Catholic priest says CBCP bishops got more than Pajeros

Father Robert Reyes said that Catholic bishops got a lot more than the Pajeros allegedly given to them by ex-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA).

According to Fr. Reyes, GMA “constructed houses (for priests), convents, cathedrals, and gave away cars” so that bishops would not criticize GMA’s presidency or ask her to step down during “crisis points” such as the election scandal in 2005.

Fr. Reyes said that the Presidential Advisers on Ecclesiastical Affairs was used by GMA to find out which bishops needed to be bribed with vehicles or church buildings.

He said that as an insider, he was “not speaking from the outside (of the Church’s institution).” He even had an idea of who these bishops were.

I hope that Fr. Reyes gives insider information such as this to the authorities. Unfortunately, I think he is expecting that the bishops themselves confess their sins. He urged the corrupt bishops to come clean and return the gifts to the government, telling them that “they don’t have to make it public or announce it.”

I agree that the CBCP and its corrupt bishops must come clean, but I don’t agree that anyone should be quiet about this. The CBCP should make a public apology and reveal the identities of those involved in this scandal. Only by doing this can they show the public that they are serious about reform. Anything less would perpetuate the culture of secrecy that allows corruption like this to thrive.

9 comments

  1. The title is even more funny if you google up the Spanish meaning of the word "Pajero" which is slang for masturbation.

    Oh those naughty, naughty bishops and their creepy little secrets…

    • They are technically not criminals, those are donations to the "Church".
      This is a technicality, but it is a technicality they will probably use.

      • Donations should be for charitable purposes (intent and actual use). If the donations were given so that "bishops would not criticize GMA’s presidency", then graft was committed by both the giver and receiver. Coming up with evidence (say someone with an intact conscience testifying to what was said about the "donation"–a Chavit Singson bishop or clergy) is another matter of course, but a criminal investigation should be launched by the DOJ or Ombudsman just the same.

  2. wow the church has its own whistle-blower as well!
    nice going Father Reyes, the country needs more people like you who are not afraid to stand against institutionalized corruption, even if its of their own.

    to the corrupt bishops who accepted the hush money, enjoy your "30 pieces of silver" while you can

  3. The tenets of Catholicism is forgiveness. They are clean for they have forgiven themselves and expect everyone to do so as well.

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