Printout from Benhur Luy’s digital files INQUIRER PHOTO
MANILA—At least two Roman Catholic bishops came to the defense of former Quiapo Church rector Msgr. Josefino Ramirez on Friday, saying the retired priest was born to a well-to-do family and had no reason to ask for money for selfish purposes.
In separate interviews over the Church-run Radio Veritas, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco and Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani said they believed that Ramirez had acted in good faith when he received donations from alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.
The prelates said many people sought Ramirez’s help because they knew he was trustworthy. “They know that he does not ask for personal motives. I know that because Cardinal Sin also turned to him for his worthwhile causes,” said Bacani.
The senior prelate also said the banner story carried by the Inquirer on Thursday was “misleading.”
“Those are donations, walang masamang tinapay diyan. And the name Napoles before was a good name,” added the prelate.
The Inquirer reported the other day information from whisteblower Benhur Luy’s files that Napoles gave generous donations to priests and nuns, using money from the Priority Development Assistance Fund racket in collusion with several lawmakers.
The report said that Napoles’ JLN Corp. issued a Metrobank check for P2.5 million to Ramirez in 2007, among other donations given to the priest.
Ramirez issued a statement on Thursday, saying that the check was for P2 million and that the donations he received from Napoles were in “utmost good faith and without any knowledge as to the source of the funds.”
“Those were donations and nobody said it came from the pork barrel of the lawmakers… he (Ramirez) was friends with Napoles’ mother, who was a good person, so if he was being helped out by the daughter of a friend, then that is not something suspicious,” said Bacani.
“Monsignor Ramirez comes from a family of means in Cavite. So those who seek aid, they know that he doesn’t ask for his personal needs but for people who need help,” added the bishop.
Ongtioco added that it was important that the donations given to Ramirez were used in a proper manner and with the right intentions.
He also said that in the case of Napoles, Ramirez presumed that “she was in good faith in giving the donations.”
“Except for those who are known corrupt, druglords and gambling lords, you cannot ask where the donation came from,” said Ongtioco, but he noted that the Church was “very,very careful” in accepting donations.
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