MANILA, March 31, 2009—Amid calls for him to choose between the priesthood and politics, Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio said he will quit from priesthood should he decide to run for president in 2010.
Panlilio, a Catholic priest-turned politician, said he has no choice but to ask for dispensation to end dispute over his priestly status.
“If ever I run (as president), I will really have to give up my priesthood. I have no other choice,” he said Tuesday.
Some Catholic bishops said it would be nearly impossible for Panlilio to engage in “transactional politics” and still hold on to the strict moral standards of his priesthood.
Archbishop Oscar Cruz, a canon lawyer and one his vocal critics, said Panlilio, being a priest, albeit suspended, must follow the rule of church law.
Panlilio also told reporters it’s likely the Holy See will respect his decision if he decides to push with his presidential bid.
"This is not the first case because there was a bishop in Paraguay (who ran and won as president). Four years before running, he asked for dispensation," he said.
But before notifying the Vatican of his intention to join the presidential race, Panlilio said he must first write a formal letter to church officials in the country.
"I might be penalized if, for example, I'll run again for the presidency if I don't ask for dispensation,” he also said.
“I have to write them and make a formal statement that I'm asking for dispensation. If I ask for dispensation, it means I will run," he added. (Roy Lagarde)