(Updated 2:41 p.m.) Despite the decision of some dioceses to cut ties with it, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) remains the Catholic Church's citizens' arm in the May 13 elections, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said over the weekend.
CBCP secretary general Msgr. Joselito Asis quashed speculation that the PPCRV is losing support from Church leaders, after some dioceses questioned its credibility.
“The mandate of the PPCRV as citizens' arm of the CBCP for the election remains the same. So far, since its creation, the PPCRV has been effective in poll-watching,” Asis said in an article posted early Saturday on the CBCP news site.
Asis also said the PPCRV will continue in its role of working with the dioceses.
Last week, the Lipa (Batangas) archdiocese said it has cut ties with the PPCRV, though it will still work for credible elections.
PPCRV a 'lapdog'?
In a phone interview with GMA News Online Sunday, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles said the archdiocese questions the credibility and integrity of the PPCRV as a Commission on Elections (Comelec) watchdog.
Arguelles said the archdiocese disapproves the hasty decision of PPCRV chairperson Henrietta de Villa to give a thumbs-up to the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines despite the alleged minor defects.
"Nakita naming may glitches pero inaprubahan agad ng PPCRV," Arguellas said. "We tried to question this but we were ignored."
"The minor defects should be addressed, inaprubahan lang nila ang mistakes ng Comelec," he added. "Instead of watchdog, they became the lapdog of Comelec."
Likewise, he said the archdiocese disapproves the acceptance as PPCRV National Vice President of former Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal, who was one of the officials behind the implementation of the use of PCOS machines during elections in the Philippines.
"Hindi ba conflict of interest iyon?" he said.
"Naging convenient deodorant sila ng Comelec sa pag-approve sa PCOS [machines]," he added.
GMA News Online was still trying to reach De Villa for comment as of posting time.
Last straw
Arguelles said they became wary when they learned that PPCRV rejected their request to view the contents of the fourth copy of the election returns.
"So nag-decide na talaga ang mga pari [sa diocese] to get away," he said.
Arguellas said the archdiocese sent a letter to De Villa last Monday requesting to drop out of the group. He said after a day, the chairperson responded, saying she respects the archdiocese's decision.
Though they have yet to decide whether to join other election watchdog groups, Arguellas said the archdiocese will continue its effort to maintain a "credible and honest" election.
Snubbed
Meanwhile, the CBCP's National Secretariat for Social Action (NASSA) said it will work with the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) after being snubbed by PPCRV.
In a telephone interview with GMA News Online, Manila Auxiliary Bishop and NASSA chairman Broderick Pabillo said the PPCRV failed to attend any election-coordination meetings they have arranged.
"Namfrel and Lente accepted our guidelines to cooperate with them," he said. "Hindi nag-attend ang PPCRV, so we have decided to work with Namfrel and Lente."
But he said it is still up to bishops at the local level to decide whether to continue their support for the PPCRV.
Asis supported this statement, saying that it is the local bishops' decision whether to work with the PPCRV or organize their own poll watchdog teams.
He cited the case of the Cebu archdiocese's Cebu-Citizens’ Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-Cimpel).
“The PPCRV respects the decision of other dioceses. You can’t insist that. Like in Cebu… they don’t have PPCRV because they organized their own,” said Asis.
He added there are other dioceses that did not organize their own local PPCRV chapters “even before." — with a report from Amanda Fernandez/LBG/BM, GMA News
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