Bishops attack Estrada's plan

Bishops attack Estrada's plan

MANILA (AFP): Roman Catholic bishops in the Philippines on Tuesday criticized President Joseph Estrada's plan to rewrite the constitution.

Archbishop Oscar Cruz, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference, said in a statement that the provisions Estrada wanted changed in the 1987 document were precisely "enacted for political reform".

He said term limits on elected officials -- including a single, six-year term for presidents -- and a ban on foreign ownership of property should be retained.

Estrada is campaigning for an end to the latter but insists he will not benefit from any political changes.

On Monday, in his annual address to Congress, Estrada revived his call for amending the constitution, saying Filipinos must "face up to the fact that certain provisions in our present constitution are obsolete and serve as deterrents to our global competitiveness".