Clarificatory hearing held on libel case vs. Cardinal

CEBU, Philippines - A closed door clarificatory hearing on the libel case filed by a former monk against Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal was held yesterday at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

The people in the hearing refused to grant any interview and in fact slipped out through the backdoor to avoid the media waiting for them.

Present in the clarificatory hearing were complainant Venancio Cabillon with his lawyer Ivan Herrero as well as lawyers Julius Neri and Joel Ouano representing the Cardinal. They met at the office of Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba.

The clarificatory hearing was held after Cabillon filed a libel case against Vidal and other church officials for allegedly maligning his name when a notice was published in a church newspaper.

Aside from the Cardinal, also charged were Abelio Mangila – also known as Frater Martin Mary – superior of the Monastery of the Marian Shrine in the town of Sibonga; Fr. Marnell Mejia, editor-in-chief of Bag-ong Lungsoranon and Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, the business manager of the paper.

The case stemmed from the publication in the church paper of a notice of disconnection announcing that Cabillon was no longer part of the Marian monks for cause.

When this came out, counter charges have also been filed against Cabillon for allegedly misappropriating funds of his former congregation, alleged acts of lasciviousness, and for allegedly carting away money intended to buy supplies for their monastery in Lindogon, Simala, Sibonga.

There have also been laymen who came forward to file charges against Cabillon for alleged estafa claiming that he demanded money and cellular phone load from a vendor, who plies her trade outside the shrine.

Cabillon has denied the charges and yesterday filed criminal complaints against the prior superior of the Marian Monk Eucharistic Adoration monastery and eight others for allegedly making up charges against him. 

Assisted by his lawyers, Cabillon filed before the provincial prosecutor’s office the complaint for falsification of public documents and perjury against Abello Mangila alias Frater Martin Mary, prior superior of the MMEA monastery; Renario Ybañez alias Frater Francis Mary of the Adoration Monastery in Hilongos Leyte; Mario Mulato alias Frater Bernard Mary also of Hilongos; Bonifacio Magtoto alias Frater Joseph Mary; Rene Feleciano alias Frater Mark Mary and Evert Loyd Ugay alias Frater Basil Mary all of Simala, Sibonga. 

Three laymen — spouses Francisco and Joan Argoncillo and Pastora Superable, were also included in the complaint for allegedly conniving with the monks in making up the charges against Cabillon.     Cabillon alleged that Mangila “In a desperate attempt to divert the issues in the said case, fabricated and filed numerous trumped up cases in collusion and conspiracy with many people who readily follow and accede to his whimsical and capricious schemes.” According to Cabillon, he believes that Mangila is the “instigator, proponent, promoter and supporter of various cases” filed against him. These include Acts of Lasciviousness and estafa. 

Mangila allegedly made the first false statement in connivance with Magtoto and Feliciano in his counter-affidavit in the libel case he earlier filed when he claimed to have convened the council in the monastery to decide for his dismissal from the order. Cabillon said it is not true that a meeting or deliberation was held on the issue of his removal because all decisions inside the monastery is made by Mangila alone. 

Cabillon also accused Mangila of manufacturing a receipt of the supposed items he delivered to Leyte. 

“He falsified the letter that stated I have acknowledged receipt of the various items including the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Pesos,” Cabillon said. He attached in his complaint the result of the handwriting examination conducted by the PNP Crime Laboratory which concluded that his supposed signature in the receipt was forged. 

Mangila allegedly used the two monks in Hilongos Leyte to support the “fabricated” estafa case. Cabillon added that the criminal complaint for Acts of Lasciviousness filed by Ugay against him was also another fabrication.

He admitted having a sexual relationship with Ugay, but said what happened to them was a “consensual act.” 

Cabillon said it was allegedly Ugay who first seduced him considering the latter’s previous sexual encounters with the other monks. — Fred P. Languido and Jasmin Uy-Labaco/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)