Lay Catholic group raises P2.7 million to buy vehicles for bishops

MANILA, Philippines -  A lay Catholic group led by former Manila mayor Lito Atienza and election lawyer Romulo Macalintal yesterday said they have already raised P2.7 million and have donated utility vehicles to at least three Catholic bishops.

CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said Macalintal revealed that the money was used to purchase four Foton pickup trucks.

Television host Willie Revillame has also donated P100,000 with a van and another pickup truck.

“The drive was a success and we thank everyone for their help. Catholics from all walks of life, from the rich to the poor, responded to our call,” Macalintal said.

A pickup truck was already donated to the Diocese of Bontoc-Lagawe headed by Bishop Rodolfo Beltran.

The Diocese of Butuan under Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, who was highly criticized for asking former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for a car for his birthday, received the van from Revillame.

Tabuk Bishop Prudencio Andaya also received a pickup truck for his diocese’s social action programs although he was not implicated in the so-called “PCSO fund mess.”

“The Foton pickup trucks were worth P800,000 but we were able to get a big discount. We also asked Toyota and Mitsubishi but their pickup trucks were worth P1.6 million,” Macalintal added.

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, meanwhile, declined the donation, saying that it should be given to poor dioceses in need of vehicles instead.

Other prelates implicated in the controversy were archbishops Romulo Valles of Zamboanga and Ernesto Salgado of Nueva Segovia and bishops Martin Jumoad of Basilan and Leopoldo Jaucian of Bangued.

Valles, Salgado and Jumoad, however, are still waiting for word from Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, the incoming CBCP president, if they should receive the vehicles.

Jaucian earlier received a car donated by his Filipino-Chinese parishioners to reach the remote areas under his pastoral jurisdiction.

Other personalities who gave money to the fund drive were Senators Vicente Sotto III (P200,000), Francis Escudero (P100,000), and Bong Revilla and his wife, Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla, (P200,000).

The fund drive was launched last July to provide utility vehicles for seven prelates who were criticized for receiving cars from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during the Arroyo administration.