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Roman Catholic Church leaders in the Philippines apologised on Monday to their followers for a scandal involving allegedly inappropriate donations to bishops.
Philippine lawmakers began investigating allegations last week that the government's lotto operator made illegal donations in exchange for political favors from influential church leaders friendly to ex-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
A pastoral letter issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) assured followers that the bishops concerned 'are ready to accept responsibility for their actions and to face the consequences if it would be proven unlawful, anomalous and unconstitutional.'
The statement issued at the end of the bishops' biannual assembly also said the CBCP would 're-examine the manner of our collaboration with government agencies for purposes of helping the poor, making sure that pastoral sensibilities are respected and the highest ethical standards are observed.'
The chairman of the state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Margie Juico, told senators last week that an audit showed that at least 6.9 million pesos (S$196,538) in charity funds were used to buy five vehicles upon the request of several bishops.
Mrs Juico said one bishop asked Mrs Arroyo for a brand new car on his 66th birthday in 2009 and received a sports utility vehicle worth 1.7 million pesos. Such donations would violate a law prohibiting the use of state funds for religious purposes.
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