Bishops in Visayas say they did not receive Pajeros

CEBU, Philippines—Not one of the Cebu bishops received a Mitsubishi Pajero from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office during the Arroyo administration, according to two officials of the Cebu Archdiocese.

But a head of a church-based organization acknowledged seeking and receiving funds from the PCSO until 2009.

Msgr. Achilles Dakay, media liaison officer of the Cebu Archdiocese said the three bishops in Cebu- Bishop Emilio Bataclan of Danao City, Bishop Julito Cortes of the Sto. Rosario Parish in Cebu City and retired Bishop Antonio Rañola were not among of the recipients of Pajeros.

“None that I know of,” Dakay said when sought for reaction to the report that the new PCSO management was checking reports that seven bishops were given Pajeros during the Arroyo administration.

The statement was echoed by Episcopal Vicar Msgr. Esteban Binghay who claimed that the three bishops Dakay mentioned did not own a Pajero.

Binghay said Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and new Archbishop Jose Palma were not among the recipients of vehicles if there was truth to the report.

Palma is in Rome and could not be contacted.

The other bishops in the Visayas refused to comment.

Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, immediate past president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, declined to issue a statement. He said he had not yet read the Inquirer report because he was attending meetings the whole day.

Lagdameo was among the bishops considered to be critical of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Bishop Jose Romeo Lazo of the Diocese of San Jose de Antique was attending to various services and could not be reached for comment.

Lazo was a known critic of gambling and led the opposition to plans to put up casinos on Boracay Island and the operation of Small Town Lottery in Aklan when he was bishop of the Diocese of Kalibo.

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, a critic of Arroyo, only replied with a text message: “I don’t know anything about that.”

Bishop Crispin Vasquez of Borongan diocese did not comment when he was interviewed by cell phone.

Capiz Archbishop Onesimo Gordoncillo was out of town and could not be contacted, according to his staff. Reports from Jhunnex Napallacan, Carla Gomez, Joey Gabieta, Felipe Celino and Nestor P. Burgos, Inquirer Visayas