Cebu Archdiocese Denies Cardinal Asked Pres. Aquino to Resign

(PNA) — The Cebu Archdiocese on Monday denied Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal made a direct call for President Benigno C. Aquino III to step down from office.

In a statement issued by Msgr. Jose Tan, Cebu Archdiocese media liaison officer, the Cebu Archdiocese said Cardinal Vidal was only made to read the National Transformation Council’s (NTC) joint statement at his retirement house in Cebu City last Friday.

Tan said Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma was present when Vidal read the NTC statement and can attest that Cardinal Vidal did not make a direct call for President Aquino to resign.

“Cardinal Vidal never openly called for the resignation of the President,” Tan said.

Tan said Palma has stated that the call for the President’s resignation is a political statement and that the Cebu prelate is not prepared to make that statement.

Cardinal Vidal drew some flak online for being too “old” to be involved in politics.

Some said Vidal should leave church positions on current issues to his successor, Archbishop Jose Palma.

Other bishops who backed the NTC statement calling for President Aquino to resign were criticized as prelates who were disappointed for not being given Pajeros by the President.

It was the second time since October last year that Vidal, at the request of NTC convenors, read a statement of the group calling on President Aquino to resign.

Tan urged the public to refer to the cardinal’s track record in dealing with previous presidents, adding that it wasn’t Vidal’s style to announce in public a call to resign.

“Cardinal Vidal never openly called for the resignation of past presidents,” he said. (PNA) LAP/EB