08,
2009, the Essex Chronicle bannered the
following news pieceRadioactive leak
at UK nuclear plant.
Radioactive waste seeped into the
ground beneath Bradwells Magnox nu-
clear power station for at least 14 years,
a jury heard. The radioactive cocktail of
tritium, caesium, cobalt and americium
that leaked from a decontamination unit
was not discovered until the twin reactors
were decommissioned fve years ago. The
Environment Agency accused Magnox
Electric Ltd at Chelmsford Crown Court
of unlawfully allowing the leak to occur
and failing to maintain its waste disposal
system between 1990 and 2004.
Item: Washington, DC, Sept. 18.
Neglect of Safety Costs Ratepayers,
Stockholders $82 Billion.
A new report by the Union of Con-
cerned Scientists, Walking a Nuclear
Tightrope: Unlearned Lessons of Year-plus
Reactor Outages, the frst study to analyze
every U.S. nuclear power outage lasting
a year or longer, shows that 36 of the 51
year-plus outages were caused by "exces-
sive tolerance" by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) of plant owners who
did not identify problems early enough
or address them effectively. The outages
resulting from this poor management and
ineffective regulatory oversight have cost
ratepayers and stockholders nearly $82
billion in lost revenue, according to the
study. "Nuclear power is clearly not safe
enough when so many reactors have to be
shut down for a year or more," said David
Lochbaum, author of the new report and
director of the Nuclear Safety Project at
the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Enter the Philippines
Many poor countries simply have no
access to nuclear power, because of the high
costs of building a nuclear power plant,
the complicated technology involved, or
political restraints on nuclear material that
can be used both for a power plant and
nuclear weapons. During the years of the
US-Marcos entente, the Philippines did not
belong to this group of poor countries. It
was a time when US fnance, particularly
the US EXIM bank, was an active pusher
of loans and the GOP was a terrible loan
addictboth US and GOP not quite mind-
ing how many generations of yet unborn
Filipinos would have to pay for the terrible
addiction that normally redounded to the
beneft of a few cronies and to the misery
of millions of masa and taong bayan.
In fairness, however, the Philippines
nuclear energy program did not start with
President Marcos but much earlierin
1955, when the country signed on to the
US Atoms for Peace program. President
Garcia pushed for the creation of the
Philippine Atomic Energy Commission
and President Macapagal initiated the frst
UN pre-investment feasibility study for a
to engage in a huge, risky
business venture?
We are also concerned
that the Bill and Explana-
tory Notes contain some
apparent misrepresenta-
tions and distortions which
raise fundamental questions
about the credibility of the
rest of the document. For
instance:
1. The assertion that
the Krsko, Angra 1 and Kori
2 NPPs have impeccable
safety records is not true
at all, as a simple search
on the Internet will show.
Krsko, for instance, just had
a loss-of-coolant accident
last June 4, 2008.
2. The assertions citing
Cabato et.al. have been
disowned by Dr. Kelvin Ro-
dolfo, one of the authors
of the Cabato study, who
accused the Bill's author of
abuse and distortion of
scientifc data.
3. The assertion of a
3,000 megawatt shortfall by
2012 is now highly question-
able, given the deepening
global recession affecting
every country in the world.
4. The assertion that no
one else has died from any
NPP accident apart from
Chernobyl is simply untrue,
given that six NPP-related
deaths have occurred in
Japan alone.
How can we trust the
rest of the Bill and Explana-
tory Notes assertions when
a casual browsing as we
did immediately fnds such
questionable assertions?
Finally, we want to point
out some of the undesirable
political impacts of rehabili-
tating the BNPP for commer-
cial operation:
1. Nuclear power is
prone to authoritarian
methods. The nature of
nuclear power encourages
a highly centralized, high-
security, secretive bureau-
cracy. Nuclear power proj-
ects are by their very nature
large-scale projects. In addi-
tion, they involve materials
which are not only extremely
harmful to human health,
but can also be used for
weapons of mass destruc-
IMPACT February 2009 18
Volume 43 Number 2
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Back to Bataan: Who is not afraid of being nuked?
nuclear power plant in Luzon. However,
it was the oil crisis of 1973 that hastened
the development of the country's nuclear
program. The Middle East embargo put a
heavy strain on the Philippine economy,
and Marcos was persuaded that nuclear en-
ergy was the best way forward in surviving
the energy crisis and reducing dependence
on fossil fuels.
Marcos, in fact, decided to build six
nuclear power plants. The frst was for the
Bataan peninsula with a loan from the US
Eximbank. In 1974 General Electric was
deep into negotiations with Philippine's
National Power to get the order. But
Westinghouse hired a lobbyist who was
closer to Marcos, one Herminio Disini who
regularly played golf with the President and
had an 80% success record of recommen-
dations to Marcos. And so, Westinghouse
offered to supply a plant with two 620 Mw
reactors at a base price of US$500 million.
Other charges like fuel and transmission
lines raised the estimated total price to
around US$ 650 million (only).
Needless to say, with a little help from
Disini, Westinghouse successfully edged
GE out. By the time of the formal contract,
however, the original plan of getting a
twin-reactor plant for US$650 million was
no longer feasible. Lobby costs must have
escalated, among other things, because the
Philippines now had to pay US$722 mil-
lion for a single reactor plant with half the
power output. Adding US$387 million for
interest and escalation costs, the contract
price rose to US$1.1 billion.
When the construction of the plant
was completed in 1985, the bill for the
Philippine governments account was over
$2.3 billion, or nearly four (or eight) times
the initial bid of $600 million. Nuclear
fuel was delivered on site in June 1984.
By June 1985 a pre-operational core load
test was completed. The plant was ready
for commercial operations.
As fate would have it, however, the
Chernobyl nuclear accident happened
on April 25, 1986. The World Health
Organization estimates that more than
4,000 people died in the aftermath of the
Chernobyl disaster, which contaminated
parts of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia.
President Corazon Aquino suspended the
Westinghouse contract and mothballed
the plant, citing an international team
fnding of roughly 4,000 safety defects,
in addition to the fact that it was built on
an earthquake-prone area. It is located
97 kilometers north of Manila, on a 357-
hectare government reservation at Napot
Point in Morong, Bataan, only 9 kilometers
from Mt. Natib, an active volcano situated
between the earthquake-prone Philippine
Fault and the West Luzon Fault.
The plants design was based on an old
two-loop model that had never been thor-
oughly studied by the US Nuclear Energy
Research Center because no similar plant
existed in the US. The design was based
on a Westinghouse plant still under con-
struction in Yugoslavia, which in turn was
based on another plant being constructed
in Brazil, which in turn was based on a
plant that was never built in Puerto Rico
because of earthquake faults. In short there
existed no similar nuclear power plant with
a safety record of any sort.
A government-commissioned study
conducted by the US-based National
Union of Scientists Corp. stated that the
safety-related defects were so serious and
numerous that it would be uneconomical
and dangerous to have it repaired, fxed and
possibly ready for operation as a nuclear
tion. Two infuential authors,
E.F. Schumacher (Small is
Beautiful) and Amory Lovins
(Soft Energy Paths) have
made the argument that it is
the nature of nuclear power
itself that makes its imple-
mentors prone to authori-
tarianism. A simple example:
the government continues to
keep secret the ten potential
sites for its nuclear power
program.
