Butuan bishop unfazed by colleagues’ warning

Butuan City Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos is bent on accepting Malacañang’s offer to join an independent commission that will probe the killings of militants and journalists, despite warnings from his fellow prelates that he might violate the Canon law.

Pueblos said he would officially accept the appointment in an oathtaking ceremony set this morning at the Supreme Court.

Batanes Bishop Camilo Gregorio earlier turned down the appointment, saying he has "more urgent pastoral obligations" and "in deference to the autonomy of the CBCP."

In an interview with Church-run Radio Veritas yesterday, Pueblos admitted that the leadership of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has reminded him of the independence of the Church from state affairs.

He said CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo reiterated in a "good talk" with him that accepting such a public position where he could have civil powers directly violates the Canon law.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, a vocal critic of the Arroyo administration, earlier echoed this argument.

Pueblos, however, said he has received encouragement from his other colleagues, including Bishops Ramon Villena of Bayombong and Nereo Odchimar of Tandag, who supported his belief that the independent commission needs spiritual support from the Church to be able to effectively stop the killings.

Pueblos said he has consulted Canon lawyers of the University of Santo Tomas, who saw nothing wrong with his participation in the commission to be led by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Melo.

He said the Canon lawyers believe that the commission "is independent from the government, temporary and created for the sake of the common good, which is also a main concern of the Church."

Pueblos appealed to his critics to "avoid playing politics in a certain sense and instead just support the commission that is tasked with the tough purpose of ending the extrajudicial killings in the country."

"We want to stop the killings not for the sake of President Arroyo but for the sake of our country," he said.

Malacañang chose Pueblos because of his active involvement in solving extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in Mindanao.