CBCP head says he never asked pork scam senators to apologize

By: Yolanda Sotelo - 10 years ago

CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

CALASIAO, Pangasinan – The head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) took exemption to a report that the group of prelates have demanded an apology from senators accused of pocketing huge sums in pork barrel kickbacks.
In a text message on Friday (June 20), CBCP President Socrates Villegas said the organization “has never demanded a public apology [from] those indicted in connection with the PDAF issues.” PDAF is the acronym for the Priority Development Assistance Fund commonly known as the congressional pork barrel, which had been suspended because of the scandal.

“It is up to the judiciary to determine the guilt or innocence on the basis of the law and evidence,” Villegas said. “The CBCP prays that justice be our common goal and conversion, our common endeavor.”
Villegas, who also heads the Lingayen Dagupan Archdiocese, urged the public not to confuse the personal opinions of the bishops with that of the CBCP.
On Thursday, journalists quoted Archbishop Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action, who said senators charged with plunder should apologize to the public instead of spending their resources defending themselves.

He was apparently referring to Sen. Bong Revilla, who had been travelling around the country to present his side, and to thank fans and supporters who believe he is innocent of the charges.

He said the senators should seek forgiveness from the people who voted for them and must return the money they stole from the national coffers.