High Court issues TRO vs Comelec; Bacolod Diocese says it’s St. Therese miracle

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday temporarily stopped the Comelec from removing the oversized tarpaulin of the Diocese of Bacolod, until further orders.

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra described this “a miracle” to the arrival of the relics of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face also yesterday in Negros Occidental.

“I believe it’s a miracle. The Church of Bacolod glorifies the Lord for this special grace received,” said Navarra after his secretary Fr. Segundo Chua, announced the news of the SC’s granting of the Diocese’s petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO), while the pilgrim relics was being venerated at the San Sebastian Cathedral yesterday afternoon.

Chua, in announcing the SC decision to at least 3,000 Catholic faithful at the veneration rites, said they attributed the miracle to the coming of St. Therese to Bacolod on the same day. “It’s just an affirmation that St. Therese is with us in our pro-life advocacy,” he said in the din of a loud applause by churchgoers.

The Comelec earlier threatened Navarra with election offense charges if he will not take down the “Team Buhay/Team Patay” tarpaulin from the façade of the San Sebastian Cathedral. The bishop said: “All the while we were trying to fight it out I was believing that the Lord God will really hear our prayer.”

“The priests and the faithful are not fighting our personal fight; this is for our faith despite contradictions persecutions,” Navarra said. “Cultivating right conscience that starts with the truth, distinguished what is good from evil,” he said.

The bishop clarified he has nothing personal against the Comelec officials who ordered to take down the oversized tarpaulin, and that he even prayed for them and their enlightenment.

The SC has set the oral arguments on March 19. Navarra said that although this is not the end of the fight, he is calling on the Catholic faithful to pray hard for divine intervention so the Church can go on with its pro-life advocacy.

Ralph Sarmiento, one of the three lawyers of Bishop Navarra and the Diocese of Bacolod, confirmed that he received a copy of the TRO issued by the High Tribunal. “While the TRO is just a temporary relief, the bishop of Bacolod already considers it a big victory on the fight of the Diocese to stand by the Constitutional rights to freedom of expression and to protect the principle of separation of Church and state,” Sarmiento said.

Last Friday, Navarra filed with the SC an “urgent petition for certiorari and prohibition with application for preliminary injunction and TRO” against the Comelec and Bacolod election registrar Mavil Majarucon-Sia. The Diocese sought to nullify the Comelec order to remove the tarpaulin, which was posted at the Cathedral since last February 21.

The tarpaulin listed lawmakers who voted for the passage of Reproductive Health (RH) Law, tagging them Team Patay (death), and those who voted against the law. as Team Buhay (Life).

Noted election lawyer Romulo Macalintal made a press statement Sunday that the SC may not take action on the petition of the Bacolod diocese for lack of jurisdiction, but the Diocese still took the risk of going to the SC to contest the Comelec’s order.

Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes earlier announced on his Twitter account that the poll body is filing charges against Navarra and the Diocese for their refusal to take down the tarpaulin, due to its size that exceeded the allowable measurement of 2 feet by 3 feet, in accordance with Comelec Resolution 9615.

“We will commence the proceedings next week for the filing of election offense cases to whoever is behind this, unless restrained by the SC,” Brillantes tweeted Saturday.

On February 22, Bacolod election registrar Mavil Majarucon-Sia had given Navarra a three-day notice to resize the tarpaulin to comply with Comelec rules on the size of campaign materials.

When the Diocese did not comply with the notice, the Comelec Law Department, through its director Esmeralda Amorada-Ladra, wrote to Navarra on Feb. 27 ordering him to remove the tarpaulin.

“Please order/cause the immediate removal of said election propaganda material, otherwise, we shall be constrained to file an election offense against you,” Ladra wrote.

Macalintal however agreed with the position of the Diocese. “For sure there is no issue that the church property is a private property,” he said, noting that the size requirement for propaganda only applies to materials displayed in public places by “political parties and candidates.”

On Sunday, the Diocese also said only the Vatican can order it to remove the tarpaulin.  (FREEMAN)