House to summon PCSO, CBCP officials

MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives is to summon past and present officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Catholic Church to shed light on alleged funding irregularities at the PCSO, including the grant of expensive vehicles  to certain Catholic dioceses in violation of the Constitution.

Manila Representative Amado Bagatsing, chair of the House committee on games and amusement, and Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr., committee vice chair, said the investigation will commence as soon as Congress resumes sessions later this month.

Bagatsing said the investigation was part of the House’ oversight  function to examine irregularities in the government.

He said the committee will also determine whether the PCSO charter has to be amended to prevent a repeat of similar alleged abuses in the future, and to clarify certain provisions of that charter.

The new PCSO management has identified six Catholic dioceses and one organization that supposedly received cash amounting to P8.3 million —some of the money  purportedly for the purchase of luxury vehicles such as Pajeros—from the PCSO administration during the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now a representative of Pampanga.

The  recipients of the allegedly illegal donations were the Diocese of Butuan (P1.704 million), Zamboanga Archdiocesan Social Action Apostolate (P1.54 million), Archdiocese of Cotabato (P1.44 million), Diocese of Bangued, Abra (P1.129 million), Roman Catholic Prelature of Isabela, Basilan (P1.125 million), and the Apostolic Vicariate of Bontoc (P600,000).

A seventh recipient, Caritas Nueva Segovia, which covers the province of Ilocos Sur, supposedly got P720,000, under the general term “financial assistance.”

The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has said that bishops were “directly” responsible to the Pope and could not be forced to abide by the group’s stand against accepting or soliciting donations from gambling.

Bagatsing refused to comment on whether it was immoral for the bishops to accept such donations from the PCSO or whether the PCSO was solely to be blamed for it.

“If they (bishops) want to attend the hearing, and I’m sure they will,  we’ll make sure we’ll give them a venue for them to clear their name. I always believe in the presumption of innocence, so let’s hear from them first,” Bagatsing told the Inquirer in an interview.

“I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I don’t want to prejudge the issue since I will be leading the investigation,” he added.

Tupas, who is also chair of the House justice committee, said that giving Pajeros and donations to dioceses violates Article 2, Section 6 of the Constitution which provides that “The separation of the church and state shall be inviolable.”

It also violates Article 6, Section 29 (2) which states: “No public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or employed directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit , or support of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution or system of religion, or of any pries, preacher, minister or dignitary as such except when such priest, preacher, minister or dignitary is assigned to the armed forces, or to any penal institution , or government orphanage or leprosarium.”

“Hindi talaga puwede (it’s not really allowable) because of the separation of church and state. It’s very clear here that there were violations committed. The diocese is not covered by the exemption,” Tupas told the Inquirer.

Bayan Muna Representative Neri Javier Colmenares said all the named bishops should present themselves and cooperate in the investigation and tell what they know of the anomalies.

“As heads of their flock, they should have exemplary character. They should also speak up if it is true that during the Arroyo regime, gifts were being given by Malacañang, especially if there are calls to oust it,” Colmenares said.

He also said that the hearing should also delve into the multi-billion anomalous contracts that the former PCSO board entered into  during the past administration, including one for the purchase of thermal paper.