Bishop David, who Digong says steals, defends ‘slaughtered sheep’

President Duterte did not give the full name of the Catholic bishop whom he accused last Friday (Nov. 23) of diverting to his family foodstuffs offered in church during mass. The President referred only to a “Bishop Bavid.” But Caloocan City Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, in his reply over the weekend, said he is the only David among the bishops in the country.

Duterte enumerated the fruits and vegetables that he said Bishop David hauled to his home instead of the convent. But there was no juicy morsel of a gossip, such as a mistress and children stashed away somewhere who benefited from the staples. And the news reports said nothing about cash contributed by parishioners; maybe because Bishop David reportedly runs a poor parish. Unlike a few other clergy accused by the President, David is not linked to massive wealth or wanton lechery.

Why David

The bishop and his colleagues must have a good reason to suspect that the President was picking on David. The bishop–59, a native of Betis, Guagua, Pampanga–has been actively watching over and defending young parishioners who were victims of illegal killings in the drug campaign.

Last year, he called the vigilantes and rogue cops “termites and Judases” that have been systematically killing the drug suspects. David was known for keeping a list of the victims, a kind of snooping that those leading the drug war must hate. He was outspoken over the murder of Kian de los Santos and, days later, Kian’s friend Carl Angelo Arranguez.

The spiritual leader in Caloocan has spoken against the killing of young drug suspects in his city. He is compared to the shepherd who has been trying to protect his flock

Like watching flock

Inquirer columnist John Nery once compared Bishop David’s task to watching sheep. When wolves are devouring the sheep, Rappler quoted Nery in a 2017 account, the shepherd will have no recourse but try to protect them.

Most of the President’s blasts against the clergy are generalized and sweeping. Only occasionally does he mention specific individuals. Or he starts with clues before finally giving out full names. As in most of the people listed in his “narco” list, David was accused publicly without evidence shown, just the promise of a video.

Guts and fire

David didn’t say he would press on in his defense of his flock but people who know the bishop well don’t expect him to behave otherwise.

A product of San Jose Seminary, based in Ateno de Manila and school of at least three cardinals in the country, David is deemed a “heavyweight intellectual” who has guts and fire to speak out against what is wrong.

Silent lambs

In these times, when the President routinely spews out insults against the clergy, the church and even God, many Catholic Church leaders tend to hold back and cower in caution if not fear. Bishop David could go beyond saying they must bear with a “sick president” who might not know what he is doing.

Not all shepherds could keep quiet when the lambs, fearing they would be next in the slaughter, stay silent.