2. Nuclear power at-
tracts corruption. The ex-
tremely high cost of even a
single nuclear power project
will attract corrupt contrac-
tors, suppliers and bureau-
crats like fies to garbage.
Filipinos paid around $5
billion for this lesson. Unfor-
tunately, things have hard-
ly changed. Look at other
government mega-projects:
from election automation to
airport construction, from
mega-dikes to the Maca-
pagal Highway and other
road construction projects.
We cannot afford the con-
sequences of substandard
materials, construction and
maintenance in a nuclear
power plant.
3. Nuclear power proj-
ects are highly divisive.
The unresolved nuclear
safety issues and the so-
far insoluble problem of
nuclear waste disposal will
attract long-term opposition
from many sectors (affected
communities, environmen-
talists, activists of various
colors, clean energy advo-
cates, losing bidders, and
perhaps even the wives and
daughters of nuclear power
advocates). Anti-nuclear op-
position will emerge from
the woodworks to block the
projects at every step of the
way. The nuclear power proj-
ect will split the country, as it
has done in the past.
Given the above issues
and concerns, the Philip-
pine Greens ask Congress
to hold action on Rep. Co-
juangco's Bill and to open
to deeper public debate this
highly controversial issue of
reviving the BNPP.
Roberto Verzola
Convenor, Philippine Greens
2 February 2009
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power plant.
In December 1988 the Philippine gov-
ernment fled bribery, fraud and racketeer-
ing charges against Westinghouse Electric
Co. and the New Jersey-based company
Burns and Roe for conniving with former
President Marcos and his crony, Herminio
Disini, in the construction of the power
plant. The government also wanted to cancel
the contract and compel the frms to return
money paid for the construction of the power
plant. At that time, the country had been
paying $350,000 a day on interest alone for
loan proceeds used to build the plant.
In August 1992, the govern-
ment and Westinghouse opened
talks to settle the bribery allega-
tions. President Ramos rejected
Westinghouses fnal offer to
pay $100 million in cash and
credits, upgrade the plant and
operate it for 30 years for $40
million a year in exchange for
the governments dropping of
the bribery case. Less than a
year later his government lost
the bribery case. US Court ac-
quitted both Westinghouse and
Burns & Roe. Months later, the
Swiss Federal Supreme Court
also threw out the governments
bribery suits against Burns &
Roe, and ruled that the Philip-
pines owed the US engineering
frm $1 million in damages.
How judicially unfortunate
could a government be? In De-
cember 1993, Ramos ever-so-
lamely hinted that the govern-
ment was still open to talks with
Westinghouse. Two years later,
on October 1995, he signed a
lopsided $100-million settle-
ment. The Philippine govern-
ment was now obliged to shell
out $300,000 in daily interest
payments for the odious loan,
a fact so horrible that Supreme Court As-
sociate Justice Reynato Puno was moved
to yell, Dont! We have no obligation to
pay so unjust a loan!
Under the Ramos-signed agreement,
Westinghouse would pay the government
$40 million in cash and supply two new
50IF combustion turbines valued at $30
million each, in exchange for allowing the
blacklisted company to resume bidding for
projects in the country. The government
also dropped the bribery case pending on
appeal in the United States, and the arbitra-
tion case fled in Switzerland. Later the two
turbines that were part of the settlement
were sold for only $58.3 million.
In July 2004 the Arroyo government
revived the graft raps against Disini. The
Court ordered his arrest. Disini posted bail
and remains a free man.
Meanwhile in April of 2007 the head of
the fscal planning and assessment division
of the Bureau of the Treasury announced
that the country had made the fnal payment
of $15 million for the BNPP loans. After
almost 32 years, the controversial power
plant that had cost the Filipino taxpayer
more than an arm and a leg was at long
last offcially off the books." Even though
the BNPP had never produced a single
watt of electricity, the Filipino people still
paid a total of Php120 billion for principal
and interest since 1986, the year Aquino
acknowledged BNPP to be unsafe.
"But the plant is basically still intact,
including the reactor," Mauro Marcelo,
manager of asset preservation for the
Energy Department said. Although the
plant has been up for sale for decades, he
said it was unlikely anyone would want
to buy a reactor whose technology dated
back to the 1980s.
Then Energy Secretary Raphael Lo-
tilla said that apart from being developed
as a monument to folly or a tourist attrac-
tion, the property is now under the Asset
Privatization Trust. "Since we can't make
use of it as a power plant, it might attract
tourists who want to see what a nuclear
power plant looks like."
The Philippine government has set
aside some P40 million a year for its
maintenance up to now.
New Challenges: Global Warming ver-
sus Nuclear Woes?
Item: Eduardo M. Cojuangcos San
Miguel buys the GSIS shares in Meralco,
the countrys top distributor of
electric power.
Item: Representative Mark
O. Cojuangco, Eduardos son,
fles House Bill 4631, "An Act
Mandating the Immediate Re-
Commissioning and Commer-
cial Operation of the Bataan
Nuclear Power Plant".
Coffee Shop Question: Is
there any causal relationship
between the foregoing two?
Secretary Heherson Son-
ny Alvarez, Presidential Ad-
viser on Global Warming and
Climate Change, did not like
what he read and so he said: A
nuclear power plant is wrong
for our threatened, fragile earth.
Any plan to revive the BNPP
should not rest on economic
terms alone. It must take into full
account a range of social, politi-
cal, cultural and technical issues.
The fnancial aspects of reviving
the BNPP would be daunting.
At the current exchange rate,
the BNPPs rehabilitation costs
are likely to exceed a billion
dollarsor roughly 36% of the
estimated P114 billion needed
to shield the country from the
crippling effects of recession.
And thats just for starters.
We should factor in the externalities
of the Bataan plants operation. These
externalities include the inherent dangers
that the plant poses, the enormous dilemma
over spent radioactive waste of over 100
tons yearly that will inevitably impact on
health and affect reproduction through
genetic mutations. There is also the danger
of fnancial and technological demands of
building and maintaining a low accident
risk factor.
There are 493 nuclear power plants
(NPPs) in operation globally and only 33
are less than 10 years old. Without adequate
Back to Bataan: Who is not afraid of being nuked?
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fnal storage, more NPPs mean more waste
on the planet threatening the integrity of
fragile ecosystems and human societies for
thousands up to millions of years.
A renewed interest in nuclear power
plants wants to use their low emission of
greenhouse gases as a reason. But it is crucial
to remember that, following the Three Mile
Island accident in 1979, a safety audit of the
BNPP revealed some 4,000 defects. Nuclear
plants require a very long and high degree
of safety culture, and it does not exist in our
country at this time, Alvarez said.
And yet, the Department of Energy
under the Philippine Energy Plan 2007-
2014, expects additional nuclear capacities
of 600 MW by 2027, 2030 and 2034.Total
capacity from nuclear power plants under
the 1998-2035 planning period is expected
to reach 2,400 MW. In its latest Philippine
Energy Plan (PEP), it was noted that the
new nuclear power facility is expected to
contribute 0.885 million ton oil equivalent
(MTOE) to the projected energy mix and
will reach up to 3.54 MTOE by 2035.
