Basilan bishop admits getting vehicle from PCSO

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad on Friday admitted receiving P1.1 million from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office  for purchase of a vehicle.

“I received money from PCSO for a vehicle, which we have been using in medical and relief operations,” Jumoad said by text message to the Inquirer.

He did not say when the money was given to him but he said it was used to buy a Mitsubishi Strada.

“We used this to bring foodstuff to communities attacked by lawless elements like Cabobo, Balobo, Pali and Canas. We used this also in Tubigan to bring foodstuff and materials to (re)construct burned houses,” Jumoad said.

But he denied it was for his personal use.

“Secretary Armin Luistro used this vehicle also,” the prelate said.

Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo Valles admitted that the PCSO had funded some of the prelature’s social action projects.

“The Social Action Center through its director Father Alain (Ruiz) made some requests for charity works and my name would be in the (request) letter because I always sign such letters,” Valles said.

He said he did not find it wrong to sign the requests because it was for the poor.

“All the funds going to the Social Action were not for my personal use and as part of command responsibility, because I sign the letters, definitely my name will appear as one of the bishops seeking help (from PCSO),” he said.

But Valles said the PCSO had not given him “a tire or a bolt, much more a car.”

“The car I am using is not from PCSO,” he said, referring to a 15-year old Nissan Terrano that “I inherited from Archbishop (Carmelo) Morelos.”

“I am very grateful because he took care of this very well,” Valles said.

The prelate said the report about bishops getting SUVs from PCSO was disturbing.

“I am affected … I am a little bit disturbed,” he said.

Earlier in Davao City,  Archbishop Fernando Capalla  denied endorsing requests for donations from bishops  who reportedly got sports utility vehicles from the PCSO.

Capalla was head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines at the time the supposed requests were made.

The prelate said he had not even heard of any bishop receiving cars from the charity office, which is under the Office of the President.

During his time as CBCP president, the influential Catholic group was perceived as going soft on then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was facing impeachment moves.

“I have not heard of a bishop receiving cars from PCSO. I’ve never heard of it, that’s why I don’t know,” Capalla told the Inquirer Thursday evening.

Capalla said the PCSO called him up Wednesday to inform him that “they found that I endorsed a project for Fr. Roger Lood, a project for alcoholics.”

The prelate admitted he did endorse Lood’s project for possible PCSO funding, “but I didn’t know if it was approved or not,” he said.

Capalla said Lood, who belongs to the Diocese of Iligan, thought of establishing the program after he “had been cured of his alcoholism and wanted to share his experience with other alcoholics.”

He admitted telling Lood to ask for assistance from PCSO because “it is a charitable institution and helping the poor.”

Capalla said his endorsement of Lood’s project may have been the reason his name came out in the SUV issue.

“Maybe they saw my name in the (Lood fund request) paper and they concluded…” Capalla said, trailing off.

Asked what vehicle he uses, Capalla replied, “It is only an old sedan, which the diocese bought years ago.”