Manila’s Finest up close with Manila’s top prelate

‘WHEELER DEALER’ IN JAIL Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle tries one of the Manila Police District’s donated electric personal transports during a visit to police headquarters on Saturday. (See story in Metro, Page A23.) RAFFY LERMA

It was a first for “Manila’s Finest” to get this close with Manila’s foremost prelate.

Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle visited the Manila Police District (MPD)  headquarters Saturday morning, officiating a Mass for the detainees and blessing patrol vehicles recently donated to the force.

“These visits to different jails, which I started doing back when I was still the bishop in Cavite, I count as part of a human and also a pastoral calling,” the Manila archbishop said.

“Inside these jails, I am reminded that we are all corruptible,” he told reporters. “None of us can claim to be better than another, especially when it comes to weakness and sin, which we are all capable of.”

“To be able to recognize that we are all tainted by sin and weakness can be the basis for our compassion, and we learn to understand that sinners are just like us, capable of doing good but can also be corrupted.”

According to Supt. Gilberto Cruz, MPD directorial staff chief, it was the first time for a cardinal to set foot in the district headquarters on UN Avenue.

“There were no announcements made on the cardinal’s visit and we had very little time to prepare. But we feel blessed,” Cruz said.

Arriving at the MPD around 8:30 a.m., Tagle officiated a Mass arranged by Caritas Manila for the MPD detainees, currently numbering 83. He also blessed the 40 electric personal transports donated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) and formally turned over to the MPD by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.

The prelate also graced the oath-taking of lawyer Lorna Yumul as newly appointed parole and probation officer for Manila.