Given the severe impact of climate-
altering greenhouse gas emissions and
skyrocketing crude oil prices, the Energy
Department has started a reassessment of
nuclear energy as a long-term power op-
tion for the country, said the PEP 2007
executive summary. However, we have
to bear in mind that it takes a lot of fossil
energy to mine uranium, and then to extract
and prepare the right isotope for use in a
nuclear reactor. It takes even more fossil
energy to build the reactor, and, when its
life is over, to decommission it and look
after its radioactive waste.
As a result, nuclear energy is by no
means the climate-friendly technology
its proponents and DOE want people to
believe. In fact, the energy cost and green-
house emissions of Nuclear Power are such
that they require seven years of operation
to become carbon neutral because of the
embodied energy in construction and the
energy cost of Uranium mining.
Question: Cannot the projected short-
age, say, in 2012 be addressed by building
geothermal, hydro power, natural gas,
wind, and solar power plants even without
the operation of the nuclear plant in Bataan?
Must we choose only between global
warming and nuclear waste when there are
all those other alternative energy sources
super abounding in a country close to the
equator and which ultimately redound to
the health and prosperity of the nation?
Dr. Giovanni Tapang, national chair-
person of AGHAM, replies in the affr-
mative. "The Philippines has many avail-
B
NPP revival will impose additional burden to Filipinos
Recent moves to re-open the mothballed Bataan nuclear power
plant have spurred debates among the scientifc community. Touch-
ing both nuclear energy in general and the BNPP in particular, questions of
safety, impacts on the environment, and effciency have been raised.
Previous studies such as the Puno commission report in 1980 and the
international group National Union of Scientists (NUS)'s fnding of more
than 2,000 defects in design and construction of the plant were more than
enough to conclude it unsafe. The proponents on the other hand have
produced not a single study except for distorted success stories of other
nations' nuclear projects.
While the technical concerns on the plant's site and plant safety have
not yet been directly addressed by the proponents, it is not the end or be-all
of talks considering BNPP's revival. One should not neglect other aspects
of equal importance: the politics and economics of the project.
BNPP has become a monument of corruption. Given its history of
overpricing and $80 million in kickbacks for Marcos and his cronies, the
idea of reviving the plant to become another source of corruption is not
far-fetched. Looking at the proponents involved having that crony lineage
makes one shake his head in exasperation. Looking even further, the Ar-
royo government set to manage the implementation on this billion-dollar
project is even more problematic.
First, the current regime didn't even put an effort to make the old
proponents accountable, more so impose justice on corrupt benefciaries.
Second, how can they be sure that a deja vu is unlikely when the Arroyo
government itself is plagued with corruption? Yes, we haven't forgotten
Jose Pidal, ZTE, IMPSA, Northrail corruption scandals, and many other
multi-million dollar projects the likes of BNPP. The current government has
no moral authority to speak of in which we can pin our hopes on.
BNPP's revival, without any technical or fnancial study backing, is
being hastily raised by its proponents because the people are the ones
to be paying anyway. The bill identifes foreign borrowing and/or nuclear
tax of P0.10/kwh schema to generate the initial $1billion fund. This means
that we have already paid Php160 billion in debt for a useless plant, will
be paying some $1billion more even before the plant start running, and
will be paying even more once the plant goes operational as the plant will
be controlled by foreign corporations.
The burden Arroyo's government imposes on the Filipino people with so
much to bear already, is unacceptable. The current movement to oppose BNPP,
in fact have been a gathering of old and new ones. The people then and now
have fought and will continue to fght this unscrupulous project.
CLEMENTE BAUTISTA
National Coordinator
Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE)
Volume 43 Number 2
21
Network Opposed
to Bataan Nuclear
Power Plant Revival
Back to Bataan: Who is not afraid of being nuked?
I
IMPACT February 2009 22
COVER
STORY
able energy resources from hydro water,
geothermal, natural gas, wind and solar
sources but these have been all put to sale
by the government to private independent
power producers (IPPs)," Dr. Tapang said.
Nonetheless they are there.
In fact, this is the case: the Philip-
pines has 2.8 trillion cubic feet of proven
natural gas reserves. Geothermal power
accounts for the countrys largest share of
indigenous energy production, followed
by hydropower, coal, and oil and gas. The
Philippines is the worlds second largest
producer of geothermal power, after the
United States. And we do have signifcant
amounts of hydroelectric potential. The
most notable development, the Agus units,
has been built at the Maria Cristina Falls
on northern Mindanao. DOST estimates
that wind resources could generate 70,000
MW of power.
On the other hand, we have to say it
clearly: nuclear power is an expensive and
dangerous distraction from the real solu-
tions to climate change. Greenhouse gas
reduction targets can only be met through
using the proven alternatives of renewable
energy technologies and energy effciency.
As somebody from Greenpeace remarked,
Every peso spent on nuclear power is a
dollar stolen from the real solutions to
climate change.
According to the Report, 'Energy [R]
evolution: A Sustainable Philippine Energy
Outlook,' renewable energy can become
the country's energy backbone. Renewable
energy can provide as much as 57% of
the country's energy needs by 2030, and
70% by 2050, with 'new' renewables, such
as wind, biomass, geothermal and solar
energy, contributing as much as 58% to
the energy mix.
Congress already passed the Renew-
able Energy Act, the real solution to energy
security and climate change. It is time to
focus on its implementation rather than be
distracted by the nuclear industry.
For his part, geologist Kelvin Rodolfo
refuted claims by lawmakers pushing the
revival of the BNPP that the location of
the BNPP is safe.
No solution yet to the problem of nuclear
waste disposal
Theres still no safe way to deal with
radioactive wastethat is the hard simple
fact. What does the government planto
bury it deep underground? Out of sight,
out of mind, for now at least? But no one
can guarantee that this highly radioactive
waste wont leak back into the environ-
ment, contaminating water supplies and
the food chain. High-level waste contains
large amounts of substances which are
dangerously radioactive, and will remain
so for hundreds of years.
To repeat, what to do with these wastes
is a question as yet unanswered. Provisional
answers have been proposed, such as deep
geological burial and interim management
is said to be adequate, but in the long term
the question becomes one not of technol-
ogy but of ethics. Should we create these
dangerous substances in ever-increasing
quantities, to leave them to our remote
descendants of the next few centuries?
Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) from a
reactor is highly radioactive. Once the
SNF has been removed from the nuclear
reactor it is placed in interim storage at
the reactor site. Usually this consists of
putting the nuclear waste into large pools
of water for a short while, meaning 20 to
40 years. As the SNF ages the radioactivity
decreases, reaching the point where they
can be placed in dry storage facilities.
Some components must still be isolated
from the environment for 100,000 years or
more. The fssion products typically reach
background levels after 500 years.
Inevitably, to go for nuclear power
is to go for the creation of a new highly
elite priesthood of dedicated saviors which
naturally anarchic populations of self-
proclaimed festa islands can quite ill af-
ford. What for when there are other energy
sources we can go for? Indeed, given that
nuclear power poses a threat to life as well
as to planet earth itself, why do we continue
to travel down the nuclear road?
Back to Bataan? Yes, but dont be
nuked!
IMPACT February 2009 22
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STATEMENTS
P
overty is a reality that pervades our
beloved country. It is experienced all
over the land but is especially felt in
the rural sector. Poverty in the Philippines
remains predominantly rural and devel-
opment projects have not signifcantly
improved the lives of the rural poor. In fact
we can never solve poverty in the urban
centers unless poverty in the countryside
is seriously and systematically addressed.
