CBCP’s New Vice-President: The Archbishop of Davao

DAVAO CITY, July 8, 2013 – The Archbishop of Davao, Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles was elected as the new Vice President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). He was elected by close to 100 bishops in the 107th Plenary Assembly of the CBCP elections held at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Paco, Manila on Sunday, July 7.

According to CBCP statutes, he will take his new post on December 1, 2013 together with the newly elected president Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan. Based on CBCP statutes, the CBCP president and vice-president are elected for a two-year term and can serve a maximum of two terms. That means, they can be re-elected for their second and last term.

Valles was ordained a priest on April 6, 1976 at the age of 24. At the age of 46, on August 6, 1977 he was elevated to the office of Bishop and appointed as the Local Ordinary of the Diocese of Kidapawan. After 9 years, he became the Archbishop of Zamboanga on November 13, 2006.

On February 12, 2012 he was appointed Archbishop of Davao and succeeded the Most Rev. Fernando R. Capalla, D.D. as Archbishop of Davao.

Meanwhile Palo Archbishop John Du was re-elected treasurer. Fr. Marvin Mejia was elected by the assembly from Assistant Secretary General to Secretary General succeeding Msgr. Joselito Asis.

By: Nora A. Abella