TABUK, Kalinga — Presidential candidate and Manila mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Saturday, March 5, said he felt offended by the practice of some politicians who use the church as campaign venues.

“‘Yung kanilang kampanya, ‘yung political rally, ‘yung rally itself ay ginagawa sa loob ng simbahan, ibig sabihin magkaiba ‘yung endorsement, magkaiba ‘yung kinakampanya nila sa personal nila (Their campaign, the political rally, the rally itself is done inside the church, that means the endorsement is different, they are campaigning differently personally),outside of the church, that is normal,” he said during an ambush interview here.

“What is abnormal is the house of God became the rally area. Nandoon ‘yung mga poster, nandoon ‘yung sigawan. Ako po Katoliko, maaaring hindi po ako relihiyoso, pero takot ako sa Diyos (There are posters, there are clamours. I am a Catholic, I may not be religious, but I fear God),” he pointed out.

As such, Domagoso appealed to politicians to stop holding rallies inside churches, saying it is a place of worship.

“At never, sana, wag nating gamitin na rally area ‘yung loob ng simbahan. Katoliko rin po kami, hindi lang po kayo ang may ari niyan. Yan po ay pag aari ng lahat ng kasapi ng simbahang Katoliko (And never, hopefully, we will not use the rally area inside the church. We are also Catholics, you are not the only one who owns that. That belongs to all members of the Catholic church),” he stressed.

“Yun ang aking take doon bilang Katoliko. I’ll go to church, I’ll visit the bishops, the archbishop, cardinal, the priest, bibigay pugay, tska kay Jesus, magbibigay pugay ako. But I guarantee you, sa ating kapwa Katoliko na patuloy kong igagalang ang loob ng simbahan.  Dahil ang loob ng simbahan ay bahay sambahan (That’s my take as a Catholic. I’ll go to church, I’ll visit the bishops, the archbishop, the cardinal, the priest, and pay tribute to Jesus. I will pay tribute but I guarantee our fellow Catholics that I will continue to respect the inside of the church. Because the inside of the church is a house of worship),” he added.

Aksyon Demokratiko campaign strategist Lito Banayo had earlier questioned the propriety of Vice President Leni Robredo's meeting with religious leaders who supported her presidential bid at the Cathedral-Shrine and Parish of the Good Shepherd.

"Ayaw namin makompromismo ang mga obispo. Ayaw namin makompromismo ang mga kaparian dahil malinaw na malinaw ang tagubilin ng Santo Papa, Papa Francisco, na huwag makialam ang Simbahang Katoliko sa politika (We do not want to compromise the bishops. We do not want to compromise the clergy because the Pope’s instruction, Pope Francis, is very clear that the Catholic Church should not interfere in politics)," he said during a press conference on Thursday.

For his part, Domagaso said: “’Yung opinyon nila (the opinions of) Ambassador Lito Banayo, maybe he’s also a Catholic, yung opinyon ni (the opinion of) Ernest , maybe he’s also a Catholic."

“Ewan ko ang opinyon ng taumbayan na Katoliko ginagamit yung simbahan as rally area,hindi ko alam sa kanila. But ako, sakin, I’m offended as a Catholic. Hindi ko alam kung na-offend din ‘yung ibang Katoliko (I don't know the opinion of the people that Catholics use the church as a rally area, I don't know about them. But I, sakin, I’m offended as a Catholic. I don’t know if other Catholics were offended as well),” he said.

Domagoso, meanwhile, said his party will continue to seek endorsements of religious groups.