Thursday, January 18, 2007 Missing priest in Zambo town: clergy By Lizanilla J. Amarga
THE Scalabrini missionary priest who was reported missing over two weeks now was sighted in one of the towns of the newly chartered province of Zamboanga Sibugay, the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro said Wednesday.
Fr. Lucio Bula, the 46-year-old Scalabrini missionary priest from San Juan, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, was reported seen in one of the towns of Zamboanga Sibugay. However, Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno the case is not entirely close yet.
The development has somehow "raised more questions than answers," Moreno said.
According to Monsignor Elmer Abacahin, Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro media relations officer, Bula was identified by Fr. Jun Baguio, the parish priest of Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay.
"Pero hangtud karon naa man gyud ko'y cellnumber ni Fr. Bula dili gihapon ko niya tubagon bisan ako na siya nga gi-text nga safe ni nga number (But even until now when I call up Fr. Bula's mobile phone number, he would still not answer despite text messages I sent him that this number is safe)," he said.
"But I think I understand the situation he is in considering how Fr. Bula's parents and close family members were brutally murdered in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental in the past."
Abacahin said Baguio was able to talk with Bula who recounted his ordeal to the parish priest.
According to Baguio, Bula was forced into hiding when the latter observed three armed men whom he believed was out to harm him just when he was at Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental and on his way to Jasaan.
Bula even asked the help of a jeepney conductor when transferring from one public utility jeepney to another that was bound for Cagayan de Oro City.
The missionary priest reportedly stayed in Cagayan de Oro City and even attended the Holy Mass Celebration of the Three Kings.
But Bula decided to leave the region and all threats to his life by heading towards some of his relatives at Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay.
"There he was seen by Baguio and Bula even celebrated mass," Abacahin said adding that Bula sent out word to his fellow Scalabrini priests in Cebu City as to his whereabouts early this month.
For now, he said, Fr. Bula would rather keep low and his whereabouts confidential, Abacahin said.
Bula graduated from St. Peter's College in Balingasag, Misamis Oriental. He went off to become a priest and for several years did his missionary work in Europe under the Scalabrini Order.
He was then assigned to Cebu City but came home last December to spend Christmas with his relatives in his hometown Balingasag, Misamis Oriental and attend their alumni homecoming at St. Peter's College on the same town.
Bula was scheduled last Dec. 31 to bless the residence of a classmate's sibling in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental. But he never made it to Jasaan and was later reported missing by his relatives and friends.
Balingasag Parish Priest Ricardo Dancel relayed the incident to the other officers of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro while the relatives also went to Moreno and Cagayan de Oro city mayor Vicente Emano for help.
Moreno immediately created an inter-agency taskforce to conduct a search of the missing missionary priest even vowing to ask for help from Manila to create a "National Watch" should they fail to find the missing priest.
