FILE PHOTO: Facade of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)in Intramuros, Manila City. INQUIRER/RUDY ESPERAS
MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Church is only speaking the uninvented truth backed by records, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) stressed on Saturday, hitting back at the camp of presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who called out the church for “meddling in politics.”
Victor Rodriguez, spokesperson for Marcos Jr., lambasted the Catholic clergy for allowing itself to “become a platform for hateful and negative campaigning.”
“Why would the church sow division or promote hatred? We see clearly that the church only wishes to speak the truth,” Fr. Jerome Secillano, the CBCP’s public affairs committee executive secretary, told the Inquirer. “Truth is not invented, but rather attested to by historical records and documents.”
Secillano, however, scored the irony of the camp of Marcos receiving support from Mike Velarde, founder of the Catholic charismatic movement El Shaddai.
“Ironically, when their camp received the seeming endorsement of a lay religious leader, they did not complain,” Secillano said.
Secillano warned the voting public against “this candidate,” an apparent reference to Marcos, who does not accept any dissent nor factual information.
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