Bacani enlists FVR guy as PR?

Have groups loyal to Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. hired former presidential publicist Ed Malay to be his drumbeater and spin doctor?

In a statement faxed to The STAR yesterday, Malay said Bacani "has generated a groundswell of support from the Catholic lay faithful who look at the charges leveled" against the bishop "as nothing more than just an insidious attempt to destroy the integrity and credibility of the Catholic Church."

"The people especially those who are baptized Catholics should not prejudge the case involving Bishop Bacani ... until after the matter has been fully investigated," said the press release which prominently displayed "Ed M. Malay + Partners" on its letterhead.

Malay, a publicist associated with former President Fidel Ramos, was described in the press release as "a prominent public relations specialist who is also a well-known Catholic resource speaker, and a member of the Teaching and Formation Ministry of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos Covenant Community which is one of the largest charismatic communities throughout the country with numerous chapters in other countries."

Characterizing the sexual harassment allegations against Bacani as "another sad episode in the history" of the local Catholic Church, Malay criticized quarters who had exposed the matter by declaring that the "issue has been blown out of proportion by certain individuals and or groups with motives other than to reveal the truth."

Bacani denied any wrongdoing and has gone to the US to visit his ailing mother.

On Sunday, The STAR ran the entire text of an exclusive Newsbreak article by Aries Rufo with a headline "Bacani hounded by sex harassment complaint." The story claimed that Bacani had sexually harassed his secretary.

President Arroyo said on Monday that the incident had "saddened" her and urged people to "avoid pre-judging the case."

On the other hand, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called on Filipino Catholics to be steadfast in their faith, adding that priests were not the center of the Church.

Malay said it was surprising that the complaining secretary sought justice before "a cause-oriented and radical group" instead of going "directly" to the Papal Nuncio or the CBCP. "There is something in this course of action than meets the eye. Publicity perhaps but for what?" he asked.

Malay’s statement said "affection can be expressed in many ways and it raises some questions when a 30-year-old woman will claim she was sexually harassed."

He said that "it is only proper that the character of the complainant be looked into also and for this reason the National Bureau of Investigation and or any appropriate agency should also conduct a background investigation into the character of the complainant."

He suggested that the "political angle" of the Bacani scandal be considered because of the bishop’s involvement in issues such as the power purchase adjustment, corruption in government, opposition to amend the 1987 Constitution, and his "role as spiritual adviser" to ousted President Joseph Estrada.