Priest, girlie bar owner form tandem for 2010 polls

ANGELES CITY , Philippines  – Another priest is seeking political office as vice mayor of the city, pairing up with a former cop known for operating girlie bars.

Fr. Cris Cadiang claimed he has already “resigned” from his priestly duties since 2003 to prepare for his bid to run as vice mayor of Angeles City in the May 2010 elections.

The 48-year-old Cadiang told The STAR he would run in tandem with Tony Mamac, a retired police officer and owner of the locally famous “Club Fairway” in this city’s red light district of Barangay Balibago.

Mamac also owns and operates several nightspots and girlie bars in Tarlac and Pangasinan.

“Mamac has not denied that,” Cadiang said, referring to Mamac’s operating girlie bars and nightclubs.

“But that (moral issue) hasn’t cropped up between us yet. Our bond has been focused on governance and other issues such as poverty and garbage in the city,” he said.

Asked whether he is merely being used to sanitize Mamac’s reputation as a bar owner, Cadiang said he would be ready to confront the former cop on such moral issues should both of them emerge winners in next year’s local elections.

For his part, Cadiang said he would formally seek dispensation from his priestly duties before San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto on Monday.

Cadiang said he was given a “verbal blessing” by Aniceto to work on his dispensation from the priesthood.

Angeles Bishop Virgilio Pablo David confirmed that Cadiang had earlier expressed his “desire to be dispensed from priesthood” but stressed it would not be an easy task.

Father Ed Panlilio took a leave from his priestly duties when he ran and won as governor of Pampanga in 2007.

It was not an easy task for Panlilio, since opinions had been divided on whether he could take leave of his priestly duties while trying to run the affairs of the provincial government.

Other sectors said there is no such thing as “priest on leave,” since a priest could be relieved or dispensed of his religious duties by the Catholic Church even without his consent.

Aniceto earlier stated that there would be no turning back if a priest seeks dispensation of his duties from the Catholic Church, pointing out the original covenant of a priest is with God.

Cadiang said his priestly powers were suspended after he “resigned” from priesthood in 2003.

He recalled sending Aniceto three letters of resignation before the archbishop allowed him to resign.

But without formal dispensation from the Church’s tribunal, Cadiang admitted he could still be legally considered a priest.

Cadiang also admitted that he got married and has two children by that marriage.