A Catholic priest who has faced online attacks said his public advocacy flows from his priestly vocation and service to the poor, not from political engagement.
In a reflection posted on his social media account, Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD, said the prayers and messages of support he has received reaffirmed the purpose of his ministry.
“I receive them not as a defense of myself, but as a reminder of what truly matters,” Villanueva said.
The priest stressed that his identity and actions are rooted in his ordination rather than public controversy.
“Before I am anything else, I am a priest,” he said, adding that he was ordained “not to protect a reputation, but to accompany human beings—especially those who suffer, those who are forgotten, and those whose dignity is easily dismissed.”
Villanueva said his work with grieving families, the homeless, and victims of violence should not be framed as political activity.
“When we accompany families who have lost loved ones, when we help the homeless bathe, eat, and regain a sense of worth, when we give names back to the dead, we are not engaging in politics,” he said. “We are doing priestly work. Human work. Gospel work.”
Addressing criticism related to his past, Villanueva said he has never hidden it and has spoken about it openly.
The attacks intensified after he joined a petition against Vice President Sara Duterte, with critics citing his history as a former drug dependent.
“I believe that grace is not proven by a flawless beginning, but by a life that has been changed, healed, and offered back in service,” he said.
Villanueva said he does not claim moral authority over others. “I do not claim moral superiority. I claim only responsibility—to stand with the poor, to listen to the grieving, and to insist that truth matters,” he said.
He acknowledged that speaking about truth and accountability can provoke discomfort but warned against silence. “Healing without truth remains incomplete, and silence in the face of suffering is not neutrality,” he said.
Responding to personal attacks, Villanueva said he has chosen restraint. “I do not respond to anger with anger. I do not respond to insults with retaliation,” he said, adding, “Noise does not deserve more noise.”
He said he entrusts himself “to prayer, to the discernment of the Church, and to the slow, often difficult work of justice.”
Villanueva thanked those who have expressed support without hostility and appealed for continued prayer. “May we never grow tired of choosing truth, mercy, and human dignity—especially when it costs us something,” he said.
