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Friday, January 05, 2007
Cebu priest missing since December 31 in MisOr
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- A Scalabrian priest who went home to San Juan Balingasag, Misamis Oriental for a high school reunion has gone missing, church and police officials in Misamis Oriental said Thursday.
Cagayan De Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano suspects that 46-year-old Fr. Lucio "Toto" Bola of the Scalabrian Missionaries in Talisay City, Cebu has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom by a certain group.
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"I already have the name of the group who may be possibly behind this but I will not as yet divulge their names as we are still verifying these reports," Emano said.
"We are asking you to return him," Emano calls on the group suspected to have kept the priest.
The mayor said Fr. Bola's family visited him Wednesday and asked for his help. They recounted to him how the priest's brothers and sisters were murdered in separate incidents in 1982 and 1983.
In an interview with Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Director Lyndel Desquitado and Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro spokesman Monsignor Elmer Abacahin said Fr. Bola has gone missing since December 31, 2006.
"We are still conducting an investigation as of now and we cannot as yet say for certain whether he is just missing or has been kidnapped," Desquitado said.
He added that they are also looking into the different groups suspected to have stalked Fr. Bola.
Abacahin said he was informed by Balingasag Parish Priest Fr. Ricardo Dancela that Fr. Bola came back to San Juan, Balingasag to visit his family for the Christmas season and to attend the alumni homecoming at St. Peter's College, Balingasag, Misamis Oriental.
"It was even Fr. Bola who said mass during the homecoming," he said.
Abacahin said Fr. Bola was invited to officiate a blessing on December 31 but he never arrived.
He said they called up Fr. Bola's mobile phone but the priest never answered.
"We also called up those who are with him in Cebu City but they told us that they have not seen or heard from Fr. Bola since he left for Balingasag," he said.
He added that Fr. Bola was even scheduled to take the 6:00 a.m. flight back to Cebu just after New Year but he did not show up.
Abacahin said the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro led by Archbishop Antonio Ledesma is now investigating Bola's disappearance.
"Tabang nami karon ug pangita gyud sa iyaha (We are all now doing everything we can to look for Fr. Bola)," he said.
In an interview over radio dxIF, Emano called on the public to help in the search for Fr. Bola.
He called on the group who may be holding Fr. Bola to contact him, even negotiate with him and return the priest immediately to him.
"Hangyo lang nako bisan asa ug bisan unsa ka layo adtoan nako para lang makuha si Fr. Bola (I am pleading to the group that I am willing to go to the place where you are keeping Fr. Bola no matter how far that is just to get him back)," he said.
"Kung unsa man ang sala adto nga pari or ang ilang pamilya sigurado ako nga naghinulsol na kadto ug nagserbisyo na sa atong katilingban (Whatever sin Fr. Bola did or his family, I am sure that he has already asked for forgiveness and is only out to serve the community)." (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (January 5, 2007 issue)
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