Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Socrates Villages: Why can’t we?. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Bishops and priests do visit common prisoners, why not a former president?
Thus did Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Socrates Villages defend the five bishops who received flak on social media over their visit to detained former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“A priest would bring God’s blessings to anyone, whether he or she is a former president, a homeless person, a prisoner or someone ill. The Arroyo family asked for our bishops’ help,” Villegas, who is also the Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop, told reporters at a news briefing on Monday.
He said the bishops decided to visit Arroyo—who is facing plunder charges for the alleged misuse of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds—“according to their prudent judgment as pastors.”
The visit of the five Catholic prelates—Archbishop Roland Tirona of Nueva Caceres, Naga; Bishop Nereo Odchimar of Tandag, Surigao del Sur; Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan of Tuguegarao; and Bishops Emilio Marquez of Quezon and Ramon Villena of Nueva Vizcaya—was heavily criticized by netizens who asked if the Church officials would extend the same courtesy to ordinary prisoners.
“I think that is not a fair judgment. The person at Veterans (Memorial Medical Center) is a high-profile detainee so people notice. When we visit ordinary prisoners, ordinary jails, we do it quietly,” Villegas said.—Niña P. Calleja
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