by Santosh Digal

The bishop of Batanes-Babuyanes says he took that decision out of respect for the autonomy of the Bishops' Conference and owing to his pastoral obligations.

Manila (AsiaNews) – Mgr Camilo Gregorio, bishop of Batanes-Babuyanes, declined the offer made by the Filipino president to sit on a government commission charged with investigating "extrajudicial" killings. His pastoral obligations and his respect for the autonomy of the Bishops' Conference are the reasons.

In a written message to Fr Juanito Figura, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the prelate explained that after "much prayer and consultation, I have decided to decline the nomination as member of the Commission".

"I thank President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the gracious invitation. I'm willing to serve our country in another capacity. God bless Justice Melo [the commission's chairman] and the commission," he said.

On August 20, President Arroyo announced the creation of an independent commission to be headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo to probe into the extrajudicial killings of journalists and leftwing activists in the country. One of those appointed as member of the Commission was Bishop Gregorio.

Mgr Oscar Cruz, archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, gave his support to Bishop Gregorio's decision saying that what he did was in accordance with the law of the Church.

"Church law categorically forbids deacons, priests, and bishops to hold public office especially so if they share in the exercise of civil power," Archbishop Cruz said. "[T]he commission [. . .] will share a lot of political civil power [. . .] now it has practically [been] given an omnibus right to do anything, call everybody, and seek all documents".

• philippines
• camilo
• gregorio
• commission
• of
• inquiry
• oscar
• cruz
• extrajudicial
• killings