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Monday, July 17, 2006
Pardo folk want priests out
OVER 1,000 parishioners held a prayer rally for the ouster of two priests from the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva church in Barangay Poblacion Pardo, Cebu City.
They converged in front of the church Saturday night, asking that Msgr. Constantino Diotay, parish priest for around 11 years, and Fr. Domingo Tapic step down.
Bearing candles and placards, they criticized the two priests for alleged “corruption and ineptness.”
A few placards read: “Msgr. Diotay, Fr. Tapic nagsige la’g atik?”, and “Ang panapi angay putlon ang altar dili gub-on” (Are you always going to fool us? Stop your money-making activities, don’t renovate the altar anymore).
One placard asked where the amount the parish received during the Holy Week went. The money, it said, could fill a sack.
Despite the rain, leaders of the protest stood on an elevated platform and gave speeches blared over speakers they brought along.
Two big banners draped along the skywalk in front of the parish contained appeals that the “overstaying” Diotay and Tapic be ousted.
Fed up
It likewise stated: “Husto na, panghawa na, sobra na! Pardohanon gipul-an na” (Stop the corruption. They should leave. Pardohanons are fed up).
A Kalihukang Katoliko Karon (KKK) faction led the rally. Its head, Poblacion Pardo resident Walter Rodrigo Abellanosa, first came out with allegations against the priests.
One complaint was against the “excessive” price for the five-year use of cemetery space.
School charges
The rallyists, who came from Poblacion Pardo and neighboring barangays of Cogon Pardo, Kinasang-an and Inayawan, asked where the money is now.
There were also complaints against fees the parish imposed for the use of the parking spaces inside the church compound, and fees on children attending a parish foundation school.
“Motu-o ba ta nga kung foundation na pabayron ang mga bata?” Abellanosa said (Are we going to believe that a foundation should charge the school children?).
Sun.Star Cebu tried calling the church convent to get the side of the two priests but no one answered the phone.
In an earlier interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Diotay said all the income goes directly to parish treasurer Lilian Meneses.
The parish is currently undergoing renovation for its 140th anniversary celebration this September.
The project, costing P500,000, had the blessing of Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, and is in accordance with liturgical norms outlined by Msgr. Cris Garcia, chairman of the Cebu Archdiocese commission on worship, he added.
No support
Among the planned improvements is for the altar to be lowered so people can catch a glimpse of the tabernacle, which Diotay described as among the most beautiful in the archdiocese.
Chairs will also be set up in both sides of the church for the priest and liturgical readers. The floors will be covered with marble and granite.
Earlier, Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) head Exor Cabiluna assured the parish has the support of most Pardohanons in its endeavor. PPC is composed of leaders of groups recognized in Pardo.
For Abellanosa and his group, however, the 140-year-old parish should have been preserved.
Poblacion Pardo Barangay Captain Danilo Lim said Saturday’s crowd was small when the rally started at 8 p.m.
But their number later swelled to around 1,000 so that they occupied the road and even the overpass.
Abellanosa estimated around 1,500 joined him. Barangay tanod Jose Camilo Cabarse, though, said there were just 500 to 800 of them.
The people disbanded after the speeches.
Not mediating
Lim said he and Poblacion Pardo councilors are keeping their hands off the situation, saying the issue is so sensitive that Cardinal Vidal is the best person to mediate.
“Kami sa council dili lang mi manghilabot bahin anang away. Lisod na kaayo kay pasanginlan na pud nya mi nga naay gidapigan,” he said (We, in the council, don’t want to meddle in the conflict. We might be accused of taking sides).
His council held a special session Friday night to discuss the situation. The councilors, many of whom are lay ministers, decided not to issue an official statement.
“Kami maminaw lang mi. Magpahipi lang mi. Ang amo maintenance of peace and order,” he added (We will just listen to both sides. We’ll just try to maintain peace and order).
He fielded 18 tanods for the rally.
“Si Cardinal ra gyuy makasulbad ani. Ako gani karon dili na ka-mediate ani. Rally gani sa una, ni mediate ko, wala man ko tagda. Walay maminaw,” he said (Only Cardinal Vidal can solve this. I won’t even mediate in this. I tried to meddle before but no one listened to me).
Previous rally
He was referring to the 1998 conflict between KKK and the Dominican sisters administering the Holy Rosary School in Pardo over an expansion project of the school.
KKK later accused Vidal of siding with the Dominican sisters, and held a rally at the Archbishop’s Palace to present their demands, which included a call for Vidal’s resignation.
Lim said he hoped things would not degenerate and that the protesters will listen to the prelate.
He promised that as a parishioner, he would see to it that those given tasks for the 140th anniversary of the Sto. Tomas de Villanueva Parish on Sept. 22 will continue working.
“Unsa gani kaming tanan man ang mauwawan. Ang ako lang nga dili mo-suffer ang kasaulogan,” he said (We’ll be shamed if we won’t be ready for the feast day. We don’t want the celebration to fail). (JGA/RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 17, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here.
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