Laguna bishop clarifies: Priests possess guns not for protection, but for sports

The bishop of the Diocese of San Pablo, Laguna said Tuesday that the priests who were reported to be secretly "arming" themselves, possess guns not for their safety and protection, but for sports.

"By the way sa aming pag-uusap kahapo ng mga pari, 'yung arming themselves dahil sa nangyayari hindi naman daw 'yun totoo. Dati nang meron pero 'yung mag-aarmas dahil dito hindi, 'yun lang ang lumabas sa aming pag-uusap," Bishop Buenaventura Famadico said in an interview on GMA News TV's News to Go.

"Dati naman na silang may baril at iba’t ibang kadahilanan, merong kasama don sa sports ganun, meron nang basta gusto lang magkaron ng baril... Lumabas nga lang na kailangan to arm themselves pero nagkausap kami kahapon, hindi naman ganun ang lumabas sa aming pag-uusap," Famadico said.

A report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer said some priests have secretly armed themselves for protection following the killings of three clergymen over the past several months.

In December 2017, Father Marcelino Paez was killed in Jaen, Nueva Ecija.

In April, Father Mark Ventura was gunned down after celebrating mass in Gattaran, Cagayan.

Last week, Father Richmond Nilo was shot dead by still unidentified suspects as he was about to officiate a mass in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija.

A few days before Nilo's murder, a priest who had served as a PNP chaplain was shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen in Calamba, Laguna, but survived the attack.

Famadico said the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) opposed the idea that priests possess guns.

"Napag-usapan namin na hindi dapat ... una, kaming mga pari ay mga tagasunod ni Kristo tapos ang baril is an instrument of violence, hindi nagkakatagpo ang dalawang 'yun," the bishop said.

"Maraming paraan para pagprotect sa mga pari, hindi naman kinakailangan na magkaroon ng baril," he said.

Famadico said the CBCP is now coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) on how to dispose the guns possessed by priests.

"Humihingi kami ng tulong sa PNP kung paano madidispose ang mga ito," he said.

"Kung talagang papatayin ka, papatayin ka kahit may dala kang baril. Gusto ko lang sabihin 'yung seguridad hindi lang para sa pari kundi para sa lahat, dapat ang pinoproblema ng pamahalaan ay bigyan ng security ang mamayan lalo na ang mga mahihirap at dukha, hindi dahil pari may special treatment, ang security dapat para sa lahat," he added. — Ted Cordero/RSJ, GMA News