THE Philippine Jesuits Saturday, May 25, cried foul over the tagging of one of its priests as a party to the supposed operation that is ultimately aimed at unseating President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a statement, Philippine Jesuits communications officer Father Nono Alfonso said it is unacceptable that the name of Father Albert Alejo has been dragged into the efforts that resulted to the controversial narco-list videos of Peter Joemel Advincula, aka “Bikoy”.
“It is sad that he is now being painted in a bad light,” said Alfonso.
“It is also unfortunate that he is being dragged in the ongoing controversy,” he added.
On Thursday, Advincula claimed that everything he had said in the video series titled “Ang Totoong Narcolist”, where he linked close allies and relatives of Duterte to illegal drugs, were just orchestrated by the Liberal Party and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
Advincula had claimed that a certain “Father Albert Alejo” was the one that introduced him to Trillanes.
Alfonso said Alejo is a Jesuit priest “of very good standing”.
He has a doctorate degree in Anthropology from London and has taught in Ateneo de Davao, Ateneo de Zamboanga, and now, at the Ateneo de Manila University.
Alejo was also director of various social centers in which he championed the causes of women, labor, indigenous peoples, and Muslim Filipinos.
He is also known for spearheading an anti-corruption campaign, called EHEM, in the 1990s.
“Indeed, in academic, development, and religious circles, Alejo’s name has been synonymous with scholarship, truth, justice, and love for the poor,” said Alfonso.
Alejo, Alfonso assured, would be ready to speak, if needed, “at the proper time and in the proper fora”. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)