Anglicans press ouster of Mt Prov solon over demolition of church

BY GINA DIZON

SABANGAN, Mountain Province -- Call it tit for tat but the northern diocese of the Anglican Church is calling for the ouster of the incumbent congressman of this province for allegedly initiating the demolition of their church here.

They aired the call to castigate Rep. Victor Dominguez during their 36th convention last April 18 by not voting for him due to his alleged “oppressive acts” related to the demolition of the church.

Majority of the 48 active clergy from the diocese said they were opting for the candidacy of incumbent mayor of Sabangan and candidate for congressman, Jupiter Dominguez. Jupiter is the incumbent solon’s nephew.

“The mayor provided moral support in the struggle of the Anglican congregation in defense of the church. Due to his reassuring presence, Anglicans in this town were not demoralized,” an Anglican clergy member said.

The 45 year old St .Peter’s church here at Sitio Lengey was demolished last July 2006 by contractors in place for the construction of the Lengey multi-purpose building funded from the Priority Development Assistance Funds of Rep. Dominguez implemented by the Mt. Province district office of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The church, in their case for forcible entry filed a case against DPWH District Engineer Leonardo Leyaley and eight other residents of Sabangan saying construction of the multipurpose gym illegally done under “stealth, force and strategy” on the church’s 1,872 square meter property.

The multi-million gymnasium saw initial construction in October 2005 under premises that the lot where the building was constructed was allegedly owned by the Poblacion of Sabangan.
The Sangguniang Bayan of Sabangan with the approval of the municipal mayor Dominguez however unanimously condemned the illegal demolition of the controversial church building in their August 28, 2006 resolution.

The incumbent congressman, despite a “gentleman’s agreement made on March 10, 2006 with bishops to respect whatever decision the MCTC would render on the conflict” disregarded said agreement, the Anglican church claimed in their congregational statement.

The Municipal Trial Court earlier ruled in its May 2006 decision that the said church has private rights over the contested land.

In said statement, the 40,000 Anglican membership of the northern diocese through signatories Bishop Edward Malecdan and Convention Secretary Victor Ananayo called for the congregation to campaign in “full force against the solon and put an end to his oppressive and corrupt acts.”

The Anglicans in defense of their church gathered further support from the Episcopal Diocese of Santiago in their 7th Convention expressing “moral support to the diocese of northern Philippines in their quest for justice relative.”

The one-storey wooden church building was initially brought down to the ground by the project contractors during Palm Sunday on April 2006.

The aggrieved Anglican congregation again reconstructed the church building on July 2006 with donations including logs and construction aggregates given by Mayor Jupiter Dominguez.
At the height of typhoon Floring however on July 12 of the same year, the church was totally wrecked and dismantled down the ground by contractors allegedly with the backing of the incumbent solon.

This “oppressive act” led to the conduct of a vigil by Anglicans where the mayor sent police elements to secure the vigil site at the church site, claimed one of the members of the local congregation.

“This is not just a simple case of the demolition of a church building. The main issue here is oppression of church people by a high government official using his position, power and PDAF”, the Social Ministries of the Church said.

The Anglican membership now conduct their church services in front of the gymnasium building and earlier at the Municipal Hall.

While members of St Peter’s church continue to suffer from the physical and psychological effects of the demolition and desecration of their church, the resolution forwarded that solon Dominguez had been making “deceiving and insulting remarks against Anglicans” reportedly with statements like “St Peter’s church never existed”.

The Anglican Church’s services began after the land was purchased in 1958 by the Domestic and Foreign Missionary of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (now Episcopal Church in the Philippines) from Pedro Compalas Aglipay who was then the caretaker of the property owned by the Aglipayan Church.

The Regional Trial Court affirmed the decision of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court finding Episcopal Diocese of Northern Philippines the lawful possessor of the land in dispute.

Following a motion for reconsideration from appellants Leyaley et al, RTC Presiding Judge Joseph Patnaan, in his January 9, 2007 Order denied the motion for lack of merit.

Said case is pending on motion for reconsideration by the Church to the Court of Appeals following the Feb 20 reversal of the CA of the decision of the lower courts finding that the lot is owned by the Church.

The appellate court in its argument ruled that judges in the lower courts violated due process arguing that Barangay Poblacion Sabangan is an “indispensable third party” to the land dispute.
While the case of the church’s demolition is currently being heared in court, the case moved to issues of whom to vote as congressman for the May 14 elections, among congregation of the Anglican church.

Some Anglicans calling themselves “Anglican friends of Jup Fellowship” said Jupiter stood against the construction of the gym citing one reason where the mayor stood against the construction of the gym.

Some members of the congregation however asked whether the mayor had a hand in the construction of the gym.

“I have done what I can to stop the construction of the gymnasium and contrary statements are baseless and malicious,” the mayor said.