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'It's a sin': Archbishop Villegas says delay in VP impeachment is grave offense vs truth
'It's a sin': Archbishop Villegas says delay in VP impeachment is grave offense vs truth
By Jel Santos
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas on Monday, June 9, condemned the delay of the impeachment process against Vice President Sara Duterte, calling it a “sin” and a grave offense against truth and justice.
In a strongly worded pastoral letter titled “It is Wrong! It is a Sin!”, Villegas declared that suppressing or aborting the impeachment trial is not only unconstitutional but morally unacceptable.
“To delay the trial or even to abort it is to suppress the TRUTH. It is a sin. The opponent, the devil, is rightly called Prince of Lies,” he said.
Villegas said he was contributing “as a priest and shepherd” to the ongoing national conversation, even as he acknowledged that legal experts are already providing guidance.
“The nation has a right to the truth that can only be established by law and evidence. To deprive the people of the full truth is a form of robbery. It is keeping something not yours. It is a sin,” he added.
The archbishop warned against political self-interest and moral laziness, saying the delay “smacks of negligence and laziness.”
“Not to pursue the truth when you have the capacity to know it FORTHWITH is a grave sin of omission. It is morally unacceptable,” he said.
Villegas emphasized that the impeachment trial, as mandated by the Philippine Constitution, must proceed to a verdict.
“To abort the trial even before its delayed commencement is deplorable. It is a sin against justice. The trial by the Senate is a positive command of the Philippine Constitution. It is a demand of justice. It must be commenced and it must continue to a just verdict,” he stressed.
“It is wrong to delay or abort it, according to no less than the framers of the Constitution itself. I add—it is sinfully wrong. It offends truth and justice.”
The prelate denounced government procrastination, calling it “a lack of diligence or commitment” that the nation doesn’t deserv
“The nation deserves better than such officials,” he said.
Recently, calls for Duterte’s impeachment have intensified following questions over alleged misuse of confidential funds and concerns about governance priorities.