ZAMBOANGA CITY, 24 May 2005 — A Catholic priest in the southern Philippines was suspended for allegedly mauling an acolyte whom he caught eating inside the church.
Roberto Calampiano accused Fr. Jose Coronel of hitting the helper with a golf club and threatening to shoot him.
Calampiano admitted being caught by the priest as he was eating his meal inside the Eco Church in Kauswagan village in Cagayan de Oro City.
The Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro suspended the priest on Friday after radio stations reported the incident that happened a week earlier.
Local newspapers over the weekend ran headlines of the scandal. One daily printed an undated photo of the priest praying with his eyes closed and left hand on his chest, with the headline screaming: “Archdiocese Suspends Priest in Beating Raps.”
The 20-year Calampiano, who had been working as a volunteer in the church the past two years, quoted the priest as saying: “Patyon taka, pusilon taka, buk-on ko nang imong nawong (I will kill you, I will shoot you and I will break your face).”
While admitting that the priest did warn previously told him that eating inside the church was prohibited.
But the spokesman of the local archdiocese, Fr. Rey Monsanto, said the priest was ordered suspended for one month just the same and is now under the custody of Archbishop Jesus Tuquib.
The scandal has shocked Catholic devotees and many wanted the priest expelled from Cagayan de Oro.
Coronel has issued a public apology and appealed to the victim to forgive him for his mistake.
