CBCP reelects Archbishop Villegas as president

Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas (CBCP News photo)

MANILA — Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas has been reelected president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

A total of 82 out of the 95 active bishops attending the CBCP plenary assembly in Manila voted in favor of Villegas to continue his position.

The Catholic prelate said that he is accepting his reelection to head the conference.

“I accepted the reelection. I know many are praying for me. May awa ang Diyos,” he said.

Also reelected were Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao as vice president, Palo Archbishop John Du as CBCP treasurer, and Fr. Marvin Mejia as secretary general.

Villegas and Valles are in their first term. This means that they will serve another two years in office.

CBCP officials have a two-year tenure in office, or a total of four years to include the second term.

The bishops also elected the members of the CBCP Permanent Council, highest governing body of the Catholic Church in the Philippines.

The regional representatives for Luzon are Bishops Rodolfo Beltran of San Fernando, La Union, Ruperto Santos of Balanga, Gilbert Garcera of Daet, Bernardino Cortez of Infanta and Reynaldo Evangelista of Imus.

For Visayas, the representatives are Bishops Crispin Varquez of Borongan and Narciso Abellana of Romblon.

Representatives for Mindanao, meanwhile, include Bishops Jose Cabantan of Malaybalay and Angelito Lampon of Jolo.

Majority of them are current permanent council members except for Santos, Evangelista and Abellana who will be serving their first term.

All the officers would serve from Dec. 1, 2015 to Nov. 30, 2017.