Romualdezes only in welcoming party

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—The Romualdezes do not have any plan to gate-crash the lunch of Pope Francis with the survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) and the earthquake in Bohol province during his visit to Palo town, Leyte province, next month.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez gave the assurance through his legal staff member, lawyer Lea Fuentes-Apdo.

“Congressman Romualdez will not join the lunch but he will be among the five officials who will welcome the Pope,” Apdo said in a phone interview on Sunday.

Aside from the lawmaker, his cousin Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and his mother Mayor Remedios Petilla of Palo, and Palo Archbishop John Du will welcome the Pope upon his arrival at Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City on Jan. 17.

The Romualdezes and the Petillas are political rivals and considered the most powerful families in Leyte.

Among welcomers

“The congressman and the mayor (Alfred Romualdez) will definitely not use their influence just to join the lunch,” Apdo said. “They will strictly stick to what they will do during the visit of the Pope.”

She said Representative Romualdez had received a formal invitation from the Archdiocese of Palo, through Rev. Fr. Rex Ramirez, which indicated that the lawmaker would be a member of the welcoming party during Francis’ arrival.

Ramirez is the chair of the local executive committee on the papal visit.

Another member of Representative Romualdez’s staff said it was unfair to say that the congressman—a nephew of former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos—would “put pressure” on the archdiocese just to join the lunch with the Pope.

No politicians

“He is very conscious of [his limited role] during the visit of the Pope,” said the staff member, who declined to be identified by name for lack of authority to speak to the media. “Based on the invitation, he will just be among those who will welcome the Pope at the airport and he will also attend the Mass.”

“Of course, this (his role) could change if no less than the Pope would say so,” he said. “Otherwise, the Romualdezes will not put pressure or elbow their way just to get in [and join the lunch].”

Fr. Amadeo Alvero, communications director of the archdiocese, told the Inquirer that no politicians would be dining with the Pontiff during his Tacloban visit.

Who are the 30?

Alvero said Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and Archbishop Du would be the only Church officials who would dine with the Pope, together with the 30 survivors of Supertyphoon Yolanda and the Bohol earthquake.

The Palo archdiocese has not identified the calamity survivors who will dine with the Pope.

In interviews with the Inquirer, orphans who lost their families in Yolanda’s wake welcomed the thought of dining with the Pope but expressed concern that politicians would use their clout to attend the lunch.

One of them, John Paul Madrigal, 13, who was named after the late Pope St. John Paul II, said that if given a chance to talk to Francis, he would tell the Pontiff how he lost his parents and two brothers when Yolanda struck.

Another survivor, Michael Andre Sison, 17, said meeting Francis would be like meeting Jesus Christ Himself.