‘Priest’doing marriage rites probed

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines —  The Palo Archdiocese, headed by Archbishop John Du, said it will release a press statement this week about a man, who posed as a priest and celebrated the sacrament of matrimony in Alang-Alang town of Leyte, even if he is not a member of neither the Catholic Church nor of the archdiocese.

Reverend Father Cris Militante, public information officer of the Palo Archdiocese, said that initial investigation showed that a certain Algerico Cabilogan Jr., last May 28, administered a marriage ceremony to a couple at Barangay Cogon in Alang-Alang.

"Consequently, he (Cabilogan) is not a cleric of the Palo Archdiocese and that the Sacrament he may confer may be doubtful in validity and thus certainly unlawful," Militante told the media in Tacloban City.

Cabilogan was known before as theology student in Calbayog but he failed to complete his priesthood and later  joined instead the Philippine Independent Church, popularly known as the Aglipayan Church.

The Freeman tried to talk to Cabilogan about this matter, but he was found to be no longer in his given address and he could not be located anymore.