Catarman diocese official slams use of church space for pro-Duterte rally
CEBU, Philippines – Monsignor Gaspar Balerite, vicar general of the Diocese of Catarman in Northern Samar, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, March 18, called out organizers of a pro-Duterte rally for allegedly using a religious space to help campaign for senatorial aspirant and Duterte-ally Rodante Marcoleta.
According to Balerite, individuals approached the convent of Catarman to seek permission to hold a “rally for peace and responsible voting” at the Sacred Heart Plaza on Tuesday morning.
It was later discovered that the rally was dedicated to support former president Rodrigo Duterte who is facing charges for crimes against humanity related to his war on drugs at The Hague, Netherlands.
“Damo an mga gin-nakot, an iba tikang sa mga baryo. Pero, ngay-an para san kampanya ní Marcoleta nga gin-imbitar san organizer” Balerite said.
(They brought many people, some from faraway villages. But the truth is, this was for Marcoleta’s campaign who was invited by the organizer)
The priest added that he spoke to the participants of the gathering, stressing that they were being “scammed” by pro-Duterte groups.
“Kay [Iglesia Ni Cristo] iton nga Marcoleta nga naggamit san kanan Catolico lugar nga diri para sin pagkampanya (because Marcoleta is an INC member who used a Catholic venue that should not be used for campaigning),” Balerite added.
Balerite’s words hold weight in Catarman’s Catholic community. As vicar general, he is the “right-hand man” of Bishop Nolly Camingue Buco of the Diocese of Catarman.
The diocese covers the province of Northern Samar, which has at least 24 towns and 569 barangays. Based on 2016 estimates from the Union of Catholic Asian News, there are more than 483,000 Catholics under the guidance of the Diocese of Catarman.
Rappler has reached out to Marcoleta’s camp for a comment on the issue. This article will be updated with their response. – Rappler.com