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	Pasay Parishioners Protest Reinstatement of Priest By Nina Calleja Inquirer June 2, 2010 http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20100602-273467/Pasay-parishioners-protest-reinstatement-of-priest MANILA, Philippines—Placard-carrying parishioners gathered inside the St. Mary the Comforter Parish in Maricaban, Pasay City on Wednesday morning to protest the reinstatement of their former parish priest who, according to them, had been involved in "anomalous activities." The residents tried to prevent the outgoing priest Fr. David Colong from leaving as they blocked the church's gate while chanting “No to Father Al!” and “Fr. Dave stay!” “We want Fr. Dave or any other priests, but not Fr. Alfonso Valeza,” Luz Cabanatan, a 60-year-old active parishioner said. Most women were seen crying when Colong, who was carrying his luggage, stepped out of the church. Colong, who was assigned in San Juan De Dios Parish Church, was supposed to be replaced by Father Alfonso Valeza, the parish priest of Maricaban between 1998-2002. However, while the parishioners stood guarding the church in protest, a representative of Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales came to announce that the appointment of Valeza as parish priest of St. Mary the Comforter Parish has been revoked. A hundred residents have opposed the return of Valeza to their parish because they said the complaints against the priest remained unresolved up to now. At the rally, Cabanatan told the Inquirer that during a homily back in 2000, Valeza lied about the remaining cost of the construction of the church's altar. “He told us we needed to raise more money because the church has yet to pay the remaining balance amounting to P480, 000 to a factory in Bulacan. We later found out that he was lying, our debt was only P190, 000,” she said. Olym Vidallo, a lay worker at the parish, said that apart from money issues, Valeza used to utter invectives during the mass and abolish lay organizations by his whims. Valeza, when phoned by the Inquirer, refused to comment saying the issues had been settled eight years ago. However, the president of the Catholic Women's League in Maricaban, took up the cudgels for Valeza and said those at the rally inside the church were “liars” out to hurt the priest. She said she and other church workers were with the priest in 2000 when the latter was searching for “cheap” contractors to work on the construction of the church's altar. "All of them are lying. I swear to God, Fr. Al never stole money from the church," she added in Filipino. The tension at the Maricaban church subsided at noon when Rosales' letter was read aloud to the protesters. Maricaban, which is composed of eight baranga
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