By Genalyn D. Kabiling and Aaron B. Recuenco
President Duterte has appointed Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. to join the government panel tasked to conduct dialogue with religious leaders to foster better relations between the Church and the state.
Evasco will join presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella, and EDSA People Power Commission member Pastor Saycon in the committee aimed at fostering better relations with the Church.
“The President designated a fourth member to the committee to hold dialogues with different churches. Cabinet Secretary Evasco Jr. was appointed the fourth member to this presidential committee,” Roque said in a Palace press briefing.
“I suppose his contribution is because he’s an ex-priest himself and he’s familiar with the dogma of the Catholic Church,” Roque added, when asked about Evasco’s contribution to the committee.
The President created the panel to conduct a dialogue with various religious leaders after his disparaging remarks about God sparked anger in the country.
The President’s emissaries started the dialogue with the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches last Wednesday to explain his side on the controversy. The PCEC has welcomed the government dialogue to address concerns and offered prayers for the President’s healing.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police yesterday met the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to discuss the recent killings of priests.
Director General Oscar Albayalde, PNP chief, said the meeting has nothing to do with the reported displeasure of the CBCP over Duterte’s tirades against the Catholic Church.
“We briefed the CBCP officials on the present status of murder cases involving members of the Catholic Clergy and apprised them of our initial findings on the killing of the priests,” said Albayalde.
Albayalde said they explained to the CBCP that the killings of the three priests are not related, thus, there is no pattern in the attacks against them. “There are different motives and there is no apparent pattern in all of these incidents,” said Albayalde.
Albayalde was accompanied by, among others, Metro Manila police director Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar and PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Benigno Durana. They were received by Bishop Reynaldo G. Evangelista, chairperson of the CBCP Permanent Council for Public Affairs; CBCP Secretary General Rev. Fr. Marvin S. Mejia; Fr. Bernardo Pantin, and Fr, Jerome Secillano.
“The dialogue was fruitful. We also decided to have a regular meeting, meeting between the PNP and the CBCP,” said Albayalde.
