Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro Antonio Ledesma, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) vice president, described allegations of bribery against the bishops as "making a big thing out of a small matter."
Speaking over the CBCP weekly program on Church-run Radio Veritas, Ledesma admitted that envelopes containing cash were distributed to bishops during a meeting in a restaurant a day before their annual retreat in Manila.
However, he said they were told that the money was meant for the reimbursement of travel expenses of the bishops who attended the dinner with Cabinet secretaries.
"Actually I did receive one of those, and I politely refused to accept it," he said. "I thought I did not need the travel reimbursement they mentioned."
Ledesma said there were bishops who accepted the money.
"They said it was just normal for them to receive travel reimbursement which they also receive during meetings with other groups," he said.
"When bishops are invited to come together by a certain group, they are given travel reimbursement, not for their individual interests, but really to cover up the cost of coming to the venue and attend the meeting from their far dioceses," Ledesma said.
He said the issue of impeachment against Mrs. Arroyo was not discussed during the meeting with the Cabinet secretaries.
"We discussed issues along those three areas of concern — population, family planning issues, mining issues, and sex education," he said.
Ledesma said the government’s offer to set up pharmacies in parochial centers was also raised during the meeting.
"But actually over the past four or five years, we already have ‘botika sa barangay,’" he said, "so it’s really another program of the government to course these low-cost medicine and low-cost rice to some parish centers."
Ledesma said there was nothing wrong with the offer since there are some local government units that are not motivated to work on the program.
Sometimes, parish centers are better in bringing the medicine and Ledesma said the issue was highlighted because of the "timing" of the meeting.
"I thought it was not the right time to distribute the envelopes given the sensitivity of issues," he said.
Earlier, Archbishop of Jaro Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president, said the bishops attended the meeting and the reported "victory dinner" after the plenary assembly of "their own will."
"On the question of envelopes or gifts allegedly being distributed and of dinners offered by Malacañang to some bishops, since these were done privately, there was no consensus among the bishops whether to accept or not, whether to go for the dinners or not," he said in a statement issued last Friday.
Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez Jr., who filed an impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo two weeks ago, said discontented parties should just respect the position of CBCP on the impeachment issue and stop circulating rumors like supposed bribes from Malacañang.
"I think this issue is just a ploy to destroy the credibility of bishops so the people would think the CBCP is really against the impeachment," he said in an interview.
Iniguez said he sees nothing wrong in the reported move of the administration to channel its resources to help poor people through Catholic dioceses.
"The medical and food donations from Malacañang were not bribes to convince the bishops to change their minds on the impeachment issue," he said.
Last Monday, the CBCP spoiled recent attempts of opposition lawmakers to oust Mrs. Arroyo when the bishops stood against the impeachment process in a pastoral statement issued after their semi-annual meeting in Manila.
"As bishops reflecting and acting together as a body in plenary assembly, in the light of previous circumstances, we are not inclined at the moment to favor impeachment process as the means for establishing the truth," the bishops said.
"For unless the process and its rules, as well as the mindsets of all participating parties, pro and con, are guided by no other motive than genuine concern for the common good, impeachment will once again serve as an unproductive political exercise, dismay every citizen, and deepening the citizen’s negative perception of politicians, left, right and center," the bishops said.