Hence 40 years after the National Rural
Congress of 1967, we bishops in our
pastoral statement The Dignity of the
Rural Poor of January 2007 called for
a Second National Rural Congress (NRC
II) to hear the cries of the poor in the rural
areas. Pope Benedict XVI reminds us in
his message on the World Day of Peace of
this year that fghting poverty is a means
of building peace. So to address poverty
benefts not only the poor but the whole
nation.
The Journey of NRC II
The Second National Rural Congress
(NRC II) consisted of more than 50 Dioc-
esan and 13 Sub-Regional Consultations
conducted through November 2007 to
March 2008. Afterwards, fve Regional
Rural Congresses were convened in April-
June 2008. These consultations led up to a
National Conference on 7-8 July 2008 held
in San Carlos Seminary, Makati. All these
activities gave the opportunity to the rural
poor to articulate their concerns and for
the Church in various levels to listen and
discern her specifc role in accompanying
them on their journey.
A parallel track of several researches,
seminars, and high-level caucuses was
completed during the same period. These
activities involved the academe, media,
civil society, government offcials and
the bishops themselves. Various position
papers and statements were compiled to
aid and supplement the consultations that
came about in the NRC II process.
We thank all the groups who partici-
pated and who contributed to the realiza-
tion of the long process of the congress.
This is a great sign of common concern
God Hears the Cries of the Poor
(cf. Exodus 3,7-9)
Concluding Statement of the CBCP on the
Second National Rural Congress
for the rural poor who unfortunately are
among the least noticed and least served
in our society.
Voices of the Rural Poor
The researches, consultations and
dialogues unearthed several causes of rural
poverty. Foremost is the lack of serious
implementation of laws and policies de-
signed to address asset reforms to promote
social justice. Inadequate resources and
capacities to provide basic services were
also mentioned. Other major concerns were
the prevailing graft and corruption and a
sense of helplessness that there is nothing
anyone can do to change the situation. The
extensive presence of extractive industries,
foremost of which is large scale mining,
destroys the environment which directly
impacts the poor. On the other hand, it
was recognized that the rural poor need
to discern more their rights and responsi-
bilities as citizens and as children of God.
Five basic sectors articulated the complex
challenges they face today.
Small Farmers and Landless Workers:
They are the rural sector that today has the
single most urgent claim on the conscience
of the nation whose most pressing need is
land reform. Academic studies and numer-
ous documentations by civil society have
attested to the signifcant contribution of
agrarian reform in reducing poverty, creat-
ing opportunities for growth leading towards
sustainable development. These gains must
not only be protected and sustained, but ex-
panded to cover all legitimate benefciaries
of agrarian reform. Despite efforts to raise
these concerns we are saddened to fnd
that elected representatives do not heed the
voices of their poor constituents.
The small farmers call for basic
services in the development of the coun-
tryside, such as irrigation systems, farm to
market roads, lending facilities, and access
to the market. The farmers in many places
are suffering from large scale mining and
the continuous conversion of agricultural
lands to non-agricultural use to avoid being
covered by the land reform program.
Fisherfolk: They call for the strict
implementation of the Fisheries Code,
including its review to address loopholes
in its implementation. The fsherfolk also
identify specifc issues such as limited ac-
cess to municipal waters, pollution of our
waters, the practice of destructive and illegal
fshing methods, and the encroachment by
commercial trawlers into municipal waters.
They further call for more programs that
would enhance the capacities of their sec-
tor. They reiterate the need to promote the
sustainable utilization of natural resources
in our seas, rivers and lakes, including the
establishment of sanctuaries where marine
life can regenerate itself.

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STATEMENTS
Indigenous People: They demand
the recognition of the customary laws
and culture of the indigenous people (IP)
communities, the intensifed implementa-
tion and review of the Indigenous Peoples
Rights Act (IPRA), the recognition of the
continuing threat to their communities
posed by destructive mining and logging
activities, by armed confict between the
rebels and the military and by the entrance
of companies causing their displacement,
the watered-down application of the Free,
Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) pro-
cess, and the strengthening of the National
Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP)
so that it truly represent the interests of the
indigenous peoples and not the foreigners
and big business enterprises.
Rural Women: They insist on the
need to protect and uphold the welfare and
rights of women through the enhancement
of Filipino values of family and moral
responsibility. They also appeal to all con-
cerned agencies to provide more support
to respond to the special needs of women,
such as the issues of domestic violence,
access to basic social services, livelihood,
health, natural family planning, continuing
formation of conscience in regard to the
right to life, and awareness building on
womens rights.
Rural Youth: They seek more effec-
tive pastoral care to strengthen the moral
and spiritual foundations of the youth. They
ask that the Church and academe reinforce
their programs on spiritual and values
formation, in order to equip the youth with
proper guidance and opportunities to lead
them in their growing and maturing years.
They request that we promote education
in terms of tertiary or technical-vocational
training to prepare them for meaningful
livelihood or employment.
Our Commitments
Scripture warns us: He who shuts
his ear to the cry of the poor will him-
self also call and not be heard (Prov.
21,13). Impelled by the voices of the rural
poor and guided by the social teachings of
the Church on justice, preferential option
for the poor and the common good, we
make the following resolutions:
We continue to put in place venues for
dialogue, where the poor can interact with
the Bishops and other leaders of the Catho-
lic Church. We shall activate specialized
desks within church structures that would
help the rural poor at the parish, diocesan,
regional and national levels.
We shall intensify our engagement
with our public offcials in the legisla-
tion and implementation of social justice
measures, as we did with a letter addressed
to Congress asking for CARP extension
with reform.
We shall capacitate the people in the
rural areas by the continuous work of
organizing Basic Ecclesial Communities
(BECs) and groups that are conscious of
their rights and duties and help each other
to work for integral development in the
light of the Gospel of Christ.
We shall encourage our lay faithful
O
n the initiative of the Inter-Faith Council of Leaders,
we, the undersigned Muslim and Christian residents of
Zamboanga City, have agreed to express our common
concern about the present kidnapping incidents in our city.
We are greatly saddened that the kidnapping incidents do
violence to individuals and threaten that most basic right, the
right to life. While we the undersigned profess our different
and respective faiths we mutually agree that violence to others
is an offense to God and runs counter to a basic teaching found
in our respective faiths love of God and love of neighbor. A
Common Word, a document prepared by 138 Muslim scholars
and addressed to the Pope and other Christian leaders, reminds
us of this basic teaching in both Islam and Christianity.
We are also saddened by the realization that these kid-
nappings are driving a wedge that threatens to create a split
between our religious communities living in peace in our
beloved Zamboanga City.
The kidnappings are in themselves evil. We will not con-
tribute to the evil they spawn by making conjectures about
who are responsible, what the motives are, nor cast aspersion
against one group or another.
to intensify their fght against graft and
corruption, and accompany upright public
offcials in their efforts to serve the people
in transparency and truth.
We shall direct Church institutions and
organizations to be more engaged in works
of solidarity, justice and charity for the poor
in rural areas. We shall also call on them to
be more actively engaged in protecting and
promoting the integrity of creation.
