DZRV – Radyo Veritas
Exclusive Interview with
CBCP President Tandag Bishop Nerio Odchimar

February 22, 2010

 
Q: Bishop, sinasabi  po  ni Cotabato bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo na mas  makakabuti po na ang next government na lamang ang mag-set ng final draft ng peace agreement sa Mindanao..ano po ang reflection niyo dito?

A: wala ako comment dahil there was suppose  to be a meeting last Sunday, I was already  in Davao and that was postponed so I don’t know the update. I attended the meeting  because of the solidarity  of bishops in Mindanao. It was the work of academe ,the muslims,the catholic educational institutions, private  and protestant.And  they  made the  survey for the whole of Mindanao and  they made  that result  of the survey available  to the panel for the peace process. 

Q:  sinasabi po palagi bishop ng ilang  grupo at gobyerno na ang malaking  populasyon diumano po ang sanhi ng  kahirapan ng  ekonomiya  ng  bansa  ano  po ang pananawa  at reflection  mo dito? 

A: YUNG POPULATION HAS always been  made as a waiting boy yung about the poverty, it is not solely because  the people  or  the overpopulation na we are  poor,there are so many contributory factor to poverty, the graft and corruption for example the lack of program for the poor. And there are other factors as a matter of fact some countries now who are underpopulated and they are giving incentives to people to produce more.  

Q:message niyo po bishop ngayong kuwaresma? 

A: this  is  the  time  for  us to repent,to reflection,to  find our spiritual worrying,to  purify our motivation and intention of what we are doing.It is  the time for our  politician to look  after  the  common  good of  the people not just for selfish interest and  not  for  greed of material  position. But the real service for  the good of  the people  must be   the primary concern. Because we call public  officials as public servant.  

Q: sa  palagay nyo po ba makakatulong talaga sa mga  kandidato ngayong  kuwaresma na sumailalim po sila sa retreat?

A: as a matter of fact in my Diocese we have a parish that all  candidates are undergoing retreat na  part ng aming voters  education.

Q: handa na po ang inyong diocese for election? 

A:What politics we want,  who  do  you think na nagpi-fit sa ganitong qualification and this discernment is coming from the people. mahalaga din ito sa mga kandidato. 

Q:  message sa mga botante at sa mga kandidato bishop?  

A: we  ask  the candidate  already in this point to start serving the nation by  being  honest and sincere  in educating  the people on the situation of our country in their campaign, they should not campaigan to manipulate the perception of  the people  but  to  help them to make good choices  for the sake  of  the  country . THEY are  to present thier platforms  and conviction rather  than attack  others.