Does CBCP have amnesia?

Last Sunday, Fr. Jerome Secillano of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said in an interview that Jesus Christ was a victim of fake news and propaganda.

He tried to explain his statement by comparing the events that transpired leading to Christ’s crucifixion to current events happening in our society. According to his juxtaposition, Fr. Secillano said that “the high priests mounted a propaganda against him (Jesus Christ) because many believed him, and (sic) they accepted what he preached.”

In the same interview, CBCP’s executive secretary called for the people to be more discerning on the information they get.

Now, before I share his call for the public to be more prudent when it comes to digesting information they are exposed to, I cannot simply overlook the glaring loopholes in his statements.

I agree that Jesus Christ was a victim of propaganda or fake news – that is if we insist on referring to this term. I also agree that some of the events in the past are still taking place today, that’s why when I read the article on Fr. Secillano saying that Christ was a victim of fake news, my initial thought was: does he or CBCP have amnesia?

Apparently not. As what can be seen from the interview, Fr. Secillano was very much aware that religious leaders were completely responsible for what happened to Jesus Christ. He himself highlighted the role of the high priests in condemning Jesus Christ. This plotting against Jesus Christ can be found in several books of the Bible, including:

Matthew 12:14, “But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.”

Luke 20:20, “So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor.”

Mark 12:13, “Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement.”

Given his statement and comparing how the high priests plotted against Jesus Christ and what is currently happening at present, does this translate that nothing has changed – that religious groups are still active in influencing public opinion?

Another loophole I just cannot take sitting down is when Fr. Secillano said that in the current society, propaganda can be seen by reducing the truth to the numbers. In his very own words, “We reduce everything, we reduce the truth to mere numbers, porsiyento na lang – but the truth is not actually determined by numbers.”

What bothers me here is that this statement came out of the mouth of a man who once used “numbers” to show that the Filipinos are losing confidence on the president. In case you missed it, in an interview back in October 2017, it was also Fr. Secillano who said that President Duterte is to blame for the drop in his rating, at the same time accusing him for “inventing stories.”

With his statement that propaganda is reducing the truth to numbers, did he just admit that he and the organization he represents, are taking part in spreading propaganda?

Whether CBCP admits it or not, it is clear that they are playing a big role in the smear campaign and spreading propaganda against President Duterte. The irony is that while they clam to defend those who were allegedly not given due process, they are also the ones not giving due process whenever they blame the current administration for what is happening today, regardless if these decisions, rash or not, are all intended for the betterment of the nation.

Fr. Secillano is right: that there are things in the past that are still happening today, the most prevalent of them being the fact that religious leaders continue to shape public opinion.

My only hope this time is that, the actions of religious groups would not cause the condemnation of an individual who is just doing what he is tasked to do: do good for the people.