Diocese in SoCot warns against activities of ‘defrocked’ priest

The Diocese of Marbel in South Cotabato warned the faithful against activities officiated by one of priests who already left the Catholic Church for another religion.

“We regret to inform you that Fr. Alan G. Catigday has already left the Catholic Church,” Marbel Bishop Cerilo Casicas said in a letter dated March 15 and made public Monday.

“He has decided to join another religion,” the Catholic prelate added.

Casicas did not reveal what religion the priest has joined.

“The Catholic faithful of the Diocese of Marbel are enjoined not to participate in franchise area namely HB 6995 by Davao de Oro 1st District Rep. Maricar Zamora and Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Alan Dujali; HB 6740 by Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Partylist Rep. Margarita Ignacia Nograles; and HB 7047 by Marino Partylist Rep. Sandro Gonzales.

Masses and other Sacraments that he celebrates. These are not of the Catholic Church,” said Casicas.

The bishop added that they will continue to pray for the former priest of the diocese.

The Coalition Against the Privatization of Electric Cooperatives (CAPECs), which is backing Nordeco along with the National Center of Electric Consumers Cooperative (NCECCO), estimated that 4,000 individuals from Davao del Norte and Davao de Oro joined the peace walk and prayer rally.

CAPECs held the event in response to a motorcade-rally last week led by business owners in the city who joined the clamor for a new power utility to replace Nordeco, which they claimed to have been charging exorbitant rates to its consumers.

The rally culminated at the freedom park where speakers from different sectors took turns in lambasting the four bills in the House of Representatives that seek to let DLPC took over Nordeco’s franchise area in Tagum City, Island Garden City of Samal and the towns of Kapalong, Asuncion, San Isidro, New Corella and Talaingod in Davao del Norte as well as the town of Maco in Davao de Oro.

Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez refiled House Bill No. 5077 that seeks to expand DLPC’s coverage to the cities of Tagum and Samal and the towns of Kapalong, Asuncion, San Isidro, New Corella and Talaingod in Davao del Norte and the town of Maco in Davao de Oro.

Aside from fiery speeches, the rallyists signed two tarpaulin-enlarged manifestos expressing their stand against DLPC’s expansion in Nordeco’s franchise area.

The event started with a morning mass at the Tagum Cathedral officiated by Bishop Medil Sacay Aseo.

Edgardo Masongsong, NCECCO secretary general and former National Electrification Administration head, said the rally should serve as “ice breaker to educate the 200,000 member-consumers of Nordeco to rally behind the cooperative they really owned.”

“They will now understand that what you have been fighting for is for the general welfare of all,” he said in his speech.

He said that electric cooperatives in the country were a brainchild of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. in 1969, with NEA as the supervising arm of the late president’s rural electrification program.

Masongsong established NCECCO during his time, a national organization that is “totally independent” from 121 electric cooperatives in the country. He envisioned NCECCO to build its own renewable energy plants for them to enjoy cheap electricity rates.

He warned Nordeco member-consumers that if they allow DLPC to take over several areas of its franchise, they will be consid-

The Diocese of Marbel has a population of 1.65 million Catholics and has 86 priests. (PNA) FTHOUSANDS, P10

Three other house bills pushed for DLPC expansion in the entire or parts of Nordeco’s