Finally, we shall strive to be faithful to
live out our mission as the Church of the
Poora Church which is both engaged in
the work of integral evangelization, as well
as in Social Reform. Such actions emanate
from the Pauline vision of uniting all
things under Christ (Eph 1:10)to
engage the world as we bear witness to the
plight of the poor, through profound con-
version and renewal as People of God.
We are a people of hope. Our faith
bids us to rely on Our Father who is Lord
of History. His Kingdom will surely come
when love and truth will meet; justice
and peace will embrace (Ps 85,11).
Therefore sustained by our faith that God
loves the poor, we entrust these commit-
ments under the care and guidance of
Mary, the Comforter of the Afficted and
Mother of Hope.
For the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines,
+ ANGEL N. LAGDAMEO, DD
Archbishop of Jaro
President, CBCP
January 25, 2009
We will do what we can to minimize the evil by acting
more responsibly to insure our own safety and that of family
and household members; we will cooperate with the legitimate
authorities in our respective barangays and government unit.
Needless to say, our concern for safety extends beyond the
boundaries of our own homes to that of the neighborhood
as well.
We call upon the multi-sectoral leaders of Zamboanga
City to continue to confer widely with their sectoral mem-
bers to elicit their ideas and suggestions on how best to act
under the present situation. Having done this, in coordina-
tion with our city offcials, they shall then come together
and draw an action plan for implementation in all barangay
neighborhoods.
We will continue to invoke Gods blessings upon all the
residents of our city, upon those who are doing their best to
protect us, and especially upon whoever is behind these inci-
dents that they may be enlightened about the evil they do and
change their ways immediately.
Zamboanga City, January 27 2009
A Common Concern and Stand in the Face of Kidnapping Incidents in our Area
Volume 43 Number 2
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STATEMENTS
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an and woman share fullness of
equality in dignity and rights,
which should permeate all forms
of human activity in all aspects of social
life. Both are created in the likeness of God:
in the image of God He created him; male
and female He created them (Gen 1:27).
That one is male and the other female does
not put the one in confict with the other; it
simply underscores their mutual need and
capacity to complement each other.
In the greatest divine enterprise after
the creation, however, God asked a young
woman rather than a man to be His distinct
collaborator. He asked the young virgin Mary,
of her own free will, to become the Mother
of His only begotten Son. It was upon the
Virgins Fiat that the Word became fesh,
and the Redemption of sinful man began.
There is no greater proof than this of how
high the woman stands in the eyes of the
Most High.
For this reason, we welcome the pres-
ent efforts of members of the two Houses
of Congress to enact An Act Providing
for a Magna Carta of Women. We pray
that they succeed in enacting a good law
that would not only eliminate all forms of
discrimination against women and reaffrm
their fundamental equality with men but
above all enhance their ability to contribute
to the highest common good, according to
the light of the Gospel.
However, certain ideas and innovations
in language threaten to put the common good
at risk, despite the many unquestionably good
things in the present Bill. One such word is
gender, or gender development.
From the dawn of time, a persons sex
has always been determined by nature. And
a person is either male or female, according
to that nature; nobody is neuter. The new
concept of gender, however, argues that a
persons sexual identity is not limited to male
or female, but may be expanded by personal
choice and social construction. Thus, one
could be either a male or a female hetero-
sexual, a homosexual, a lesbian, a bisexual,
or a transgendered individual, depending on
ones sexual preference or orientation.
This is an avoidable disorder which
needlessly distorts a divinely instituted truth
about man. We need to pray and work indi-
vidually and together so that everyone may
realize their full potential as men and women,
The dignity of women is divinely ordained
Statement on the proposed Magna Carta of Women by the
Episcopal Commission on Family and Life and the Offce on Women
of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
Issued on 25 January 2009
regardless of any psychological and other dif-
ferences which culture may induce or bring
about. But while Christian charity encourages
us to be understanding and compassionate
to those whose physiologico-social qualities
may not be the same as everyone elses,
we have to take exception to a Bill which,
despite its obvious merits, seeks to replace
a persons divinely ordained sexual identity
with a self-constructed gender arising from
ones sexual preference or orientation.
We humbly propose that in opening
unlimited opportunities for the development
of a womans personality and profession,
a Magna Carta of Women, to be worth its
name, must frst of all protect and uphold
her natural calling to marriage, family life
and motherhood.
The law would be a sham if one of its
purposes is to discredit the work of women in
the home, as if the time spent in bringing up
children and attending to the familys basic
human needs were time unjustly taken away
from the work women should be doing in
some offce, some factories or elsewhere.
A Magna Carta of Women should, in our
view, recognize household work as profes-
sional work and should encourage its further
professionalization, while promoting various
other professional skills for women.
Our legislators seek to anchor their
proposed Magna Carta of Women on the
Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW),
adopted by the United Nations General As-
sembly in 1979. This, we believe, must be
approached with an abundance of caution.
In principle, our government is bound
to implement all international documents
adopted by the UN, which are not in confict
with our Constitution. But not every provi-
sion of CEDAW is in accord with our Con-
stitution. The Holy See itself has expressed
certain reservations about certain provisions
of CEDAW.
While our Constitution is unabash-
edly pro-life and pro-family, CEDAW tends
towards the opposite direction. In fact,
the CEDAW Committee has tried to pres-
sure our government to modify its laws
on reproductive health. It hasin many
cases successfullypressured various other
governments to abolish Mother Day
celebrations, decriminalize prostitution,
legalize abortion where it remains illegal,
and improve access to abortion where it has
been legalized.
It would seem to us not right or prudent
to let in all of CEDAWs initiatives through
the front door or even the back door. The
most prudent course for our legislators,
it seems to us, would be to safely anchor
their Magna Carta of Women on the letter
and spirit of our Constitution, and refer to
CEDAW only when necessary, to the extent
that it is in full accord with the Constitution.
This would serve to assure our people that
our legislators are legislating for Filipinos
rather than for an external audience.
One last-minute amendment to the
Senate version of the bill reads: No one
shall invoke religious beliefs or customary
norms as a means of evading compliance
with this Act or preventing another person
from exercising her rights.
This is an unnecessary and regrettable
assault on religious freedom. Article III,
Section 5 of the Constitution provides: No
law shall be made respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of
religious profession and worship, without
discrimination or preference, shall forever
be allowed.
The Universal Declaration of Human
Rights provides: Everyone is entitled to
all the rights and freedoms set forth in this
Declaration, without distinction of any kind,
such as race, color, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinion, national or social
origin, property, birth or other status.
Under that Senate provision, religious
belief and practice will now have to bend to
the Magna Carta; the State will now decide
what religious beliefs the people can practice,
which are not in confict with this proposed
Act. This is unconstitutional and unnecessar-
ily diminishes the merit of the Bill.
We humbly submit that womens dig-
nity and equality with men cannot and must
not be procured at the expense of God, or
anybodys right and duty to worship God.
We therefore call on the members of Con-
gress to enact a law that recognizes frst and
foremost the Divine mystery as the frst and
ultimate source of the true dignity of every
man and woman.
May Holy Mary, our hope, seat of
wisdom, guide our legislators in their de-
liberations.
IMPACT February 2009 26
FROM THE
BLOGS
Talking about
public works
D
PWH and construction, constructors and bidding,
collusion and corruptionnot to mention special
patronage sought from and given by individuals
related to powerful public offcialsare some of the talking
points of recent Senate and House inquiries people watch
and listen to with some interests but without much surprise.
