MANILA, Philippines–A Palace official on Tuesday defended President Aquino from critics who were dismayed at the Chief Executive for criticizing the Philippine bishops before Pope Francis last week during his call at Malacañang on Friday.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that the President simply told the Pope the “truth.”
“The speech was a truth-telling statement. If you review the entire text you will understand the context. It was a narrative that was historically accurate and truthful and there was no singling out of any personality,” Coloma said in a press briefing.
“It was a personal testimony of someone who experienced the events he was talking about and became President and became the leader of the country that was welcoming the Pope. It was a truthful statement and there was no other purpose for that statement except to tell the truth,” Coloma stressed.
While the President praised members of the clergy who fought against the Marcos dictatorship, he had strong words against those he believed took the cudgels for his predecessor, detained President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now a Pampanga representative.
A columnist called Aquino an “uncouth” host while a Catholic blogger wrote that he showed “immaturity and insensitivity” in his speech before Francis.
Bayan Muna secretary general Renato Reyes said the President could have taken the occasion “to show humility and admit that more needs to be done to help the poor especially ‘Yolanda’ victims.”
Reyes said Aquino “just couldn’t rise about his own concerns and pettiness.”
“In contrast, the Pope spoke not about himself but of the need to hear the cry of the poor and to reject corruption which worsens
inequality and exclusion. He spoke about social issues. The two speeches were worlds apart in depth and relevance,” Reyes said.