BINAY: BISHOPS USED PCSO FUNDS 4 POOR / 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' GREETS BISHOPS AT SENATE
MANILA, JULY 14, 2011 (INQUIRER) By Jerry E. Esplanada (Photo - PRO-RH RALLY: Pepe Bawagan, a leading supporter of the RH bill, wears a bishop's robe and hat with a cardboard Pajero during Monday's celebration of World Population Day. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA)
Vice President Jejomar Binay has taken up the cudgels for Catholic bishops who received financial and other forms of assistance from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during the Arroyo administration.
Binay told reporters over the weekend that "there's a presumption" that PCSO funds would be used by the bishops to serve their poor parishioners.
"What's important there was that the funds were used to help the poor and the hungry," he said.
Binay also pointed out the PCSO fund releases had "disclosure."
Joey Salgado, Binay's media officer, said "it refers to the bishops stating the purpose and where the requested funds will be used, and public disclosure or reporting on its use."
"There is the presumption that these funds will be used to serve the poor, and there is always a way to find out," Salgado told the Inquirer.
FROM PHILSTAR
'Happy birthday' greets bishops at Senate By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) Updated July 14, 2011 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Supporters and opponents of the reproductive health (RH) bill exchanged cheers and jeers and even sang "Happy Birthday" yesterday during the resumption of the Senate public hearing on the alleged misuse of funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Clad in bishop's habit, pro-RH bill advocates picketed the Senate before the start of the public hearing, but aside form the noisy crowd no untoward incident was reported.
The protesters sang "Happy Birthday" in reference to Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, who had admitted asking for a 4x4 vehicle from then President Arroyo as a birthday gift.
They also carried replicas of sport utility vehicles to dramatize their protests.
The Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWD) called on the senators not to give special treatment to the bishops during the hearing.
Red Tani, spokesperson of Bantay Bishop, said they launched the group in support of the Senate probe.
"We're here to remind everyone that even the bishops could be criminals too," Tani said.
Tani explained that their costumes represented the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church hierarchy that claim to be pro-poor when they rob the poor of resources by accepting PCSO funds.
The convoy of vehicles with the Catholic bishops arrived at the Senate past 9 a.m. from Pope Pius Center in Manila.
Carlos Celdran, who is a staunch critic of the Catholic Church's opposition to the bill that would promote family planning and artificial contraception, also joined the pro-RH groups.
Opponents of the RH bill supported the embattled bishops and joined the priests, nuns and members of Couples for Christ and the Knights of Columbus in giving support to the seven bishops who testified at the Senate inquiry about the donations they received and used to buy vehicles for their respective dioceses.
The supporters of the bishops included former ambassador Tita de Villa, former senator Francisco Tatad, former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, and employees of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
At the sidelights of the hearing, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago suffered from high blood pressure after she defended the Catholic bishops involved in the controversy.
Santiago's blood pressure shot up to 160/100 after her speech during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.
In her speech, Santiago said the sport utility vehicles bought by the bishops from the money given by PCSO were used for community and health programs.
She expressed dismay over the criticism received by the bishops, saying they did not violate any law.
Santiago also got angry after learning that no Mitsubishi Pajero, as earlier reported, was given to the seven Catholic bishops.
Bishops return PCSO vehicles By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star) Updated July 14, 2011 12:00 AM
Bishops take their oath at the start of a Senate hearing on the PCSO fund mess yesterday.
[Photo shows (from left) Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, Bangued Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, Auxiliary Bishop David Antonio representing Archbishop Ernesto Salgado, Bontoc-Lagawe Bishop Rodolfo Beltran, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo Valles and Rev. Martin Jumoad, of Isabela, Basilan. Lower photo shows the vehicles returned by the bishops. AP/MANNYMARCELO]
MANILA, Philippines - With one of them admitting a "lapse in judgment" by accepting an expensive sport utility vehicle (SUV) from the government, seven Roman Catholic bishops returned yesterday four of the seven vehicles and promised to turn over the rest as soon as possible.
The four vehicles were driven by the bishops' staff to the Senate where the prelates attended a Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the alleged misuse of more than P300 million in intelligence funds by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
More than P8 million of the funds had been disbursed for the purchase of the vehicles for the prelates. The bishops themselves came in a coaster.
Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos said it was a "lapse in judgment" when he asked then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for an SUV as a birthday gift in 2009.
But the PCSO is not keen on taking back the vehicles and said it may auction them off if the bishops insist on returning them.
"We really want the bishops to keep the vehicles but if they really insist (on returning them), then the PCSO has no choice but to accept them back," Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, PCSO general manager, said.
