CBCP disowns ‘bishop’ arrested for shabu in Cavite

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Saturday disowned the alleged bishop who was arrested while in the act of sniffing methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in Cavite last Thursday.

Richard Alcantara of the Sacred Order of St. Michael Archangel was arrested after three months of surveillance operation, said Superintendent Vicente Cabatingan, Bacoor police chief.

In a statement, the CBCP said: “Richard Alcantara is neither a Catholic bishop nor a priest of the Roman Catholic Church and is certainly not a member of the CBCP.”

Alcantara admitted he was hooked on shabu as he was conducting research regarding the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

He claimed to have told his parishioners not to use illegal drugs.

Alcantara said he sustained his drug habit through the money sent to him from his congregation in the UK.

Alcantara is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Theology and was ordained at the Imus Cathedral.