He is friends with President Rodrigo Duterte, who is also from Davao. Archbishop Valles will succeed Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, who finishes his second and final term as CBCP head. As CBCP president, Archbishop Valles will lead the 83 active bishops, five diocesan administrators and 43 honorary members of the CBCP from 86 ecclesiastical jurisdictions. He and President Duterte had opportunities to work together when the latter was mayor of Davao City for some 20 or so years. New CBCP President Archbishop Valles could make his organization do the extraordinary by working with President Duterte in anti-drug operations—offering to drug criminals the firm but friendly hand of the people working for God and the Church lest they suffer execution by Duterte’s anti-crime operatives.

Source: Manila Times July 09, 2017 13:41 UTC