Reason: Courtesy of the present administration, corruption
has become the fagship expertise of this country. It is then
unbelievable as a matter of fact, if anyone with a sound mind
and some knowledge of Philippine realities would even dare
say that the many and expensive local public works funded
by the Filipinos or foreigners are altogether planned with
integrity and done with honesty.
In other words, pervasive and enormous corruption has
already become ingrained in national and local public works.
In effect, construction and collusion and corruption are three
realities in the country which are practically synonymous
in meaning and consequence. Hence: There are roads as
expensive as if they were paved with gold, not to mention
much funded roads that remain unfnished, that go nowhere
or are simply invisible as infamous ghost projects. The
same goes with costly bridges big or small, long or short
that prove silly in design or/ weak in structure. Blessed are
those who do not know this. Theirs are a peaceful existence,
a restful life, a blissful ignorance!
In conjunction with corrupt standard practices in the
world of public construction specially those done in Northern
Luzon, would that the following information furnished by
a much disgusted constructor, were but a myth. Assuming
that the total construction cost of a given project is P100
million, thus are its apportionments usually donereeking
with graft and corrupt practices: 40 million for the politico
and friends, 10 million for the DPW offcials concerned, 3
million for license plus 7 million tax, 2 million for the NPA, 7
million bidding expenses, 3 million miscellaneous expenses,
10 million contractors proft, 18 million construction proper
expenses in terms of materials and labor. Thus it is that only
18 million pesos out of 100 million are spent for a given
public construction for materials and labor.
If the above revolting phenomenon in the country is
bad enough, what is worst is that the same repulsive triad
of construction-collusion-corruption is foreseen to merrily
remain in principle and practice as long as the present ad-
ministration is in tenure of the governance of the Philippines.
This is logical. How could a chief-administrator pronounced
as most corrupt possibly eradicate corruption in government?
Truth to tell, even before the so-called global crisis came
to fore, poverty, hunger and misery are already realities in
the country. Reason: A government that is corrupt from
top to bottom.
Standard and standing corruption in public construc-
tion? Whats new?
www.ovc.blogspot.com
All assumptions
are false
I
n anticipation of the seemingly magical year 2010, there are
many assumptions that come to play. Not that they are all but
pure and simple wishful thinking. The realities on the ground
however strongly argue against their realization. But by virtue
of the saying that Hope springs eternal, there appears to be no
cogent reason why such assumptions should not be mentioned at
all and even consideredwithout however the seriousness that
they intend to mean and imply.
Among the numerous assumptions related to 2010, there are at
present three major ones that merit some attention even if for the
sake of curiosity. One: That there would be elections as provided
by the Fundamental Law of the Land. Two: That there would be
acceptance automation of the elections. Three: That the elections
would be honest, orderly, peaceful and credible. Needless to say,
these three key assumptions are thus above enumerated more in
the order of time than in the realm of importance.
1st Assumption: That there would be elections as provided
by the Fundamental Law of the Land is something that would
be hard to take for granted. With the self-added supreme and
impressive title as Czar in the addition of the Chief of this and
that, it is not hard to assume instead that someone would fnd it
both painful and pitiful to willingly and readily leave behind such
august and powerful attributionsnot to mention the enormous
taxpayers money that prop up from such formidable appellations.
This explains both the surreptitious moves and open resolves to
have a Charter Change ultimately for the extension of someones
occupancy of Malacaang Palace.
2nd Assumption: That there would be acceptable automation
of the elections is an agenda that implies billions of pesos and much
good will to actualize. Millions of pesos were already wantonly
spent before for the same purpose. To this date however, except
for the allegation that the supposedly many computer machines
stored somewhere, the long proposed election automation remains
but simply talks and postures. Furthermore, the mere automation
of election in the actual Philippine political context is far from
being readily acceptable. There are well known operators in
the country who know how and who for the right fees, are ready
to spoil even alleged fail safe automated election machines.
3rd Assumption: That the elections would be honest, orderly,
peaceful and credible is something simply wild to assume and
practically insane to believe under the supervision of the present
administration. Integrity and probity, truth and credibilitythese
are virtues that are relevant and applicable even to the political
life of the country, but that are sadly beyond the rightful claim
of the ruling administration under whose over-all watch the
elections are supposed to be held.
The truth however is not hard to arrive at, viz., even if all the
above-said assumptions become actualities, with but the 2010
elections, an upright, trustworthy and respectable government
will still be far from reality.
www.ovc.blogspot.com
Volume 43 Number 2
27
EDITORIAL
P
olitical Parties are either merging or dividing in
preparation for the 2010 big electoral event. Politi-
cos are spending much for various and ingenious
advertisements for their respective 2010 electoral aspira-
tions. Surveys after surveys are done under the patronage
of those interested in the 2010 political exercise.
The COMELEC is not only making noise but also
making representations for an automated 2010 national
electionseven without really knowing the if, how
and when the promised huge amount required for the
project would be forthcoming.
Both legal and illegal gambling lords are assiduously
doing their crafty tasks in order to fund their patrons
especially those running for elective local public offces.
The fact is that there are incumbent elected local offcials
who have been already playing Santa Clausesespecially
in favor of the Barangay Captains.
This is why, the global fnancial crisis notwith-
standing, the whole Year 2009 plus the half of year
2010 in particular, are fnancially very promising for
most Filipinosnotwithstanding all scientifc gloomy
predictions to the contrary. For open or subtle election
purposes: Those aspiring for another term have already
begun gradually shelling out the money they either ac-
cepted or demanded on the occasion of different legal
or illegal transactions, to buy loyalties. Those aiming at
an elective offce for the frst time are trying to get or
squeeze money from any and all promising sources, and
have already started to buy votes come 2010. No doubt,
The illusion of 2010 elections
money would thereby practically food the country.
The illusory signifcance and implication of Philip-
pine elections, especially that supposedly scheduled for
2010, are precisely anchored on the unsaid principle that
real democracy and pervasive poverty cannot and do
not coexist ever. The combination of these two realities
is the root cause of vote buying and selling, well paid
mass cheating, employment of private armies and other
similar socio-political phenomena destructive of genuine
democracy. As every empty stomach has no ears, poverty
does not know democracy where everybody is supposed
to be equal one to every other.
There is still the well funded and wherefore very alive
Cha-Cha move at the combined instance well known
Trapos. There are also other avenues for term extensions
according or against still binding the Fundamental Law of
the Land. There are lists upon lists of voters still having
not only many dead individuals but also individuals with
many lives for being registered in several precinctsin
addition to the amazing many ghost voters. There are
also the ever ready professionals with magical attributes
in increasing or lessening votes cast, depending on the
candidates who employed them and for how much.
Given the above existing and vibrant electoral factors
in the country, to mention but a few, even in the event
that there will be national elections in 2010, it is not re-
ally irrelevant nor truly pessimistic to ask the question:
Would May 2010 bring about a really genuine or merely
illusory national elections?

I
llu
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b
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B
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U
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IMPACT February 2009 28
From the e-mail messages of lanbergado@cbcpworld.com
he said: "He is Success, and I am Love."
Then he added, "Now go in and discuss
with your husband which one of us you
want in your home."
