MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino attended yesterday the thanksgiving Mass celebrated by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, who was elevated to cardinal recently.
Aquino sat in the front pew of the Paco Church in Manila with Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.
Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas, who came with President Aquino, was seen seated beside the husband of presidential sister Viel Aquino Dee in the second row.
Binay and Roxas have been at odds since they competed in the vice presidential race in 2010 polls that ended with Binay winning the elections and Roxas filing a case before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.
During the exchange of peace, Binay was seen turning to those who sat behind him, but when asked if he greeted Roxas, he said, “I am sorry, I did not see him because I only greeted the security guards of President Aquino who were seated at the back and I just waived to Ballsy and Viel.”
“To God and to man, I can tell you without blinking my eyes, I did not notice him,” he added.
Roxas, for his part, explained that his and Binay’s eyes did not meet during the exchange of peace.
“But I shook (hands and exchanged) peace be with you with Dr. Elenita...I still wish him peace,” Roxas said.
Elenita Binay is the wife of the vice president.
Meanwhile, the 55-year-old Tagle expressed in his homily his gratitude to God for all the blessings he has given to the Philippines.
“Even up to now, I am still in a state of awe because we have not yet even fully drank the blessings of the canonization of Saint Pedro Calungsod last Oct. 21 and in three days, another blessing has been given to the Philippines,” said Tagle.
It was last Oct. 24, when Pope Benedict XVI announced that Tagle would become a cardinal.
He was elevated to the College of Cardinals last Nov. 24.
But Tagle clarified that joining the ranks of the cardinals is not a mere position or an honor.
“This is a blessing that came to our lives. This came to the Philippines to give us a face, a heart and a name. I hope we would accept this and like God, we would look at our fellow Filipinos especially the poor...because they also have a face, a name and the Lord is with them,” he said.
Tagle’s mother Milagros said that becoming a cardinal was a big blessing to her son.
“We are happy that he was able to achieve what he was meant to achieve but we are also concerned because he would be burdened with more work,” she said.
President Aquino approached Tagle’s parents and congratulated them before leaving the church. – With Marigold Lebumfacil, Mitchelle Palaubsanon/Freeman