Manila Bulletin
Gov’t to close down churches that defy ban on religious gatherings
Malacañang threatened to order the closure of Catholic churches that will defy the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) directive banning religious gatherings within the NCR Plus bubble from March 22 to April 4.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque urged Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo not to encourage the disregard of IATF rules, emphasizing that the ban is for the common good.
Bishop Pabillo had issued a Pastoral Instruction stating that religious worship would proceed inside churches at 10% capacity starting March 24, the first day of Holy Week.
Roque warned that the government could exercise its police powers to close churches if defiance occurs, which would not achieve any positive objective.
The Palace spokesperson expressed hope that such a drastic measure would not be necessary.
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Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, also the vice president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), criticized the government's decision to ban religious gatherings while allowing gyms and spas to operate at limited capacities in NCR Plus.
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The Archdiocese of Manila will permit churches to hold Masses at 10 percent seating capacity starting Wednesday, March 24, 2021.
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The Archdiocese of Manila clarified that it is not defying the government's ban on religious gatherings in the NCR Plus bubble.
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The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) has described the Inter-Agency Task Force's (IATF) ban on religious gatherings in the "NCR Plus" bubble as "grossly unfair" and implemented without prior consultation.
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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is urging religious groups to back the temporary prohibition of religious gatherings in Metro Manila and nearby provinces due to a significant rise in COVID-19 cases.
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