Charles Teves
House Deputy Speaker and SAGIP Representative Rodante Marcoleta has been subjected to fake news after online posts suggested the lawmaker wants crucifixes removed from hospitals.
Facebook page I Love Antique wrote: “Nagpasa ng bill sa kongreso si Congressman Marcoleta para ipatanggal ang mga krus sa mga hospital dahil para sa kanya ang krus ay simbolismo ng katolisismo,”
The source came from Abante, a tabloid website.
“Hindi lahat Katoliko! Krus sa mga ospital pinapatanggal,” its headline read.
Marcoleta, a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo, authored House Bill 4633 or the Neutrality of Religion in Health Care Institutions bill, which proposes that “the hanging of religious mementos, such as crucifixes, in hospital suites [will be] optional.”
The bill would allow hospital patients to choose whether they want a crucifix in their room of choice or not but indicates nothing of requiring health facilities to remove religious mementos.
The proposal states that “many local hospital suites” can make a non-Catholic patient uncomfortable but Marcoleta says that the hanging of crucifixes should be “a matter of option.”
Fellow lawmaker Rep. José “Lito” Atienza Jr. revealed that Reverend Father Larry Faraon seemed offended by the fake news.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=105768614466439&story_fbid=148836130159687
Faraon wants Marcoleta out of Congress for going after the crucifix.
“..Alam mo representative Marcoleta, Ang daming krus eh kahit saang hospital kahit government ay may krus eh, an daming tatanggaling Krus, eh kung si Marcoleta tatanggalin natin para mas madali, isa lang tatangalin natin, Bakit tatanggalin mga krus napakarami, siya nalang kaya tatanggalin natin,” Faraon said according to Atienza.
Faraon was accused of corruption by his officers at The Lord’s Flock Catholic Charismatic Community in 2003.
Marcoleta, on the other hand, is seen as the INC’s attack dog for ABS-CBN after the network reported alleged corruption within the church a few years back.
