'Bishops to be treated with respect at Senate hearing'

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Francis Escudero said the Senate should give proper respect towards the Catholic bishops who were invited to an inquiry this Wednesday to shed light on the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) fund mess.

However, he and Sen. Franklin Drilon challenged the seven bishops who were implicated in the controversy to provide proof that the financial assistance they received from the PCSO and used for buying sport utility vehicles (SUVs), were not utilized to propagate the Catholic faith.

Both said if it is proven that the financial assistance went to the propagation of the Catholic faith, it would likely be a violation of the constitutional provision on the separation of Church and State.

But unless this is established, the prelates cannot be charged with any criminal offense.

Citing the separation of Church and State, Escudero said he is not keen on questioning the bishops despite a commitment to attend the third Senate hearing on the PCSO fund mess.

He said since the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has taken a stand to investigate its own bishops who were involved in the controversy, the Senate should also be given some leeway in the conduct of their own investigation.

“On my part, I cannot think of any question to ask the archbishops after they already mentioned that they are returning the vehicles,” Escudero added in Filipino.

However, Drilon said the case of Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos seems to be an exemption because he asked for a birthday gift from former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“That’s the problem with Bishop Pueblos who asked a vehicle as a birthday gift from GMA. That is somewhat not pleasant for the public, which he needs to explain,” Drilon said during an interview with radio dzBB.

He was also quick to douse speculations that the recent expose had something to do with Pueblos’ call for President Aquino to resign because he has not done anything significant in his first year of office.

But Drilon explained that the issue of Pueblos asking a “4x4 vehicle” from ex-President Arroyo will come out one way or another without the need for the administration “to dig up dirt against him.”

‘Nothing personal’

Debunking claims that President Aquino and his allies were getting back at the Catholic church for going against the Reproductive Health bill, Drilon and Escudero noted that the exposes against the bishops came about after the Commission on Audit made public its findings on the PCSO fund anomaly.

Drilon argued that if the Catholic Church is against gambling and if they criticize the government over gambling activities, then they should not accept fruits of the gambling operations.But it is already there, so what is important is that Bishop Pueblos should be able to explain how he used the vehicle,” he said.

The veteran lawmaker said the Senate will not give special treatment to the bishops but expect to accord them “due respect,” which the Senate gives to invited officials of government agencies.

“They should explain themselves because as I understood, they volunteered to come to the hearing as what I read from the newspapers,” Drilon said.

However, he clarified that there is no violation over the “mere fact that they accepted the money, and they bought the vehicles.”

“What is against the Constitution is when these vehicles are used for religious purposes. If they utilized them for medical missions and for bringing patients to hospitals, those (reasons) are not against our Constitution,” he said.

Last week, Blue Ribbon chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said invitations were sent to Bishop Pueblos, Cotabato Bishop Orlando Quevedo, Zamboanga Bishop Romulo Valles, Abra Bishop Rodolfo Jaucian, Isabela Bishop Martin Jumoad, Ilocos Sur Bishop Ernesto Salgado, and Bontoc Bishop Rodolfo Beltran.

Drilon, a veteran lawyer and a Liberal Party member, said the prelates should pass a “neutrality test” that would establish that the PCSO funds were used not to propagate a religion but to help the poor.

“There is no evidence yet that these (vehicles) were used for religion, that is what we need to determine,” he said.

It was revealed during the Senate hearing last Tuesday that the PCSO released P1.704 million on July 9 for the Diocese of Butuan; P1.54 million released on July 9 for the Zamboanga Archdiocesan Social Action Apostolate; P1.44 million released on Feb. 24 for the Archdiocese of Cotabato; P1.129 million released on Jan. 16 for Diocese of Bangued, Abra; P1.125 million released on July 2 for Roman Catholic Prelate of Isabela, Basilan, all in 2009.

The PCSO released on April 30, 2007 the amount of P600,000 for the Apostolic Vicariate Bontoc, while P720,000 was released on March 17, 2010 for Caritas Nueva Segovia-Ilocos Sur.