MEMBERS of Kapa-Community Ministry International Inc. were scheduled to hold a prayer rally at the Lapu-Lapu City Sports Complex today and tomorrow, June 20 and 21, 2019, but the mayor refused to issue a permit for the event.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza said she received the letter signed by Kapa member Ritchie Largo on Wednesday morning, June 19.
Largo requested to use the sports complex inside the City Hall compound for Kapa’s prayer rally dubbed “’One Voice and One Heart’ IBALIK ANG KAPA.” The religious organization said the event would have focused on the theme “Nagkakaisang Pilipino para sa mga mahihirap.”
But Radaza did not approve the request for a permit, fearing that the activity would cause trouble since hundreds of members were expected to attend.
“This kind of rally should have a proper security plan. Maglamok-lamok pa na hinuon diha. Ang mi-isyu sa permit na hinuon maoy madaot (If trouble arises during the rally, the one who issued the permit could be blamed),” the mayor said.
Radaza said she would also not allow Kapa to use Plaza Rizal in Barangay Poblacion.
She clarified, though, that she is not prohibiting anyone from using City Government-owned facilities. She only wants to ensure public safety, she said.
Besides, Radaza added, Kapa’s investment scheme was already declared illegal by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the religious corporation was ordered closed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Radaza learned that Kapa members have attempted to hold the event in other cities but the local government units also did not allow them to do so.
On Tuesday, June 18, the SEC lodged a criminal complaint against Kapa officials before the Department of Justice for allegedly operating an investment scam.
The filing of the criminal case against Kapa officials came more than a week after Duterte ordered the closure of Kapa, a non-stock and independent religious corporation accused of running an illegal multi-billion-peso investment scheme.
The state corporate regulator said Kapa and its officials perpetrated an investment scam that was in violation of Republic Act 8799 or the Securities Regulation Code.
“The Commission found Kapa to have enticed the public to donate at least P10,000 in exchange for a 30 percent monthly ‘blessing or ‘love gift’ for life, without having to do anything other than invest and wait for the payout,” it said in a statement released Tuesday. (From FVQ of SuperBalita Cebu, LRC)