Evasco named 4th member of panel for talks with church groups

FILE: Roque believed Evasco’s inclusion is needed since the Cabinet secretary was a former priest. (Photo By Ace Morandante (Presidential Communications Operations Office, Office of the President) – Google+ profile of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, Public Domain)

MANILA — Malacañang on Thursday announced that Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco has been appointed as fourth member of a panel tasked to conduct dialogues with various religious groups following President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s remarks against the Catholic Church.

“The President designated a fourth member to the committee to hold dialogues with the different churches. Cabinet Secretary Evasco Jr. was appointed the fourth member of this presidential committee,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press conference.

Roque believed Evasco’s inclusion is needed since the Cabinet secretary was a former priest.

“I supposed his contribution is because he’s an ex-priest himself and he’s familiar with the dogma of the Catholic Church,” Roque said.

Duterte had earlier appointed Roque, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Abella and Commissioner Pastor Boy Saycon of the EDSA People Power Commission as members of the panel.

The committee started its first meeting on Wednesday with leaders of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) at the Greenhills Christian Fellowship (GCF) headquarters in Ortigas.

Roque is hoping the four-man panel will be able to meet the leaders of the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) “as early as next week”.

“Well, no fixed date yet but of course, we are giving priority to that but I think, they have an ongoing affair in Tagaytay that will last this weekend. So we are hoping the meeting with the CBCP will be as early as next week,” he said.

Meanwhile, Roque said he is awaiting word from Presidential Management Staff (PMS) whether the four-man panel will be sent to represent Duterte in the Pope’s Day celebration in Manila on Friday.

“It is the President who’s invited, so I think PMS will have to communicate who will be attending on behalf of the President,” Roque said.

He said Duterte was invited to the Pope’s Day by Papal Nuncio in the Philippines Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia but the invitation “came so late”.

“I don’t think at this point that the President will be attending the event. But then again, until the Office of the President actually says so, I’m not sure and I’m just wary that because the invitation came so late,” Roque said.

“The President has already fixed schedules. I do not have any idea if the President will be able to attend,” he added.

Roque said no reason has been given as to why the President was invited but “perhaps due to recent events, the Church would want to have dialogue with the President”.