For anyone who would receive a rosary-like bracelet linked by a cross for free, it would be a delight especially when it would come from Vice President Jejomar Binay.
But for those who would see the letter “B” prominently marked on the center of the cross, it would mean something else.
Asked about the issue, Archbishop Socrates Villegas, the head of the catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, warned the politicians not to “abuse and misuse” sacred objects to gain political mileage.
Candidates for public office give away religious items to “enhance their public image.”
“If we speak of the separation of Church and state, there should be a distinction between what is sacred and what is secular,” Villegas said.
According to reports, Binay gave away these bracelets to the families of the victims of the recent capsized ferry off Ormoc City and during the papal visit in January.
However, after the post gained various reactions from netizens Mon Ilagan, Binay’s party spokesman, clarified that the giveaways are not rosaries but plain bracelets.
But the “B” on the cross remained to be controversial for critics and even to regular people who find it inappropriate.