Sorsogon Bishop emeritus passes away

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) announced the passing of Sorsogon Bishop Emeritus Arturo Bastes on Sunday morning, October 20.

CBCP said Bastes died at 6:30 a.m.

Bastes served as the prelate of Sorsogon from 2003 to 2019, after being nominated as the coadjutor bishop of Romblon by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

Prior to his role in Sorsogon, he was appointed as the bishop of Romblon in 1997.

In 2017, he spoke out about a complaint filed against former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court, suggesting it could shed light on the drug-related killings in the country.

He also criticized Duterte, saying the president must be "out of his mind" for threatening to abolish the Commission on Human Rights that same year.

Bastes is also one of the country's church figures who expressed opposition against divorce and the SOGIE bill. 

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Federation of Free Workers President Sonny Matula described the late prelate as a faithful servant of the Church and an advocate for social justice and workers' rights.

“Siya ay aktibong lumaban para sa mga karapatang pantao at proteksyon ng karaniwang mamamayan noong panahon ng diktadura ni Marcos,” Matula said.

(He actively fought for human rights and the protection of ordinary citizens during the Marcos dictatorship.)

“Ang kanyang debosyon at paglilingkod ay patuloy na magiging inspirasyon para sa lahat,” he added. 

(His devotion and service will continue to inspire everyone.)

In 2020, Bastes urged the faithful not to forget the lessons of Martial Law.

"This ignominious period of our history must be taught as a subject to our young students to warn them that never again should martial law be imposed in our country,” he said.