Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo thanked Sunday evening the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for its "statement of guidance and wisdom" and vowed to do all she could to earn the " trust and support" of the nation.

The CBCP Sunday refused to endorse mounting calls for Arroyo's resignation over allegations that she cheated in last year's presidential election, while criticizing her for having further eroded public trust in the political system.

In a statement read on government radio station, Arroyo vowed to follow the appeal of the bishops for her to "search deeply for moral discernment."

She also said she would work with the church, civil society, and all sectors to get the economy moving and end the political bickering that she said has caused harm to the nation.

"I appreciate their collective voice of moderation and temperance at this time of national soul-searching," she said in the statement aired over radio Radyo ng Bayan (radio of people).

"I shall continue to pray with the Filipino people for true redemption from corruption and evil," she added.

In a prepared statement read by Archbishop Fernando Capalla, the CBCP asked Arroyo to "discern deeply to what extent she might have contributed to the erosion of governance" and whether its effects on her administration had become so grave "as to be irreversible."

Source: Xinhua