Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Pastor joins group probing hospital mess By Gil Alfredo B. Severino
EVEN a pastor of another religious congregation is now interested on the ongoing probe against the alleged corruption at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod.
Pastro Emmanuel Alano of the Christ Central Church of the Protestant congregation yesterday met Fr. Aniceto “Mao” Buenafe, director of the Social Action Center (SAC) of the Diocese of Bacolod, at the Bishop’s Palace just to formalize his joining the group that probes corruption brouhaha at CLMMRH.
This, as Alano said joining the probe against corruption is a concrete gesture of following a divine mandate.
“All these years that I have been serving as pastor, Protestants were never known to be fighters of ‘structural’ sinfulness or what sociologists say an official corruption. Its time to break this silence and go with people with the same mission,” Alano stressed.
“Belonging to a different persuasion is not a hindrance to partnership with the Catholic Church if this will mean bringing down God’s judgment and man’s justice to the crooks in government,” he added.
He also said, “Personally, I have high regards for Fr. Mao and so with my group and SAC’s partnership with Hospital Watch in cleansing the CLMMRH. We don’t distance ourselves from these efforts.”
“We can tolerate thievery among the moneyed class but to ‘suck the blood’ of the sick and the dying is an abomination. We stand to fight against the perpetrators of corruption at CLMMRH,” the protestant pastor further said.
He hoped his followers will join with his present cause.
Buenafe, for his part, welcomed Alano and the group he’s representing, saying, “We are now about to expand our reaches. Pastor Alano’s involvement is providential and timely.”
Buenafe also invited Alano to a meeting this coming August 21 to organize an expanded anti-corruption group that will start work in Bacolod and later extend to the whole province of Negros Occidental.
“All those who are committed and ready to battle against corruption are invited to participate in organizing this anti-corruption group,” Buenafe said.
Buenafe explained that corruption is draining the already scarce resources of government and instrumentalities, adding, “Who suffers? If citizens don’t rise in a sustained effort and be watchdogs of exploiters in government, who suffers?”
“In matters of good governance and elimination of corruption, it will depend in all of us and the direction we may decide to take in the future,” he added.
The prelate also enjoined those who would like to commit to join.
