Thursday, April 03, 2008 Talk Back: Inayawan chapel By Mono Magallon Inayawan, Cebu City
I READ Mr. Bobby Nalzaro's columns in Sun.Star Cebu and Sun.Star Superbalita for his balanced and fair opinions. However, his article entitled “Conflict on chapel management in Inayawan” (Sun.Star Cebu, March 29, 2008) caught my attention.
Allow me to clarify and to put the issue in its proper perspective:
- The chapel was built by the late Emilio Jaca Sr., former Inayawan barangay captain, with the unselfish cooperation and donations from the people.
It belongs to the people of Inayawan and was registered under the name of Inayawan Chapel, Inayawan Cebu City as per revised Tax Dec. No. GRC6-12-078-02319 issued by the City Assessors Office.
- The conflict arose not because of the creation of the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) but because of the current struggle to control the chapel.
The plan to temporarily turn over the management of the chapel to the PPC was the idea of former parish priest Federico Gregorio when the people ousted Licerio “Warlito” Jaca, Emilio’s son, in an election on April 4, 2004. (Jaca has claimed the election was null and void.)
- There is no conflict between Inayawan residents and the parish priest; neither is there an uprising against Fr. Domingo Saladaga.
The conflict is among Fr. Saladaga, Emiliano Maneja, lawyer of the owners of the lot where the chapel stands, and Jaca, president of the chapel organization.
While Jaca wants to have masses held inside the chapel to raise funds for its maintenance, Maneja does not want these held in the chapel without his permission, more so under the leadership of Jaca.
Fr. Saladaga was disappointed when, in a meeting with parishioners, Maneja showed him a writ of execution issued by the court and sternly warned him not to hold masses inside the chapel without his permission because the chapel is private property.
In order not to be embroiled in the controversy, Fr. Saladaga announced in the mass celebrated last Jan. 13, 2008 that he will no longer hold mass in the chapel.
But because of the request of barangay officials, parishioners and religious groups and the advice of the archdiocese, Fr. Saladaga resumed celebrating masses in Inayawan, this time at the open basketball court beside the chapel (and not at the sports complex).
The mass held on March 23, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. was marred by a confrontation between Fr. Saladaga and Jaca. But the priest has vowed to continue holding masses outside the chapel even without donations and at the cost of his life.
