Fake priest thrown in jail

A 34-year-old man disguised as a Catholic priest was handcuffed by police and thrown into jail yesterday morning before he could officiate a Holy Mass, for duping a Catholic church-based organization in Caloocan City.

"Father" Richard Tabila, who claimed he was parish priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Apostolic Church at 116 Gomez St., San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City, was collared at around 4:30 Saturday morning.

The bogus priest was handcuffed shortly after exposing the Blessed Sacrament "in a very unusual way."

Earlier, Tabila had sat in the confessional box and heard the confession of about 40 devotees in the overnight vigil organized by the Alliance of the Two Hearts (ATH). The ATH is a religious chapter of the Alliance of the Holy Family International based in Delaware, USA, doing missionary work at the Our Lady of Grace Parish (OLGP). The OLGP Church is located on 11th Avenue, Caloocan City.

Police Superintendent Dionisio Borromeo, Station Intelligence and Investigation Division (SIID) chief, who presented the suspect to newsmen said Tabila mentioned a certain Bishop Rodolfo Adorna as his immediate superior.

Borromeo said Adorna, whose name did not appear in the official roster of Catholic bishops, confirmed Tabila was indeed their congregation’s parish priest. Both insisted that their group does not belong to the Roman Catholic Church.

SPO2 Tony Peñaranda, officer-on-case, said Fr. Ben Gomez of the OLGP, told him shortly after ATH members questioned Tabila’s true identity, that the suspect was a fake.

ATH coordinator Larry Tan told The STAR they knew Tabila was a fake after noticing the unusual way he was exposing the Holy Eucharist.

"We noticed that he was not following the rubrics (rules) on the ritual movements," Tan said. To confirm his suspicion, Tan followed Tabila after the rites. When confronted, the man first denied he was a fake and claimed he studied for the priesthood in Canada.

But before investigators at the police station, Tabila retracted his statements and said he only attended a seminary. Tan called certain numbers given by the suspect which all turned out to be not available for service. Tan called Adorna, who promised to appear before police probers, but failed to make good his promise.

Tan said the fake priest was contracted for his services by a certain Abby Eucariza, 40, an ATH member, who left for Iloilo City that morning. Tan said Eucariza did not know that Tabila, who would have been given a stipend of P1,500 was a fake.

Borromeo said that Tabila will remain jailed at the city police station detention center as charges of acts offensive to religious beliefs (Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code) were filed against him.

The City Prosecutor’s Office recommended P30,000 bail for his temporary liberty.

Meanwhile, a member of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) police force is now in hot water for accidentally shooting and seriously wounding a vacationing seaman neighbor Friday night in Caloocan City.

Police identified the suspect as Rogelio Sabado, a regular member of the PNR police force, Caloocan Command, and of 188 Second Avenue West, Grace Park, Caloocan City.

Sabado’s neighbor, Rolando Cumilang, 29, is now fighting for his life at the Ospital ng Caloocan due to a gunshot wound in the back of the body.

Police said that the suspect’s children engaged in a free for all with a group of youngsters along Second Avenue West between A. Del Mundo and J. Teodoro streets at around 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The group of unidentified teenagers reportedly chased the suspect’s son and daughter until they reached their house and sought their father’s help, police said.

Reacting to the incident, Sabado, armed with a Super 38 pistol, fired a shot into the air, apparently to threaten his children’s attackers, but accidentally hit his neighbor.

PO1 Rogelio Cervantes and PO1 Mary Antonette Baldo of the Northern Police District Intelligence Unit immediately apprehended the suspect.

Sabado is now locked up in the Caloocan police detention cell and charges are being readied against him. – Pete Laude