CBCP: Cebu archbishop elected new CBCP head

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma was elected president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines at its 103rd Plenary Assembly in Manila Saturday. Palma will assume his post on December 1, following his election Saturday at the CBCP’s assembly at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center. A report on the CBCP news site early Sunday said Palma will succeed Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar, who did not seek reelection. Other new CBCP officials elected on Saturday were:

• Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, Vice President;
• Dumaguete Bishop John Du, Treasurer succeeding Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco;
• Msgr. Joselito Asis, then assistant secretary general and assistant treasurer, as Secretary General succeeding Msgr. Juanito Figura.

Palma, who is from the Jaro Archdiocese in Iloilo, was ordained to the priesthood on August 21, 1976 and named Auxiliary Bishop of Cebu on November 28, 1997. He was named Calbayog bishop in January 1999 at age 47. He became Palo Archbishop on March 18, 2006 and was appointed Cebu Archbishop on October 15 last year. Meanwhile, Figura will return to the Archdiocese of Jaro following the election of Asis as secretary general. — LBG, GMA News