He said the PCSO accepts the bishops' explanation that the vehicles are vital to their charity and social works, particularly in far-flung areas of their respective dioceses.
The PCSO official said that the proceeds of the auction would be used for medical assistance to communities covered by the bishops' dioceses.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, and Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada also asked the bishops to reconsider their decision to return the vehicles.
"I know all of you mean well. I know you're using it for our people," Estrada told the bishops.
"I would like to express our regrets and appreciation for the patience of the leaders of the Catholic Church for being here with us to clarify this point for the people," Enrile said.
Aside from Pueblos, the other bishops who offered to return their vehicles were Bishop Rodolfo Beltran (Bontoc-Lagawe), Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian (Bangued, Abra), Most Rev. Martin Jumoad (Isabela, Basilan), Archbishop Orlando Quevedo (Cotabato), Most Rev. Ernesto Salgado (Nueva Segovia), Archbishop Romulo Valles (Zamboanga).
"We are grateful for the help extended to us. We still believe that we have not violated any law, or even the Constitution," Quevedo said.
Quevedo said the vehicles had been greatly useful in helping families displaced by the killing rampage of two Moro Islamic Liberation Front commanders after the botched signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain.
"Rest assured that is was not used for personal use," Valles said, referring to his P1.5-million Toyota Grandia.
Bishop Beltran said he used the PCSO's P600,000 donation to buy a second-hand 10-year old Nissan Pathfinder pickup, not a Pajero, but it only amounted to P280,000. Beltran recalled how the vehicle helped victims of typhoon "Pepeng" and other calamities.
Bishop Jumoad said the Mitsubishi Strada pickup which he bought using PCSO financial assistance greatly helped in his efforts to help both Muslims and Christians in conflict-stricken Basilan. "When I help, I do not ask faith affiliation, I only see the person as a child of God," he said.
For his part, Bishop Jaucian said the Mitsubishi Strada purchased out of the P1.29-million donation was used to help the poor communities in Abra.
Bishop Salgado, represented by Bishop William Antonio, said he was returning the vehicle which was used for the social missions of Caritas Nueva Segovia.
'Lapse in judgment'
"I humbly acknowledge that my letter to the President was a lapse in judgment on my part as to the propriety of the procurement of the said vehicle and therefore, I accept full responsibility for this personal action," Pueblos said during the Blue Ribbon committee hearing.
Pueblos received the P1.704-million donation from the PCSO on July 2, 2009, which he used to purchase a Mitsubishi Montero.
He said it was painful that his intentions in asking for an SUV had been misconstrued.
"This pains me as it pains my diocese, our Episcopal conference and the Philippine Church as a whole. I reiterate my willingness to face the consequences of my lapse in judgment," he added.
Pueblos' admission was reminiscent of then President Arroyo's own declaration of a "lapse in judgment" when she called a poll official, believed to be former Commission on Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, purportedly to ask him to protect her votes during the canvassing of votes in the 2004 presidential elections.
Pueblos told the committee he made the request to then President Arroyo in a letter dated Feb. 5, 2009 and coursed it through PCSO director Maria Fatima Valdes.
He said he thought the "favor" could help him further promote peace in the Caraga region.
"I really need a brand new car, possibly a 4x4, which I can use to reach the far-flung areas of Caraga," and that "I hope (she) will never fail to give a brand new car which would serve as (her) birthday gift to me," part of his letter read.
He said he decided to return the vehicle "after a prayerful discernment" because it has "cast a shadow of uncertainty on my dignity as a bishop and my moral ascendancy as a leader of the Catholic Church."
"Service often brings suffering. And I pray that our experience of suffering may bring out the best in us; in our government leaders; and in our church as a whole," Pueblos said.
Ties that bind
Pueblos admitted that he became close to Arroyo when she was still a senator. He was then based in Kidapawan, Cotabato. They met again when Arroyo was vice president during one of her visits to the region to promote an anti-mining bill.
Pueblos also revealed that he had been a member of two commissions created by Mrs. Arroyo - the Melo Commission that investigated extra-judicial killings and one that conducted a study on private armies.
When Senator Estrada asked him about his call for President Aquino to resign, Pueblos said he was only after "change for the betterment of the country."
"Who am I actually to ask the President to resign?" he asked.
He said he thought there was nothing improper about his request at that time. "The improperness at that time, I don't actually feel, because she knows the situation in Caraga," Pueblos explained.
Asked if he would accept money "from the devil" for the welfare of his flock in Butuan, Pueblos said, "I do believe that there is a possibility."
But he said, "I'd rather discern on it than accept it at once."
