CBCP: Show compassion to accused

MANILA, Philippines–Tempering justice with mercy was the message the head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) sought on Sunday to convey to the faithful following the recent indictment of three senators and several others in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

CBCP president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas lauded the government for “dealing resolutely” with graft and corruption but at the same time he exhorted Catholics not to condemn those who had been brought to court for prosecution.

“This is the path of righteousness. Those who have been charged must be dealt with with the full force of the law. Those who are tasked to prosecute must observe total commitment to the human rights of the accused,” Villegas said in a statement.

But the prelate stressed that all those involved in the pork barrel scam, regardless of political affiliation, must be investigated and charged if this was warranted.

“When justice is selective, it is not justice at all,” he said.

Villegas issued the statement on the heels of the indictment on Friday of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr., alleged pork barrel scam brains Janet Lim-Napoles and five others in the Sandiganbayan antigraft court for plunder.

Officials from the Office of the Ombudsman filed three plunder cases against the senators, Napoles and the others in connection with the alleged theft of congressional funds known as the Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel.

The accused allegedly accumulated a total of P581 million in kickbacks by diverting their pork barrel to bogus nongovernment organizations and foundations created by Napoles between 2004 and 2012.

Villegas on Sunday cautioned the faithful about condemning the accused, saying that “none is above human frailty.”

“We embrace all who have wronged society as our brothers and sisters and continue to pray that as God’s people, we may all walk the path of conversion and renewal,” he said.

“For those among us who are not accused, let us remember that the offenses with which those who now stand accused are charged could very well be the offenses of any of us as well. Who are we to condemn? Let the one who has no sin be the first to cast a stone,” he said.

He also hoped the investigation of the pork barrel scam would not be tainted by hatred or a desire for revenge on the part of the opposing parties.

“Let no action—official, personal or otherwise—be ever born out of hatred or a desire for vengeance. A vengeful action cannot be from God,” Villegas said.

“Let everything we do be born out of a sincere love for each other and a concern for the common good, for only then will we be recognized as disciples of the Divine Master who searches out and rescues the lost and the weak,” he said.