BY GERARD NAVAL
CARDINAL Ricardo Vidal, archbishop of Cebu,
has reportedly prohibited priests from celebrating today's "Mass
for Truth" at the University of San Carlos which ZTE star
witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada is scheduled to attend.
Sr. Estrella Castalone, executive secretary
of Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP),
in a phone interview, said Judy Adriano, their organizer in Cebu
City, told her "that the priests have been prohibited from
saying the mass for our group by Cardinal Vidal."
She said she has yet to confirm it with the
Church officials of Cebu. The archdiocese of Cebu could not be
reached for comment.
Castalone said in the event that no priest
would be available they will instead conduct a truth forum with
students and residents of Cebu City.
Aside from the province of Cebu, Vidal's
archdiocese includes the dioceses of Dumaguete (Negros
Oriental), Maasin (Southern Leyte), and Tagbilaran and Talibon,
both in Bohol.
Vidal had questioned the treatment being
accorded to Lozada by bishops, religious groups, local officials
and students.
"Why do we have to make him a hero?" he told
reporters last week in Cebu.
He added that the Cebuanos are already aware
of Lozada's pronouncements regarding the national broadband deal
and that it is not necessary for him to be invited to Cebu.
"Cebuanos are intelligent enough to
understand Lozada's statements and do not need to listen to it
one more time," the prelate said.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez also ordered
officials in his home-province of Iloilo where Lozada recently
paid a visit to monitor him for any seditious statements. But
Lozada received a warm welcome.
Lozada has alleged that the President Arroyo
and her husband Mike could be directly or indirectly involved in
the anomalous $329 million broadband deal with China's ZTE Corp.
Lozada has said that despite threats to his life, he accepts
invitations as guest speaker in a series of Masses for Truth
around campuses in Metro Manila so he can better bring his
advocacy for truth to the people.
