Bishops urge public to monitor impeachment trial

SC Chief Justice Corona.

MANILA, January 16, 2012— Catholic bishops called on the public to remain vigilant as the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona started Monday.

Parañaque Bishop Jesse Mercado stressed the need for vigilance to ensure that truth may prevail in the impeachment trial.

Mercado chairs the Episcopal Commission on Laity of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

According to him, the laity as Christians, are asked to become good citizens.

“So part of our being good citizens is to participate in matters that will pertain to the development of our society,” Mercado said.

“Now, the impeachment, perhaps political in nature, is some of the issues which have to be faced by us,” he said.

Bishops Jose Oliveros of Malolos and Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon also echoed Mercado’s statement, saying that the public should monitor the trial with the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.

“The public should monitor it for them to see if it is done properly and for us to know the truth,” said Oliveros.

“An impeachment trial is trying to prove the political unacceptability of the accused. So the public should participate in some way whether the official concerned has betrayed the public trust,” according to Bastes. [CBCPNews]