The 5th State of the Nation Address on Monday may have scored much precedence as a result of the COVID-19 but the absence of a Catholic priest garbed in stole and vestment during the invocation could have been a non-pandemic first in Congress history.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his 5th State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives Complex in Quezon City on July 27, 2020.
(PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)

None among the 30 House of Representatives leaders and members sought for comment by Manila Bulletin could identify the prayer leaders in the video produced and directed by Joyce Bernal, except for Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, founding leader of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

One of them was clearly a Muslim. The religious representations of the two others, a woman and a barong-clad man, are unknown.

But Radio Television Malacanang (RTVM) executive director Dennis Wilfred Pabalan said the three others are an imam, and two representatives from Christian groups.

Pabalan said there was no deliberate intent to offend the Catholic Church when a priest was not included in the inter-faith prayer.

Pabalan explained that organizers actually wanted Archbishop Romulo Valles of Davao to join the SONA prayer but the prelate is dealing with an ailment.

“Prayer (was) drafted by HRep (House of Representatives) and then was turned over to Bb Joyce (Bernal). Hindi na lang umabot sa shoot (It did not make it to the shoot). Preferred si Archbishop Valles pero may sakit (we preferred Archbishop Valles but he is sick),” Pabalan told the Manila Bulletin Wednesday.

“No intention to hurt the leaders of our religion,” said Pabalan, a devout Catholic.

Among the dozen solons Manila Bulletin texted, only Reps. Khalid Dimaporo (PDP-Laban, Lanao del Norte); Jesus “Bong” Suntay (NP, Quezon City) and Jericho Nograles (PBA Partylist) sent comments.

Nograles said that if the intention of the non-inclusion of a Catholic priest was to “slight” its leaders, accusing fingers should not be pointed at President Duterte.

“If the president wanted to make a statement against the Catholic Church, he would have said it outright. But his SONA did not contain any attack,” he said.

Deputy Speakers Rodante Marcoleta and DV Savellano and Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said they will try to check the identities of the prayer leaders and determine the reasons behind the exclusion of an official of the Catholic church.

Two religious leaders who are now in the roster of the House of Representatives have yet to respond to text requests for comment.

They are Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante, a Baptist bishop, and Rep. Eddie Villanueva, founder of Jesus is Lord Church Worldwide.

Rep. Lito Atienza, who represents the El Shaddai-backed Buhay Partylist, was also asked to comment.

“As a Muslim, I appreciate the representation of the Islamic faith in the SONA interfaith prayer. However, in the spirit of unity and as a display of Bayanihan, the SONA prayer should have included all faiths,” said Dimaporo, chairman of the House Committee on Mindanao Affairs.

He added: “Notably, it should have also included the Catholic faith, being the largest religious denomination in our country.”

However, Nograles sees nothing controversial in the SONA interfaith prayer, stressing that it should have been non-denominational.

“If someone meant to slight the Catholic church by the deliberate non-inclusion in the nations of prayer, then it must be someone else,” the partylist solon said.

Suntay said he believes there was a representative of the Catholic church in the invocation, stressing that it is “standard protocol.”

Ben Rosario and Genalyn Kabiling

Absence of Catholic priests in SONA invocation a first?