PHILIPPINES
Philippines Daily Inquirer
By Jocelyn R. Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Parañaque Bishop Jesse Mercado on Wednesday denied accusations he had misused some P3.2 million in donations from his parishioners, saying the funds were audited annually by the Archdiocese of Manila.
Facing reporters, Mercado answered point by point the accusations by some of his priests and lay members of the diocese.
In a complaint filed in the papal nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, Mercado was alleged to have diverted over P3.2 million in donations for victims of Tropical Storm “Ondoy,” Haiti earthquake, Typhoon “Sendong,” and a fire in Muntinlupa City.
Low morale, frustration
The bishop was also accused of allotting a measly amount for the health insurance and retirement of priests from the diocese’s yearly collections, causing low morale and frustration among the clergy.
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