The woman went in and told her
husband what was said. Her husband was
overjoyed. "How nice!" he said. "Since that
is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him
come and fll our home with wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why
FROM THE
INBOX
C
ome with me to a third grade
classroom..... There is a nine-
year-old kid sitting at his desk
and all of a sudden, there is a puddle
between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks
his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine
how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he
knows that when the boys fnd out he will never hear the end
of it. When the girls fnd out, they'll never speak to him again
as long as he lives.
The boy believes his heart is going to stop; he puts his head
down and prays this prayer, 'Dear God, this is an emergency! I
need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat.'
He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher
with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered. As
the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named Susie
is carrying a goldfsh bowl that is flled with water. Susie trips
in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of
water in the boy's lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying
to himself, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!'
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule,
A
woman came
out of her house
and saw three
old men with long
white beards sitting in
her front yard. She did
not recognize them.
She said "I don't think I
know you, but you must
be hungry. Please come
in and have something
to eat."
"Is the man of the
house home?" they
asked.
"No," she replied.
"He's out."
"Then we can-
not come in," they
replied.
In the evening
when her husband
came home, she told
him what had hap-
pened.
"Go, tell them I am home and invite
them in!"
The woman went out and invited the
men in.
"We do not go into a house together,"
they replied.
"Why is that?" she asked.
One of the old men explained: "His
name is Wealth," he said pointing to one
of his friends. Pointing to another one,
don't we invite Suc-
cess?"
Their daughter-in-
law was listening from
the other corner of the
house. She jumped in
with her own sugges-
tion: "Would it not be
better to invite Love?
Our home will then be
flled with love!"
"Let us heed our
daughter-in-law's ad-
vice," said the husband
to his wife.
"Go out and invite
Love to be our guest."
The woman went
out and asked the three
old men, "Which one
of you is Love? Please
come in and be our
guest."
Love got up and
started walking toward
the house. The other two also got up and
followed him. Surprised, the lady asked
Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love,
why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you
had invited Wealth or Success, the other
two of us would've stayed out, but since
you invited Love, wherever He goes, we
go with him. Wherever there is Love, there
is also Wealth and Success!"
Wet pants
the boy is the object of sympathy.
The teacher rushes him downstairs
and gives him gym shorts to put on
while his pants dry out. All the other
children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his
desk. The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it,
the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to
someone else - Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. 'You've done
enough, you klutz!'
Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the
bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, 'You did that
on purpose, didn't you?' Susie whispers back, 'I wet my pants
once too.'
May God help us see the opportunities that are always
around us to do good...
Remember... Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you
a car.
Each and everyone one of us is going through tough times
right now, but God is getting ready to bless you in a way that
only He can. Keep the faith.
Love

w
w
w
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f
ic
k
r
.
c
o
m
/
p
h
o
t
o
s
/
t
r
a
u
m
lic
h
t
f
a
b
r
ik
Volume 43 Number 2
29
book
Reviews
Creating a Culture of Sustainability for Basic
Ecclesial Communities
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines
Basic Ecclesial communities, sometimes called in many other names in various places,
have been in existence for over 40 years in the country. Originally started in Mindanao
in the 60s, the concept took root from the gathering of small group of lay leaders who
shared on the word of God as part of their spiritual formation. Now spread out in all
regions of the country, the BEC is the new face of the Churchfamilies coming together
to share spiritual and social experiences. This book, divided into four parts contains
the important aspects of the 2005 BEC assembly. Part I maps out the history and gives
an overview of the development of the BECs in the Philippines. Diverse experiences
of BECs in various dioceses are tackled in Part II, while Part III presents the insights
and reflections of the three resource persons of the 2005 BEC assembly. In Part IV,
BEC Chairman Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, OMI ruminates on the pastoral thrusts
for basic ecclesial communities.
How to Live a Life of Miracles
Bo Sanchez
In this latest book, internationally-renowned speaker and author Bo Sanchez, spells out
seven keys that would help readers unlock themselves into a life of blessings, wholeness
and happiness. Often humorous, the insightful reflections in these 117 or so pages are
veritable gems that would add sparkle in some not so glowing existence. The strategies
laid out through the pages are specific: dont be afraid to ask; prophesy your future;
bless your loved ones; proclaim who you are; have trials; stand up and walk; take out the
trash; and sow in times of famine. This inspirational volume is published by Shepherd
Voice Publications, a media group founded by the charismatic author.
Together for Life
Msgr. Joselito C. Asis, JCD
This little volume offers a solid catechesis on
the sacrament of marriage so useful for couples
preparing to take the plunge. Only 87 pages, the
book is divided into four chapters, and gives a
theological, biblical and canonical explanation of
the notion of marriage. Questions frequently asked by those planning to enter this state
of life are also discussed and explained further. But aside from marriage catechesis
the volume also has a marriage rite and homily notes for priests celebrating the wed-
ding. The author, a canon lawyer who has written an earlier book on catechesis, is the
present assistant secretary-general of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines. The book
is published by Paulines Publishing House.
Charter of Family Rights
Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz, DD
This volume, the 30th in the list of books published by the author contains and discusses
the 12 articles of the Charter of the Rights of the Family. Detailed and enlightening, the
analysis and discussion of each article provides readers judicious knowledge on the
basic rights of the family. This book is very opportune especially at this time when the
family is under attack by certain sectors bent on pursuing their own agenda, not to
mention the practically global effort at propagating anti-natalist programs and projects
such as in terms of any and all conceivable ways
and means to stop human birthswhile science
and technology are decidedly bent on multiplying
cows and pigs, chickens and the like.
IMPACT February 2009 30
ENTERTAINMENT
I
t is 1964 and the winds of
political change are blowing
more strongly over post-
Kennedy assassination commu-
nities in the U.S. St. Nicholas
School , a Catholic institution,
has opened its doors to deseg-
regation and has now accepted
its frst Afro-American pupil.
Soon, this precipitates a con-
frontation between the principal
Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep)
who runs the school with stern
discipline and fear to safeguard
its moral standards, and a char-
ismatic priest Fr. Flynn (Philip
Seymour Hoffman) who insists
on the spirit of Vatican II that
the church have a more familiar
face. A neophyte, Sister James
(Amy Adams), notices that Fr.
Flynn has been taking undue
interest in the colored boy, and
based on certain circumstances,
suspects him of having molested
the child. But Fr. Flynn with his
easy charm has ready explana-
tions and Sister James lets the
matter rest. But Sister Aloysius
believes he is guilty and pres-
sures him to leave the school. He
does not admit his guilt but Sister
Aloysius unrelentingly pursues
her campaign to have him re-
moved, even trying to convince
the boys mother Mrs. Miller
(Viola Davis) to fle a complaint
against the priest. Who will win
this battle of wills?
Doubt is Director John Pat-
rick Shanleys flm adaptation of
his own Pulitzer Prize-winning
play of the same title. Simply
but effectively directed, the flm
boasts of the excellent powerful
performances of a high caliber
cast and their tight ensemble act-
ing. Meryl Streep outdoes herself
here as she again showcases not
only her sensitivity to the nature
of her character but also her
versatility. From the devil in
Pradas fashionable clothes to
an optimistic bohemian singing
and dancing queen and now as a
stern uncompromising guardian
of morals. In this movie Doubt,
Hoffmans Fr. Flynn with his
pleasant disposition and light-
hearted cavalier view of sin is her
perfect foil. As Sister Aloysius
says, he is invulnerable to deep
regret. For he can sin again and
again and think he can continue
to bask in Gods mercy and enjoy
some perks when a lost sheep is
found. These contrasting per-
sonalities highlight the confict
between two opposite positions
taken by the protagonists. The
flm tries to round out character
delineation through little details.
