(Editor’s Note – Got this message last June 4, 2026 via email using my good friend and boss, the late Ric V. Obedencio’s emailad: Good evening, Mayor. I am Hannah Tessa Obedencio Anire, the youngest daughter of Ric Obedencio. I was scanning though my late father’s laptop and saw his last write-ups for Nuts & Bolts. If you wish to publish his last 2 editorials, we will be honored. He wrote this last May 21, 2026 a day before he died.)
A FIERCE verbal hostility has erupted between some church retired bishops and social media users, sparkling intense debate across political and religious circles. What began as a bold remark about the conflict in the Senate quickly progressed into a dramatic moral showdown between the two protagonists.
This is so after some of the retired prelates and priests issued a statement voicing their concern and sentiments, to pursue immediately the impeachment proceedings against the vice-president. And yet they reportedly kept quiet in a deafening silence when it comes to the more pressing controversy in corruption, particularly the flood control project scandal and ‘maleta-maleta’ issue.
Well, this is a very ticklish concern that must be addressed.
For Archbishop Abet Uy of Cebu, these brouhaha must be taken seriously by all sectors involved, not just the impeachment now being tackled by the Senate.
“Amid national tension, Cebu Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy calls on government leaders to uphold truth, justice, and accountability, urging a fair and impartial investigation into alleged flood-control anomalies,” he aptly said.
He added, “In a pastoral appeal, the Archbishop warned against division fueled by misinformation and political fanaticism, stressing the need for unity, due process, and equal application of the law regardless of power or influence.”
Yes, there’s the separation of church and the state (government).
As far as I know, the church indeed has the moral duty to remind the faithful’s participation in governance thru this self-imposed obligation. For there’s no government without the governor and the governed. Reminding the electorate to choose integrity, credibility, competence and professionalism of the candidates come election time.
