In one public engagement where Manila Archbishop Cardinal Tagle was asked about his reaction to the Pork Barrel Scam, the Cardinal was moved to tears as he appealed to politicians to be more compassionate to the poor.
Frankly, I am puzzled and disappointed at this reaction. The normal reaction of people in the face of betrayal and deceit is anger. Even Christ threw a fit at a temple when he saw how it was turned into a den of thieves. He did not cry and pleaded to the merchants to simply show more respect to the place.
Politicians who heartlessly plunder public money in the face of the massive miserable poverty of our country are incorrigible thieves. I doubt if appealing to them will do any good. The Cardinal may be trying to be like the good shepherd who will go out of one's way to find a lost sheep but in this case, these thieving politicians can not be considered as sheep but wolves. The good shepherd will try to protect his flock from predators instead of inviting these predators to mingle with his flock.
That Janet Napoles, the central figure in the scam was so close to church leaders and yet so mired in an evil enterprise of plunder - that should be the source of grief for the Cardinal.
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