The sharp edges of Sister Aloy-
sius character are softened, for
instance, by the kindness she
shows an old, almost embar-
rassed blind nun groping for
her cutlery by quietly shoving
her a fork. And then, though
condescending often, she shows
a maternal concern to the young
inexperienced Sister James. The
flm also sheds more light on Fr.
Flynns interests. He is shown
heartily enjoying a big bloody
medium rare steak and shows
no inclination for any kind of
mortifcation (as when he asks
for sugar for his tea, a simple but
unheard of luxury in the convent
of ascetic nuns who had to search
for it). The highlighting of Fr.
Flynn's fondness for pressed
fowers and long and perfectly
groomed nails may give clues
to his sexual orientation. In a
way, the flm seems manipulated
so th at the audience may sym-
pathize with Fr. Flynn and look
at Sister Aloysius as some kind
of villain.
Doubt touches on an impor-
tant subject relevant to our time:
child molestation. Though this
dramatic flm treats the subject
seriously, it ends ambiguously
without any clear indication
of what/who is right or wrong.
Doubt permeates the flm. It
begins with Fr. Flynns sermon
on doubt and the whole flm
ends in doubts. We ask ques-
tions like: Is Sister Aloysius
right or wrong in accusing Fr.
Flynn of wrongdoing, given only
the circumstantial evidence
but without certainty? Is she
justifed in pursuing the priests
ouster from the school under
the circumstances? Is Fr. Flynn
innocent or guilty? I s Sister
Aloysius intolerant as accused
by Fr. Flynn? Is Fr. Flynn right in
saying that she is an obstruction
to progressive education and a
welcoming church? There is
probably some grains of truth
to some of the accusations. In
the light of Vatican II, we can
indeed be more welcoming but
without compromising on impor-
tant moral issues. Teachers can
be more warm and understand-
ing to students but still be frm
and strict without engendering
fear. On the other hand, in the
face of the sex scandals that
rocked the U.S. Church in recent
times, probably priests strive to
be above suspicion. They can
strictly draw the line between be-
ing compassionate (especially to
the marginalized like this flms
Negro boy) and showing undue
interest. Tense and gripping, this
engrossing flm stimulates the
mind and engages the heart. It
is worth seeing.
CATHOLIC
INITIATIVE FOR
ENLIGHTENED
MOVIE
APPRECIATION
Cast: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis;
Director: John Patrick Shanley;
Producers: Mark Roybal, Scott Rudin;
Screenwriter: John Patrick Shanley;
Music: Howard Shore;
Editor: Dane Collier, Ricardo Gonzalez, Dylan Tichenor;
Genre: Drama;
Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Matt Turve;
Distributor: Miramax Films;
Location: USA;
Running Time: 104min;
Technical Assessment:
Moral Assessment:
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
Volume 43 Number 2
31
NEWS
BRI EFS
CHINA
Shells, rockets launched
to end drought
The Chinese government
fred thousands of artillery
shells into the sky to make
it rain and end the country's
worst drought in decades.
Chinas weather-control
officials have launched
over 2,000 shells and 400
rockets packed with cloud-
seeding chemicals across
the country's north.
BURMA
US urges Burma to stop
persecution
The US government has
called on Burma to stop
persecuting the Muslim Ro-
hingya minority. In a press
conference in Bangladesh,
US Asst. Sec. of State Rich-
ard Boucher said the plight
of the stateless Rohingya is
'a matter of concern'.
PAKISTAN
Militants release video
of beheading
Taliban militants here
have released a video
showing the beheading of
a Polish engineer whom
they said was killed be-
cause Islamabad refused
to free detained insurgents.
The tape was released a
day after a spokesman for
Pakistan's umbrella Taliban
group said its men had
killed Piotr Stanczak, who
was seized in the volatile
northwest in September.
SRI LANKA
Suicide bomber kills
28
A female Tamil Tiger
suicide bomber has ex-
ploded in a group of civil-
ians feeing Sri Lankas
war zone killing 28 people
and wounding another 90.
The blast happened in the
north of the island near a
town recently captured by
the military as it battles to
crush the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam.
THAILAND
Govt defends econom-
ic stimulus package
The Thai government
has defended its economic
stimulus package and in-
sisted that plans to borrow
money from abroad did
not signal a shortfall in the
kingdoms services. The
govt unveiled a 3.3 billion
US dollar package aimed
at boosting the economy,
hit by the world fnancial
crisis.
PHILIPPINES
Kidnapping alarms RP
gov't
The government here
has expressed alarm over
the rising incidence of kid-
napping in southern Mind-
anao after eleven people,
including three Internatl
Red Cross workers, have
been abducted in the region
since December. Security
offcials said the local ex-
tremist group Abu Sayyaf is
running low on funds and
could be abducting people
to raise money.
AFGHANISTAN
Blast kills 7
Security forces here said
bomb blasts and ambushes
have left seven Afghans
dead, including govt of-
fcials. In one attack, a dis-
trict chief and his driver
were killed when a remote-
controlled bomb exploded
under their car close to the
border with Pakistan. Hours
later, a senior member of
the Nangarhar provincial
council was shot dead by
unknown gunmen.
N. KOREA
N. Korea pushes space
program
Authorities here are ac-
tively pursuing a space pro-
gram, amid reports from US
and South Korean offcials
that Pyongyang is prepar-
ing to test fre a long-range
missile. Seoul and Wash-
ington offcials said there
are signs the communist
state is preparing to test
its Taepodong-2 missile,
which has a range of 67
hundred kms. and could
supposedly reach Alaska.
MALAYSIA
Twins escape convic-
tion
A pair of identical twins
cheated death by hanging
on drugs charges here, due
to confusion over which one
of them was the culprit. The
27-year-old twins had been
charged with traffcking 166
kilos of cannabis and 1.7
kilos of raw opium in 2003.
But police had trouble iden-
tifying which one was in
possession of the drugs.
CAMBODIA
Thai-Cambodia to with-
draw temple troops
Prime Minister Hun Sen
said a deal has been reached
with Thailand to end a mili-
tary stand-off along their
shared border, which was
the site of deadly violence
last year. Sen said both
sides agreed to withdraw the
remaining troops from the
region to avoid a repeat of
last year's armed clashes.
JAPAN
Whalers, conservation-
ists fght
There's been another
confrontation between Jap-
anese whalers and con-
servationists in Antarctic
waters. The captain of Sea
Shepherd ship Steve Irwin,
Paul Watson, said the whal-
ers attempted to ram the
boat. He said the protest-
ers have been following
the Japanese feet for fve
days in the Ross Sea, and
the whalers are showing
signs of frustration.
VIETNAM
Vietnam ignores pro-
tests vs bauxite mine
Prime Minister Nguyen
Tan Dung is determined
to go ahead with a baux-
ite mining project in the
central highlands region,
despite public protests for
fear that an open-cut min-
ing will destroy vast forest
and crop areas and create
mountains of toxic waste.
Mr. Dung said that the plan
is a major policy of the party
and the state.