News Roundup 28 May 2023
May 28, 2023 • 4 min Read
CBCP ‘begs forgiveness’ over exorcist’s case | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Two weeks after an exorcist priest was arrested for “offending religious feelings,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has “begged forgiveness” for what CBCP head and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said was “indicative of shortcomings [among] Church leaders.”
“We humbly beg forgiveness for this shortcoming. That a Catholic would feel the need to seek recourse to the civil court for the resolution of an issue that has to do with matters of faith is extremely disheartening, to say the least,” he said in a statement sent to the Inquirer.
David was referring to Fr. Winston Cabading who was arrested on May 13 after being sued by former Sandiganbayan Justice Harriet Demetriou for allegedly “offending [her] religious feelings” and those of her fellow Marian devotees, a violation of Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code.
While the Catholic clergy was “perplexed” by the criminal complaint against Cabading, adding that it causes “a scandal to the faithful,” David acknowledged that Church leaders fell short in “facilitating dialogue and fostering communion, especially when brothers and sisters in the same Catholic Church are in conflict with each other over matters of faith.”
Full Story at: CBCP ‘begs forgiveness’ over exorcist’s case | Inquirer News
Typhoon Betty weakens but flash floods, landslides may still occur due to habagat | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Typhoon Betty has slightly weakened as it moves over the Philippine sea east of northern Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Sunday.
Pagasa said in its 5 p.m. weather bulletin that flash floods and landslides will likely occur across the country, especially over the western portions of Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central, and Southern Luzon due to southwest monsoon or “habagat,” starting on Monday.
“The enhanced southwest monsoon may occasionally bring gusts reaching strong breeze to near gale strength, beginning tonight or tomorrow morning over most of Visayas, the eastern portion of Central Luzon, the eastern and southern portion of Southern Luzon, and the northern portion of Mindanao. The western portion of Luzon may also experience similar conditions beginning on Tuesday (May 31) or Wednesday (June 1),” Pagasa said.
Betty was last spotted 630 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of 165 kilometers per hour (kph) with gustiness of up to 205 kph.
Full Story at: Typhoon Betty weakens but flash floods, landslides may still occur due to habagat | Inquirer News
Arroyo denies being ‘duped’ by lawmaker to stage House coup | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Pampanga) on Sunday denied that she was fooled by another lawmaker to stage a coup at the lower chanber upon the go signal of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
This comes just a week after Macapagal-Arroyo was demoted to deputy speaker at the House of Representatives amid speculation that she was leading a destabilization plot to unseat House Speaker Rep. Martin Romualdez (Leyte), an accusation the former president also denied.
In a statement published on her Facebook page on Sunday, Macapagal-Arroyo also apologized to the first lady after she was “dragged into this political fantasy of a House coup.”
“Whoever is spreading these pathetic rumors are the ones duping the Filipino people and they should now move on to the serious business of making positive contributions to national progress,” Macapagal-Arroyo said.
Full Story at: Arroyo denies being ‘duped’ by lawmaker to stage House coup | Philstar.com
Fearing terror attack, villagers flee Lanao Sur town | PHILSTAR.COM – MARAWI CITY, Philippines — Thousands of villagers in Marogong, Lanao del Sur have fled after the Dawlah Islamiya last Friday warned of an attack if authorities ignore its demand to set free many of its members arrested and detained for heinous offenses.
In a statement Sunday, Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr. confirmed the hasty evacuation of hundreds of Maranao families in Marogong to nearby towns, fearing incursions by the Dawlah Islamiya that has members who originally belonged to the Maute terror group that instigated the deadly May 23 to October 16, 2017 siege of Marawi City.
Adiong said their Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the local government unit of Marogong are together trying to reach out to villagers who have fled to Lanao del Sur’s Binidayan, Tubaran, Bayang, Masiu, Malabang, Balabagan, Calanogas, Bacolod-Kalawi and Lumbatan towns.
Full Story at: Fearing terror attack, villagers flee Lanao Sur town | Philstar.com
