Religious official raps two "priests," 4 members for theft, grave threats

An official of a religious group, Iglesia Catholica Filipina, recently filed charges against the group's two priests and four members for grave threats and qualified theft.

Elsa Suarez-Bagaman, a resident of Guadalupe Heights, Cebu City, accused ICF priests Revs. Uldarico Angcog and Noel Raganas of allegedly stealing her office equipment and personal belongings worth a total of P25,000.

Bagaman, in her complaint filed at the city prosecutor's office, also included ICF members Mario Casane, Camilo Baricuatro, Lilia Baricuatro, and Loida Baricuatro for allegedly helping the priests to commit the alleged crime.

Bagaman introduced herself as vice president of the ICF, now known as Simbahan ni Teodorico Inc., which has been maintaining its seat of power in Inabanga, Bohol. She had built a chapel in Guadalupe and used her house as the ICF-Cebu office.

She said she provided the ICF-Cebu office with a typewriter and other office equipment then hang a large portrait of the group's founder who she called as Papa Teodorico Melecio.

After the founder died on October 27, 2002, several changes took place particularly on the attitude of some young priests who became "tactless", Bagaman alleged.

"They stayed in my residence sans elementary courtesy," Bagaman said in her affidavit, adding that these priests even threatened her, last March 13, that Cebu would break that day, and that her house would be washed out the shores.

Bagaman said her son did not like anymore the continued stay of the priests in their house. These priests, noticing perhaps the reprobation and knowing that their continued stay was no longer welcome, left the place on March 10 without her permission, she said.

The departure however caused the loss of some items from the office. Bagaman alleged the priests took with them the typewriter and the founder's portrait that she deemed a personally valuable item. - Fred P. Languido/RAE