Senators have exonerated seven Catholic bishops who accepted donations of money and vehicles from the state-run Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during the administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The senators said there was nothing irregular in the bishops’ actions.
However, the bishops had already admitted that the issue has brought shame on the Church and have returned the vehicles despite the Senate’s decision that they could rightfully keep them.
Guingona said there was nothing irregular about the bishops’ receipt of vehicles from the government because these were used to help people and not to promote religion.
In a statement read by Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato during the hearing, the bishops said the vehicles were used for social programs in their respective dioceses but they would return them.
Three prelates from Luzon brought their vehicles to the Senate and returned them to PCSO officials.
Archbishop Quevedo said those in Mindanao, including the one for his archdiocese, are ready for immediate return to a duly authorized PCSO representative.
Six of the seven bishops involved in the controversy faced the Senate committee.
Aside from Quevedo, the bishops included Archbishop Romulo Valles of Zamboanga, Bishops Rodolfo Beltran of Bontoc-Lagawe, Leopoldo Jaucian of Abra, Juan de Dios Pueblos of Butuan and Martin Jumoad of Basilan.
Archbishop Ernesto Salgado of Nueva Segovia, who is currently out of the country, was represented by Auxiliary Bishop David William Antonio.
During the hearing, senators also chided PCSO chair Margarita Juico for mentioning the brand “Pajero” when there was no Mitsubishi Pajero given to any of the bishops. The brand gave rise to the derogatory nickname “Pajero bishops.”
Juico said the term Pajero did not come from her office but still apologized to the bishops.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the term “Pajero bishops” was a propaganda slogan meant to cover up the 1.5 billion-peso (US$35 million) illegal deposit of PCSO funds to a private bank.
source
ucanews.com/2011/07/13/senate-finds-no-fault-with-donations/