CBCP tells bishops to return ‘Pajeros’ to P-Noy himself

MANILA — A wedge maybe deepening between President Aquino and the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

This loomed as an official of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has suggested that the sports utility vehicles donated by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to several bishops should be returned to the President himself.

A wedge earlier developed between the President and the bishops over the Reproductive Health bill.

“Dapat lang na mag-cooperate ang mga kapwa obispo natin na sangkot sa usapin na ‘yan. At dapat ring ibalik o isauli na yang mga sasakyan na yan sa pamahalaan para matapos na ang usapin. Pag hindi kasi, lalala lang yan at kung anu pang mga haka-haka ang lalabas dyan [Bishops involved should cooperate. They should return the vehicles to government to put a stop to this controversy. If not, it will aggravate and speculations will arise],” said Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez.

Iniguez, CBCP-Episcopal Commission on public affairs chairman, said the issue is getting worse and is being used by politicians for grandstanding.

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes agreed with Iniguez’s proposal to return the SUVs to the government so that the Catholic Church will no longer be dragged into the PCSO controversy.

“That’s a good suggestion. Ibalik lahat ng mga sasakyan na ‘yan kay PNoy. As I have said, these investigations are overkill… Bago pa man nagkaroon ng Senate inquiry, sabi ko kakaladkarin talaga pangalan ng mga bishops dyan. Kahit hindi naman ginamit na personal ng mga bishops ang sasakyan palalabasin nila na personal na ginamit [They should return the vehicles to PNoy… Even before the Senate inquiry, I said they will drag the bishops into the controversy, even if they did not use the vehicles for personal purposes, they will still insist they did],” he said.

“Kung mayroon dapat imbestigahan, ito ang mga tiwaling pulitiko na nagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Huwag nilang pag-initan ang mga obispo na tunay at totoong naglilingkod sa mga mahihirap [If there’s someone who should be investigated, it should be the corrupt politicians and not the bishops who truly help the poor],” he added.