Davao archbishop named new CBCP president
Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles will officially lead the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Dec. 1.
Valles, 66, incumbent vice president, will serve as the 20th president succeeding Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas.
Valles will head 83 active, 5 diocesan administrators, and 43 honorary members of CBCP from 86 ecclesiastical jurisdictions.
Archbishop Valles. Photo by CBCP News
Valles was ordained in 1976 and was appointed as bishop of Kidapawan in 1997. He was appointed as archbishop of Zamboanga in 2006 until 2012 when he was assigned to archdiocese of Davao.
Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, a Bible scholar, was elected, together with Valles, as the vice president in an election held last July 8 at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Paco, Manila.
CBCP officials have two-year tenure in office, a total of four to include the second term if the tradition of re-electing officials for their second and last term will be followed.
Palo Archbishop John Du, elected treasurer and Fr. Marvin Mejia, elected secretary general, were also set to assume their posts along with the regional representatives for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Luzon representatives were Archbishop Marlo Peralta of Nueva Segovia, Bishops Ruperto Santos of Balanga, Reynaldo Evangelista of Imus, Victor Ocampo of Gumaca, and Jose Rojas of Libanan.
Visayas representatives were Archbishop Jose Advincula of Capiz and Bishop Isabelo Abarquez of Calbayog.
Mindanao representatives include Archbishops Romulo dela Cruz of Zamboanga and Martin Jumoad of Ozamiz.