THE Diocese of Bacolod honored on Sunday five lawyers who served as legal counsels and consultants of the court case against the Commission on Elections regarding the controversial posting of a Team Patay, Team Buhay tarpaulin on the San Sebastian Cathedral.
Navarra has conferred the St. Thomas More Diocesan Award to lawyers Ralph Sarmiento, Raymundo Pandan, Romulo Macalintal, and Lyndon Cana at the San Sebastian Cathedral.
Lawyer Mitch Abella, who was conferred the St. Thomas More Awardee in 2002, also received a certificate of recognition as part of the legal team who successfully defended the Diocese of Bacolod.
The St. Thomas More Diocesan Award is given to lawyers who have significantly contributed their legal expertise on issues concerning social justice. The recipients receive a citation written in Latin and bust of St. Thomas More, an English saint and lawyer who stood for his faith and the truth to the expense of his life.
Last January, the Supreme Court ruled against the order of the Comelec to remove the tarpaulin posted on Feb. 21, 2013 during the heat of the election campaign.
The “Team Patay” poster contained the names of the candidates for senator who voted against the RH Law, while Team Buhay contained the names of those who opposed the law.
The SC said the order of the Comelec is unconstitutional, adding that the Comelec has no power to regulate free expression of private citizens and violated petitioner’s right to property for ordering the removal of the tarpaulins.
The bishop said he was thankful to the five lawyers who helped them to win the battle together with the Citizens Alliance for the Protection of Human Life.
Sarmiento and Macalintal said they were thankful to Navarra for standing up for the right of the diocese and for giving them an opportunity to defend it with the Supreme Court.
They were thankful even more to Navarra for recognizing their efforts. They said it’s a big honor to receive the St. Thomas Award.
The St. Thomas More Award could give them a sigh of relief because it proves that, after all, there are lawyers who have a good heart and spirit, contrary to some public misconceptions, Macalintal said.
“I’m sharing this award with the other lawyers who painstakingly studied the issues involved in that once-controversial and now a landmark, the twin tarpaulin of “Team Patay, Team Buhay”, Macalintal said.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., who also attended the Mass, said he is pro-life, and he congratulated all the lawyers who helped the Diocese of Bacolod to win the battle.
Controversial Tarp
Navarra said they will remove today the tarpaulin of “Team Patay, Team Buhay” posted in front of San Sebastian Cathedral as he believes that it has already accomplished its purpose.
“The tarpaulin has already sent its message and it has accomplished it and therefore, it’s up to our individual conscience now to embrace what the message is,” the bishop added.
San Sebastian Cathedral rector Fr. Felix Pasquin said the controversial tarpaulin was scheduled to be removed yesterday after the 10 a.m. Mass but they lacked personnel and carpenters take down the poster.
Pasquin said the tarpaulin will be removed "quietly."
He added that Navarra sent him a text message yesterday saying, "I commend you for this initiative which has now a national repercussion in the field of Philippine jurisprudence."
Navarra added in the text message, "Reflecting on the inputs of the two lawyer-awardees, I see the need of preserving the tarp in a place for display. But right now I cannot think of the right place."
Pasquin said the tarp could not fit in the Cathedral Museum, thus his suggestion is to keep it in the Baptistry of the cathedral. But it will be decided upon later, he added.