Majority leader Vicente Sotto III said there was nothing irregular about the bishops' having accepted the donations.
Blue Ribbon chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III asked Pueblos to explain a portion of his letter request that says "be assured of my utmost support and sincerest prayers to Your Excellency." Pueblos said what he meant was his support for Arroyo for the projects she initiated in his diocese.
NGO got funds too
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, for his part, revealed that the PCSO had also released funds to a non-government organization that was instrumental in Arroyo's decision to run in 2004.
Lacson said the "Gawin Natin-Lakas Pinoy" appeared to be very influential with the state gambling agency.
"Why can Gawin Natin Lakas Pinoy get practically anything from PCSO? The secret is Raul Nestor Ancheta, one of the incorporators. Ancheta is the chief of staff of Rosario Uriarte," he said.
Lacson cited a memo from Uriarte requesting for P2 million, to be charged to the PCSO charity fund, for a supposed feeding project of the Gawin Natin Lakas Pinoy. The memo had an "OK" annotation from then President Arroyo.
Also, stamps on the document indicated the request was received by the Office of the President in August 2003, although the feeding project was scheduled in July.
In another instance, the PCSO deployed a medical team including a physician, two nurses, a driver and paramedics to an October 2003 pro-Arroyo motorcade of the Samahan ng Mamamayan sa Hunta at Destabilisasyon (SMASH-Destabilisasyon) from the People Power Monument in Quezon City to Mendiola. This was after a request was made to Uriarte by Lakas Pinoy through its lawyer Romarleo Ayson.
The Gawin Natin Lakas Pinoy foundation, less than a year old at the time, was behind several "Run, Gloria Run!" posters that sprouted in many parts of the country. With Perseus Echeminada, Reinir Padua, Sheila Crisostomo
Catholic lay groups to raise funds for bishops implicated in PCSO fund controversy By Philip C. Tubeza Philippine Daily Inquirer 8:09 pm | Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
MANILA, Philippines – Catholic lay groups led by former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza launched a signature drive and fund-raising campaign, on Tuesday, to support the bishops accused of receiving financial donations from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during the Arroyo administration.
Atienza, a leader of a Catholic pro-life movement in the country, said they have been planning to seek donations from Catholics to raise the equivalent of the P8.258 million that the bishops received from the PCSO.
He said the money could either be returned to the PCSO, or given to the bishops for them to buy new vehicles for their parishioners if the cars they bought with money from the PCSO were surrendered to the government.
"We will coordinate with all Catholic organizations—churches, parishes, schools—that want to help like when we gathered one million signatures to convince Cory Aquino to run in 1985. We were able to do that because we helped each other," Atienza.
Atienza, lawyer Romulo Macalintal, and the other lay leaders present at the launching at the Ilustrado Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila, gave their own donations—Atienza gave P1,000—and were able to raise a total of P116,250 less than an hour after they began. A businessman donated P100,000 on the spot.
Atienza said the Coalition for Family and Life—-which included Couples for Christ, pro-life groups, and parishes—would jump-start the signature and fund drive.
"I think we will be able to raise this P8 million quickly. This is voluntary…It is a small act compared to the big problem—because it is a nationwide, even international scandal—which is now hitting our beloved Mother Church," Atienza said.
"The issue here is that they're looking for the money so let's give back the money to put an end to this," he added.
Atienza said his group believed the seven bishops who received money from the PCSO did not violate "any law or ethical standard."
He said that when the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines apologized on Monday, they were not admitting guilt, but apologizing to the faithful for the scandal in the church.
"The accusations against them are all fabricated, baseless and politically motivated to destroy the image and dignity of our Mother Church, our priests and our bishops," said the group's manifesto, which would be disseminated for signing by Catholic lay people.
"We, the undersigned concerned parishioners of our respective Catholic parishes, manifest our sincere and wholehearted support to our priests and bishops at this trying moment where the unity of each and every one of us is expected by our Mother Church," it added.
Atienza said they would approach ordinary Catholics—and not celebrities like boxing champion and Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao—to emphasize that the effort was from the grassroots.
"We can do this quickly. If 8,000 Catholics donate P1,000, we could have the P8 million. If 16,000 give P500 or 32,000 donate P250, we could also reach that amount," Atienza said.
"There are those who are Catholic in name only and this is their chance to help the Church. We could come out of this with a stronger faith. This could be a form of evangelization," he added.
Atienza also said that there was nothing wrong with government agencies working together with churches to help the poor.
"When I was mayor of Manila, we worked together with churches — Protestant and Catholic — to reach those in need. There's nothing wrong there. I believe this is one of the most effective ways to reach out to the poorest of the city," he said.
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