Ex-monk's signature allegedly forged on shrine documents

CEBU, Philippines - The spokesman of the lawyer of former monk Venancio Cabillon said Cabillon’s signature was forged on documents submitted by his former brothers at the Simala Shrine in the estafa case against him.

Dr. Edwin Fonghe, former physician of the monks in Simala and now spokesperson of Cabillon’s lawyer Ivan Herrero, said they consulted a handwriting expert who revealed that Cabillon’s signature in the documents the Simala brothers presented in court in support of the estafa case they filed against Cabillon was forged.

“Results from the handwriting expert gipakita na dili to pirma ni Paul (Cabillon was also known as Frater Paul Mary). Sa document na ilahang gisubmit, naa to’y word na ‘by’ which means that somebody signed it, dili si Paul,” Fonghe said.

He, however, was not able to name the handwriting expert.

He added that it was also found out that the Cabillon’s signature on the document that alleged entrusted to him the monstrance and tabernacle, books, karaoke, camera and cash amounting P200,000 was falsified.

“Cabillon was never asked to deliver those, and kato rang 99 chairs which iya gyung nadala didto,” he said.

Fonghe said that the strokes of the writing indicating the items which Cabillon allegedly misappropriated are different. “Ang kato bitaw’ng giingon na 31 ka sultana na gitawag nila’g tunic blue habits, usa ra man unta to. Gipun-an lang nila og number ‘3’ tupad sa ‘1’ para mahimong 31 so ang ‘pc’ gibutangan og ‘s’ para mahimong ‘pcs’. But ang ‘s’ mas taas man and dili mao ang stroke sa una. This is clearly a falsification of private documents,” Fonghe said. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)