Bishop sees no improvement in Church-State relations

MANILA, Philippines—Finding President Benigno Aquino’s State of the Nation Address wanting, a former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines warned his fellow bishops not to fall for his promise of a better relationship between the Church and the State.

“This is a ploy… a come-on so that the Church hierarchy will be less in the offensive about these immoral bills in the Senate,” said Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz in a phone interview with reporters on Monday.

He was referring to the controversial reproductive health bill and the divorce bill, among others, which Aquino did not mention during his SONA.

Cruz, who was CBCP president  from 1995-1999, watched the live coverage of Aquino’s hour-long speech at the Batasan Pambansa Complex from his home in Makati City.

“They (the bishops) are wiser than I am… but [they should] watch out how Mr. Aquino will again draw the sword,” said Cruz, one of the President’s vocal critics.

In his speech, Aquino thanked Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and retired Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal for making efforts to ease the tension between the Church and the Philippine government.

He also welcomed the election of Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma as the new president of the Church hierarchy, believing that his leadership would strengthen not the conflict but the ties between the Church and the State.

Cruz likened Aquino’s statements to giving sweets to draw the ants. “The Church is too old for these shenanigans… the Church will continue preaching its doctrines no matter who the president is,” he added.

But Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, head of the CBCP Public Affairs Committee, said Aquino’s statement about the bishops was a “good sign.”  “This is a promising direction,” said Iniguez, who only managed to catch the last part of Aquino’s speech.

Cruz, a staunch anti-gambling advocate, was also disappointed that Aquino again failed to address jueteng and other forms of gambling in his SONA.

He said that the President’s “tuwid na daan” campaign was a “big hypocrisy” because his administration still did not make a stand on legal and illegal gambling, which the prelate described as a blatant symbol of corruption.

Cruz also noted that up to now, the Aquino administration has not mentioned of any national and regional economic plan. “That is very much wanting in this administration [and] I don’t know if there will ever be a time that it will be done,” he added.