Bishop Soc to Noy: Integrity not enough

DAGUPAN ,Philippines  – Just as government efforts to pin down former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her officials for corruption have gained momentum, President Aquino was urged yesterday by a cleric-friend of his late mother to “move forward with excitement” and not to get stuck in the past.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, incoming vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), also said Aquino needs more than integrity to lead the country.

“Leadership without vision is treachery to the governed. Integral leadership also means setting the path towards the future,” Villegas said in a speech titled “Integrity, Integral and Integrating” delivered before members and officials of Rotary Clubs at the Lyceum Northwestern Philippines here.

“Those who set their hearts on the plow cannot keep looking back. Leadership is moving forward with excitement. The task of the leader is not only to stay clean and live by integrity,” he said. Villegas was spiritual adviser and confidante of Aquino’s late mother, former President Corazon Aquino.

“Is it enough to be a man of integrity in order to lead? Integrity is a great capital asset in leadership but it is unfortunately not enough,” Villegas pointed out. “The man of integrity must also be integral. Leadership is not just about moral ascendancy. It takes more than integrity of character to become a leader. Leadership is vision setting too.”

He said Aquino should aim for a “balanced square” of leadership of which only one side represents “integrity.” The three other sides should represent economic progress and stability; political will and clarity of laws; and the availability of education and social services.

“If these three sides are given equal support connected by integrity and blameless living, even integrity itself will become part of our national ethics and the rays of bright future await us,” said the Pangasinan prelate.

Villegas’ comments came two weeks after the President marked his first year in Malacañang and 11 days before his second State of the Nation Address on July 25.

Villegas admitted that Aquino was able to maintain his clean image in keeping with his kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap (There are no poor where there are no corrupt) campaign battle cry.

“Although not perfect, our President has been conscientiously trying to rise above the perception that all politicians are corrupt and all politics is dirty and no one becomes a politician and stays clean,” he said. “After one year in office, the first word that comes to mind to describe the present national leadership is integrity.”

But he stressed that “leadership must be integrating. Leadership must embrace and unite not alienate and divide.”

“Leadership must be a progressive action of seeking communion and making one,” he said.

“Beyond the oath taking, the leadership must be integrating. It must seek the common ground. It must search for the common denominators. It must seek to unite the many apparently contrasting colors around us and paint a rainbow of harmony in the horizon,” Villegas said.

“Prosecution for previous wrongdoings must be carried out to the full but such must be done in pursuit of justice not revenge,” he said apparently referring to the administration’s building up of cases against Mrs. Arroyo and some of her officials. 

“Political vendetta divides even more. The true statesman must reach out and seek consensus. The leader is a servant not only of those who support him but even more of those who do not share his vision. The man of integrity must also be a man of unity,” he added.

More donations

The fund raising drive for seven bishops named in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office fund mess has netted more than P800,000 four days after its launch, including P50,000 contribution from Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo.

“I am happy with the response we have been getting so far that even a vendor who only   earned P10 would give money and this is a big help for us,” fund drive organizer election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said. Former Manila mayor Lito Atienza co-organized the fund raising campaign. The Church-run Radio Veritas also reportedly gave P100,000. Money raised will be used to purchase cars for the prelates.

“I am an advertising graduate so I know the sentiments of the target audience and I know that the Catholics would really help the Church,” Macalintal said as he urged devotees outside the Quiapo Church to spare a little for the bishops. 

Atienza said they have decided to drop their target of P8 million and settle instead with whatever amount they could raise. Macalintal said they were planning to visit Catholic schools to seek contributions.

Meanwhile, CBCP secretary-general Monsignor Juanito Figura said he cannot say if the CBCP should receive the money. “It will depend on the CBCP as a body,” he said.

“I think the check would be payable to the CBCP... But first of all, it was not the CBCP that returned the vehicles, it was the individual bishops implicated in the PCSO,” he said.

“So if this group would buy vehicles and they are giving it to the CBCP, before anything could happen the CBCP as a whole would have to be consulted. In the first place, the CBCP did not ask for the vehicles. It never expressed the need for a vehicle,” Figura added.

“If the individual bishop would consult the CBCP, then the CBCP might be able to help (him) in making a decision,” he said.

The CBCP official admitted that they would also have to take into consideration the source of the donations, since some of them came from politicians. “This is something that we have to look into. We don’t take this against them. We understand that they might also be sincere in their desire to help but learning from that sad experience, the bishops would really have to thoroughly think about the vehicles,” he said.

“As of now, there is no existing general policy. Everyday is a learning experience on how we would handle if there would be such an offer. Maybe they would not accept as of now,” he said.

The seven bishops who bought vehicles using cash donation from the PCSO were Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, Abra Bishop Leopoldo Jaucian, Bontoc-Lagawe Bishop Rodolfo Beltran, Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad, Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo Valles, and Nueva Segovia Archbishop Ernesto Salgado. In a Senate Blue Ribbon committee last Wednesday, the bishops announced they would return the vehicles. None of the vehicles was a Pajero contrary to an earlier report by the PCSO, prompting some senators to chide PCSO chair Margarita Juico.

But Atienza said there’s no need to protest and blow up the issue. “This is not necessary. What we need to do now is do positive action. Let us all learn from this tragic and sad experience. This was a bitter experience for the Catholic Church and so we close this chapter,” he said.

“Let us no longer ask for their (PCSO officials) resignation. This issue is closed already. We should unite and help those who need it most. At this time, we should help our bishops so that we could buy them vehicles,” Macalintal said.  

“We are also appealing to the car companies, where we would eventually buy vehicles, if they could give us discounts or may be you could donate. Instead of using your cars in your sales promotion or raffles, it would be better if you would donate seven vehicles,” he added.