Fact-checking Vidal’s retraction
by Raïssa Robles
The breaking news social networking site Twitter is now abuzz with reports that Cebu Archbishop Cardinal Ricardo Vidal has retracted his earlier statement calling for President Benigno Aquino’s resignation.
Miriam Grace Go of Rappler explained that “Vidal wants Aquino held accountable for Mamasapano, but not calling for his resignation.”
Gigi Go then posted on her Facebook page:
To readers who are asking why Cebu Archbishop Vidal is “retreating” from his supposed previous call for President Aquino to resign, and why Rappler’s article was “protecting” Aquino, here’s the story:
Members of the NTC visited the Cebu cardinal last Friday with a prepared, strongly-worded statement, calling for the President to resign. Copies of it and a press release were distributed to Manila journalists beforehand. When Vidal saw the statement he was being asked to read, he had it revised and he omitted the line calling for Aquino’s resignation. He instead just said that the President should be held accountable for the Mamasapano incident.
Rappler reporter Dale Israel was in the room — in Cebu — while all this was going on. He and other Cebu journalists saw how NTC PR people tried to steer the press conference when Vidal didn’t take the group’s hardline position. These Cebu journalists, hindi sila nag-“cover” lang ng press release sa Maynila.
If that is what had happened, how do you now account for the YouTube video posted by ABS-CBNews.com over the weekend. It has Vidal saying out loud:
“Various assemblies convened by the National Transformation Council NTC has strongly advocated that the President should step down.
Recent developments have made this call even more urgent and imperative.”
That very much sounds like a demand from Cardinal Vidal for Aquino to step down.
The same report identified him as the chairman of the National Transformation Council – which he is also denying. If he is not the NTC chair, why then did he read aloud the report?
Please watch the YouTube video below which was pointed out to me by one of my Twitter friends @rejtatel, who is also a long-time member of Cyber Plaza Miranda –
I wonder what had happened to make Cardinal Vidal backtrack.
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pau says
The much publicized PNoy resign movement of NTC,Cojuangco couple, Pajero Bishops, Leftist groups, Arroyo tuta and biased media personalities didn’t materialize. Twenty thousand ( 20,000) attended the EDSA mass rally, 20,000 ‘ langaw and bangaw ‘. The silent majority knows who are the nationalistic and patriotic citizens not the power grabbers, kulang sa pansin, corrupt politicians, BINAY-aran and has been personalities. Ituloy ang tuwid na daan.
Clear pasig says
“Be shepherds with the smell of sheep,” so that people can sense the priest is not just concerned with his own congregation, but is also a fisher of men. Pope Francis
Vidal and some other priest in the country are way far from that, instead they associate themselves to the lifestyle of power and greed.
Danny says
Do the members of the NTC think that the people are gullible or stupid? They wanted a duly elected President to resign because from the very day he declared that he was running for the presidency and he was elected, they wanted him out of it. They could not wait until the next election in May 2016 so they can get rid of him. The NTC and the Bayanko groups are even prepare to side-step the Constitution on the succession of the executive branch. A columnist of the Philstar was very vocal from day one of the 2010 campaign and still very active promoting Bayanko and NTC in her column. Even Marcos martial law era Information Secretary Tatad was seen with Cardinal Vidal latest escapade. I just wondered what Tatad has said to Pope Francis when he met him at MOA during the Pope meeting of the family. Just the usual suspects behind the scene concocting to overthrow a duly elected President, Faceless Men and Women who are missing out or missing the power they used to have.
Troy says
Iisa lang ang tunay na Iglesia na nangangaral at nagpapatupad ng lahat ng utos ng Panginoon. Lahat ayon sa nakasulat sa Biblia, walang dagdag- bawas.walang exemption, kagaya ng pag exempt for fasting ni Cardinal Tagle sa mga chinese Christians sa Archdiocese of manila dahilan sa chinese new year. May disiplina. Ito ay ang Iglesia ng Dios (Members Church of God International) na ngayon ay pinamumunuan ni Bro. Eli Soriano. Ang utos ng Dios, ang Kristiyano ay pasakop sa kapamahalaan ng bayan. Ito ipinangangaral sa lahat ng kasapi. Sa katunayan nga si Bro. Eli nagpahayag ng pagsuporta kay pangulong Aquino. Trending ngayon ang Hastag # Noynoyparin. Isang katawan(Iglesia), isang pananampalataya. Walang tinatanging lahi.
macspeed says
Yes, ADD is the original Christian practice ever since the Christian in Antioch…
Today, many false prophets and false sect has stepped up campaign to interfere with the Government favoring the corrupt, shame on you bad priest, mag hubad na lang kayo ng abito nyo, nakakahiya kayo, nagpari kayo at lumalamon sa perang donasyon ng sekta nyo, naglalakihan mga tyan nyo, daming nagugutom? ANong klase yan pangangaral sa utos ni Kristo yan? Puro panlalabag ginagawa nyo.
jorge bernas says
@ macspeed
Tama po kayo sana hindi nalang silang mga PARI at OBISPO sumali dahil nalantad tuloy ang kanilang kasakiman at kabobohan…sana nagdasal nalang sila at nang nakatulong dahil dagdag paGULO ginagawa nila… SAKIM ang labas nila…. nakakawalang ganang mga Tao.
vander anievas says
nakaklungkot.
ang mga dapat na manguna sa kawan para sa tapat na paninilbihan ay nagpapalabas ng kanilang tunay na kulay.
dr. jose p. rizal. bumalik ka sa iyong lupang hinirang.
masdan mo ang mga dama at mga aso.
nagpipista sa buto ng saf 44….
gusto nilang ihasik ang anay sa buong bansa mo…
kate says
This cardinal who sided with the morally BANKRUPT GLORIA AROYO, should just concentrate to give his opinion where it matters; the corruption and abuse within the Church.
[Remarks to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, September 12 1960]”
― John F. Kennedy
“I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute – where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote – where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference – and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.
I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish – where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source – where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials – and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all.
Parekoy says
Amen Kate! Amen!
vander anievas says
how ideal is that.
Phl is a big exemption.
HOLYSTSJOHN says
If only the Bishops spend more time reminding their flocks about the Church teachings….baka mabawasan na ang magnanakaw, mamamatay, corrupt, etc..sa Pilipinas
alexis says
Dapat isumbong kay Pope Francis sa kanyang pamumulitika.
NHerrera says
AN ASIDE
Wow, Ms. Raissa Robles, don’t you ever sleep? Your pace is so fast even @leona may not be able to keep pace. (leona, joking only, I know you can.)
raissa says
I try to.
But these are interesting, adrenaline-filled times – the ideal environment for reporters like me. :)