Local council also calls for investigation
TACLOBAN CITY – The controversial demolition of the ‘La Pieta’ memorial park in Catbalogan City has now reached the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), following public uproar and calls for accountability.
This after former Catbalogan City councilor and lawyer Alma Uy sent a formal letter to the CBCP on Monday, April 7, calling for an immediate investigation into what she called a “desecration of a religious and historical site.”
“In behalf of the people of Catbalogan, we demand an investigation to uncover why the Church allowed a historical site—fraught with religious significance—to be commercialized and stood by while a business establishment destroyed the Pieta monument,” Uy stated.
The letter was addressed to Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, CBCP president.
Uy criticized the Diocese of Calbayog, the legal owner of the 1,300-square-meter property fronting the centuries-old St. Bartholomew Church, for allegedly permitting the demolition and entering into a commercial agreement without public consultation.
“The Church should be at the forefront of protecting historical religious sites. This responsibility should have been taken up by the Diocese of Calbayog; unfortunately, the opposite happened,” she said.
Also on April 7, the Local Culture and Arts Council and the Catbalogan City Tourism Council convened an emergency joint session, resulting in a resolution addressed to the CBCP, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The resolution seeks clarification over the demolition, which was reportedly carried out without permits from the city government.
Built in 1995 through the efforts of the Katbalogan-Metro Manila Residents Association, the La Pieta Park honored the over 4,000 victims of the 1987 M/V Doña Paz tragedy—recognized as the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in world history. Many of those who perished were from Catbalogan.
Aside from its commemorative role, the site is also historically significant.
According to the Catbalogan City Tourism, Culture, Arts, and Information Office, the area once served as a cemetery during the Spanish colonial period and was known as the “plaza mayor.” In 2018, it was declared a cultural heritage site by the NHCP and designated an “open space” or park under the city’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
Uy also took issue with a public statement made by Fr. Noel Labendia, judicial vicar of the Diocese of Calbayog, who claimed that the Pieta statue was merely made of cement and not of marble, as some believed.
“What makes the Pieta monument of immense significance is not the material it is made of. It is the collective memory and emotions attached to it,” she said. “It is the symbolism that it holds which makes it precious to people.”
Prof. Jhonil Bajado, curator of the Samar State University Museum and Archives, echoed the sentiment in a social media post.
“The material is immaterial. As we enter churches to pray before sacred images, we care little whether they are made of wood, lime, cement, or marble. What truly matters is our faith.”
Relatives of Doña Paz victims have also condemned the demolition, describing it as a desecration of sacred ground where they had regularly gathered for annual prayers and commemorations.
Fr. Labendia earlier defended the Church’s decision, citing the park’s poor condition and lack of maintenance.
He confirmed that the diocese had entered into an agreement with Shakey’s Pizza to lease the property and redevelop the area into a mixed-use space. He said the business also committed to replacing the demolished statue with a new replica, potentially made of marble.
“The Diocese does not have the resources to develop or maintain the property. Despite the clamor now, no individual or group had formally stepped forward to invest in the upkeep of the park for nearly three decades,” Labendia said in a statement.
However, city officials, including Councilor Stephany Uy, have disputed this claim. During a city council session, Uy said the local government had made multiple offers during her tenure as mayor (2013–2019) to improve the park but was allegedly denied by the diocese.
City administrator Dennis Cosmod also said they had made minor improvements to the park in 2016 and 2017 and are now mulling legal actions, including asking the Shakey’s franchisee to restore the site to its original state.
The situation has stirred deep emotions in Catbalogan, with many residents questioning the lack of transparency and consultation in the process, as well as the future of other heritage sites in the city.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
