Soc Villegas elected new CBCP president

MANILA, Philippines - Archbishop Socrates Villegas of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese has been elected as the new president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Villegas, current CBCP vice president, will succeed Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who did not seek a second term reportedly because of his desire to focus on the Cebu archdiocese, which will be hosting the International Eucharistic Congress in 2016.

Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles was elected CBCP vice president in an election held at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Paco, Manila yesterday.

At 52, Villegas, a protégé of the late Manila archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, will lead the 96 active and 40 honorary members of the bishops’ collegial body.

Villegas was Sin’s longtime personal secretary, from his ordination in 1985 until 2004.

Villegas and Valles will assume their new posts on Dec. 1, 2013.

Also elected were Palo Archbishop John Du (treasurer) and Fr. Marvin Mejia (secretary general).

Villegas was ordained as priest in 1985 by Sin, then the Manila archbishop. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Manila in 2001.

In 2004, he was appointed bishop of the Balanga diocese before he was named archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in 2009.

Meanwhile, Valles, 61, was ordained as priest in 1976 before he was appointed as the fourth bishop of Kidapawan in 1997. In 2006, he was named archbishop of Zamboanga until 2012 when he was transferred to the Davao archdiocese.

The CBCP officials have two-year terms, or a total of four to include the second term. Incumbent officials are traditionally re-elected to their second and last term.

Palace welcomes Villegas’ election

Malacañang welcomed yesterday the election of Villegas as the new CBCP president.

“We extend our congratulations to Archbishop Villegas and wish him well as he faces new challenges as president of the CBCP. We look forward to future engagements under his leadership,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.  - With Delon Porcalla