Philippine Officials Suggest Government Lottery Donations To Catholic Church Were Unconstitutional

This week end, the Philippine Star, the Manila Sun Star, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer are all reporting on disclosures by new management of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office that six Catholic dioceses and another Catholic organization in 2008 and 2009 received the equivalent of over $175,000 (US) from the government-run lottery agency that supports health and general welfare activities. The Philippine House of Representatives is planning hearings to determine if the grants violate provisions of the Philippine Constitution that call for the separation of church and state (Art. I, Sec. 5) and that ban the use of government funds to benefit any religious organization (Art. VI, Sec. 29). The funds were allegedly used to buy SUV's-- Mitsubishi Pajeros-- for bishops of each of the seven recipients. The SUVs are apparently used in church-run medical and relief operations serving outlying areas. Today's Manila Bulletin quotes 4 bishops who say their vehicles did not come from PCSO funds. At least one bishop has suggested that the government may be targeting the Catholic Church because of its strong opposition to the Philippines' controversial reproductive health bill.