MANILA, Philippines — Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David is temporarily taking over the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines while the religious group’s head is recovering from stroke.
David, the current vice president of the conference, said in an interview on Church-run Radio Veritas Friday that he will be taking over the tasks of Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles who is recuperating from a stroke.
“He wrote me a letter appointing me as the acting president in his absence habang nagre-recuperate siya sa kanyang kalagayan o health condition ngayon,” the bishop from Caloocan was quoted as saying.
(He wrote me a letter appointing me as the acting president in his absence while he is recuperating from his health condition now.)
David said Valles had a hospital-acquired pneumonia while he was recovering from stroke.
“Archbishop is recuperating very well,” he said.
David is a vocal critic of the government’s brutal war on drugs and who had been at the receiving end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s ire.
The Department of Justice in February dismissed the sedition complaint filed against David, Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Leila de Lima, Sen. Risa Hontiveros and other “Otso Diretso” senatorial bets. — Gaea Katreena Cabico