Bishops from the so-called Malacanang presidential palace “diocese” are suspected to have been the recipients of cars from a government charity office during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. A church insider who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue said the vehicles’ recipients, who he did not identify, were already known to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. The automobiles were allegedly given by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office as a way of shoring up support for Arroyo. Father Marvin Osme?a, administrator of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in the Ozamis diocese, dismissed the report. Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz said these bishops should own up to spare other bishops from the controversy. “I think those concerned should speak up. If not, the Church hierarchy would be suspect.”