MANILA, Oct. 25, 2012—A Catholic archbishop has refuted the results of a truth survey conducted by a Catholic radio station and released to the media.
In a press forum last Oct. 23, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop-emeritus Oscar Cruz expressed dismay on the truth behind the results of the survey commissioned by the Manila archdiocese-run Radio Veritas.
Cruz questioned the agency who commissioned the survey stating that it is not a Church survey because the agency is not a Church, but a Church-run station.
He followed up his question by asking when did the agency become a survey firm and who is funding the survey?
“The results said that 50% of Filipinos are not married. But does Veritas know that 50% are married? For you to know how many Filipino couples are married, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO), there is a decreasing number of couples who are married in the urban areas, but in rural areas, there are still many married couples,” Cruz said.
Although Cruz believes that the percentage of married Filipino couples has lessened, but not totally 50%, according to him.
The prelate also expressed alarm on the result that more women are into drinking than men.
Do you believe that? Do you still need to survey to know who drinks more? Cruz asked reporters present during the press forum.
He clarified that it is not necessary to do a survey on who drinks more especially when the brand is also indicated in the survey.
But Cruz is not limiting the Church to do a survey but suggested to find a respectable survey firm.
He also mentioned that he appealed to a reporter of the radio station to check the survey results for errors.
“Sorry if I somehow stirred the soup because the quest for truth is very fundamental and continues. It is truth that will bring justice, it is justice that will bring peace and it is peace that will bring development. I’m hoping that they will not be mad at me and this is also a service to the agency concerned to be careful, we might be used by those who are attacking the Church,” Cruz added.
He thinks the result of the survey derogates the Filipino culture and Christian culture.
“This kind of conclusion attacks the culture of the Filipino people, especially the Christian culture,” he said.
“Radio Veritas is a Catholic brand; my desire is that they should be careful. I’m not saying that they must not do any survey. But they are identified as a part of the Church and I do not think that survey outfit and Veritas are the same, it is different,” Cruz furthered. (Jandel Posion)
