CEBU CITY — The Archdiocese of Cebu has issued a public disclaimer, disowning campaign posters that feature Archbishop Jose Palma standing alongside dismissed Cebu City mayor Michael Rama, who is running for mayor in the 2025 midterm elections.
The poster shows Rama holding Palma’s right hand with both of his hands, with the caption, “Thank you, Arch. Jose Palma.”
The posters, posted all over Cebu City and circulating on social media, also show Rama’s name and the posi-tion he is aspiring for.
The church clarified that the archbishop is not endorsing any political candidate and did not authorize the use of his image for campaign purposes.
The archdiocese also said that Palma has not allowed any of his priests to promote or defend political parties or candidates from the pulpit. It is calling for the immediate removal of the posters, citing potential violations of the Omnibus Election Code.
The archdiocese said the use of the Palma’s image may influence parishioners, particularly voters in Cebu City, and could expose the archbishop to legal consequences under Section 261(d) of the Code, which prohibits religious leaders from influencing voters.
It also raised concerns that the use of Palma’s photo without his informed consent violates the Data Privacy Act of 2012, which requires explicit permission before personal data, including images, may be used for such purposes.
“These posters will indirectly influence parishioners across the Archdiocese of Cebu who can exercise their right of suffrage in Cebu City to vote for this particular candidate,” the Archdiocese’s statement said.
The statement was signed by lawyer Rev. Fr. Domingo Delos Angeles, Jr., legal officer of the Archdiocese, and was approved by the archbishop, who is calling for a peaceful and honest election on May 12, 2025.
As of Thursday, Rama has not yet responded to the Archdiocese’s demand for the removal of the posters.
Rama faced legal challenges last year.
In May, the Ombudsman imposed a six-month preventive suspension on him for grave misconduct after he failed to pay city employees’ salaries.
In October, he was dismissed by the Ombudsman for misconduct and nepotism for allegedly hiring his broth-ers-in-law for city government positions.
Despite these setbacks, Rama filed his certificate of candidacy for the 2025 elections.
Although the Commission on Elections (Comelec) initially disqualified him from running in the 2025 polls, he appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court which issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Oct. 22, 2024, allowing him to continue his candidacy.