MANILA, Philippines -- “Protocol” is the context within which the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) describes his reported “closeness” to former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when she was President, as he denied that his Mitsubishi Pajero came from the government.

CBCP President and Tandag (Surgao del Sur) Bishop Nereo Odchimar broke his silence Sunday to clear the air on his association with Arroyo, during whose administration seven bishops supposedly received luxury vehicles from the govern-ment through the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

“That (closeness) has to be qualified – that I am close to PGMA (Arroyo) because protocol dictates that as the head of the diocese, whenever PGMA (visits) with several government officials, if I’m there (Tandag, Surigao del Sur), I’m also with them because we have common constituents,” explained Odchimar.

He said if ever Arroyo would consult him it was only on the situation of Tandag.

“She would consult me about the local situation because I know more of the situation of Surigao del Sur because I’m the bishop,” Odchimar said.

The CBCP has been under pressure the past week to identify its members who have been loosely tagged the mythological “Malacañang Diocese” associated with Arroyo or the “Pajero 7” for allegedly receiving sports utility vehicles (SUVs) from the PCSO.

Retired Bishop Oscar Cruz and Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez were among the prelates who called for transparency in the CBCP.

Odchimar admitted that he had lobbied for the help from the President since it was also for the good of the people. “What is wrong with lobbying for the cementing of the coastal roads? That’s not benefitting the Catholics alone. That is benefitting everybody,” said the Tandag prelate.

“But for my personal use, I never asked,” said Odchimar, adding that the same goes for his priests.

“I told my priests never to solicit from Malacañang for your churches or convents,” he said.

As to the Pajero which Odchimar owns, the prelate said it did not come from the PCSO, but was bought with his personal money.

“I bought a secondhand three-door Pajero at P200,000 from a private owner. It did not come from Malacañang. I bought it with my own personal money. I can show you the deed of absolute sale if you have doubts,” he told reporters in an interview.

Aside from his Pajero, Odchimar said, he also has a car which was given to him by the late Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin before he was assigned to Tandag.

“Cardinal Sin knew that Tandag has rough roads, so he gave it to me for my transportation,” he said.

Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos also admitted owning a Pajero, but also denied that it came from PCSO.

“My service vehicle is a Pajero, but not from PCSO,” he said.

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo, for his part, is using an Innova and a 4 X 4 pick-up which came from a Church-funding agency.

“I have never requested or received from the PCSO any vehicle for my personal use. The vehicles for my personal use are Innova for regular trips visiting parishes. This was a grant from MISSIO Munich (Germany), a Church-funding agency. I also use a 4 x 4 pick-up, a grant from the Archdiocese of Munich for my pastoral use to visit the difficult mountain parishes of the archdiocese,” he said in a statement.

Pueblos and Quevedo were earlier named by the PCSO as among the bishops who received an SUV from the agency, during Arroyo’s term as president.

Meanwhile, retired Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani said he owns a Honda Jazz.

Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad, another prelate implicated in the controversy admitted receiving P1.1 million from the PCSO for the purchase of a vehicle.

“This vehicle is what we are using in our medical and relief operations,” Jumaod said over Church-run Radyo Veritas on Saturday. “But if they want to get it; if P-Noy wants to get it, it’s ready. We can return it to them,” he said.

Earlier, PCSO Chairman Margarita Juico said the agency’s former board approved the grant of SUVs to Quevedo, Pueblos, Msgr. Augusto Laban of Sorsogon, and Fr. Roger Lood of Iligan City.

And since this is not even half of the members of the CBCP, Odchimar jokingly told reporters that he will not be surprised if the media will hold a “stakeout” at the venue of the CBCP plenary assembly just to see the vehicles of the bishops.

The CBCP Plenary Assembly will be held at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center on UN Avenue, Paco, Manila from July 8 to 10.

Meanwhile, the head of Caritas Manila said funds that the PCSO gave bishops and priests, as well as church organizations, were part of the “critical collaboration” between the Church and the government.

“Church is still the best partner of government in seeing through the common good. Whatever the donations either cash or in kind the Church leaders receive, will always be for the benefit of the community since Church leaders are stewards, not owners of what they received from public and private donors,” Fr. Anton CT Pascual, Caritas Manila executive director, said over Radyo Veritas 846.

He cited five reasons for the partnership between the Church and the government: First, the Church is non-political with no hidden agenda; no profit motive; no partisan ambition;

Second, the Church has no institutionalized corruption; the programs are transparent, fair, and accountable;

Third, the Church is effective and efficient in service delivery to genuine beneficiaries due to parishes, mandated organizations, and Basic Ecclesiastical Community (BEC) due to wide grass roots network;

Fourth, The government will save much administrative expenses and manpower since the Church organizations have been successfully implementing pro-poor programs already like Caritas Manila with government through the years; and

Lastly, the Church is autonomous from government and will collaborate critically ensuring good check and balance at all times.

The Palace said the PCSO is ready to identify and make public other religious groups if discovered they also received questionable donations.

Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte assured the government remains fair and transparent as she dispelled speculations the government was singling out the Catholic bishops in retaliation for their opposition to the reprodutice health bill.

The PCSO donations to some Catholic bishops reportedly violated a constitutional provision that bans the use of public support in support of a religious organization.

“We are quite confident that if there are any questionable donations included in the 2008-2009 Commission on Audit report, the PCSO is expected to disclose the recipients,” Valte said over state radio. “There is no singling out of the bishops who reportedly received the motor vehicles from the PCSO,” she added.

Valte said it is up to the PCSO to decide if it will take back the controversial SUVs from the Catholic bishops, saying it has its own board to make such decisions.

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile warned his colleagues in the Senate against jumping into conclusions and implicating Arroyo in the investigation on the alleged scam hounding the PCSO and some leaders of the church.

Enrile said the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee must first thoroughly study the PCSO's Charter to ascertain whether the sweepstakes office violated the Constitution when it transmitted cash and SUVs to some certain bishops.

He said it is against the law to give cash or property to any religious group, priest, or religious dignitary, except for the purpose of establishing charitable institutions.

Still, Enrile said it is premature to point an accusing finger at the Arroyo administration for allegedly giving donations purportedly to buy support from the bishops amid demands for her resignation during her term.