House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. —PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
Some Catholic bishops slammed House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for apparently advising Filipino Catholics to convert to another religion should they be ostracized for supporting the reinstatement of the death penalty.
“This is a horrible advice, inspired by Satan!” said Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes.
In a radio interview, Alvarez was asked if he would back President Duterte’s push for the reimposition of the death penalty when some Catholics reportedly were refused Communion when they supported the Reproductive Health Law.
“[I’ll] just give up the Catholic religion! The important thing is one believes in God,” said Alvarez, the author of a bill that would impose the death penalty in cases of heinous crimes.
“If that’s what the Church does [refusing certain people Communion for supporting the RH law], one could just look for another religion,” Alvarez added.
He also reminded Church leaders of the separation of Church and State. He added that the Church should focus on social work.
On Wednesday, the justice committee of the House of Representatives passed a measure reimposing the death penalty.
Bastes said that not only Catholics are against the death penalty, as “[a]ll persons whose mind has gone beyond the barbaric practice of death penalty in the past ages are violently against the death penalty.”