PCSO asked to reveal all sectarian beneficiaries

MANILA, Philippines—The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines called on the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes on Saturday to stop singling out Catholic prelates and also name the other religious groups that received financial help from the Arroyo administration.

Bishop Nereo Odchimar of Tandag, Surigao del Sur, the current CBCP president, said the singling out of Catholic bishops might be due to the Church’s critical stance against the Aquino administration, particularly on the reproductive health (RH) bill issue.

“There are other beneficiaries who are not from the Catholic Church. That is why others are asking why they are pinpointing Catholic bishops,” Odchimar told reporters. “Is it because some of the bishops are critical? Is it because of the position of the bishops on the RH bill?”

Davao Archbishop Fernando Capalla echoed Odchimar’s call, adding that it was unfair for the PCSO to single out Catholic bishops.

“If there’s malice in those donations to Catholic bishops, the PCSO must also identify all the other recipients from other churches,” Capalla told the CBCP News, the bishops’ news agency.

He also pointed out that PCSO donations to Catholic institutions were used for relief efforts and poverty alleviation and health programs.

“I don’t know why they take it out just on Catholic bishops and make it appear as scandalous,” Capalla said. “This is unfair. I challenge them to show the records, the real records and not the twisted ones.”

Capalla said he did not know the reasons behind the PCSO’s decision to single out Catholic prelates but admitted that was “really giving us priests a bad image.”

Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said the PCSO might be trying to destroy the credibility of the Catholic hierarchy in the country.

“To destroy the credibility of the bishops is really their main intention. But we are not afraid of it,” Arguelles said.