Pangasinan townsfolk rise up vs prostitution

BASISTA, Pangasinan — Holding placards and religious images and armed with prayers, this town’s parishioners, including children, took to the streets Tuesday night to vent their frustration over the alleged failure of the municipio and police against prostitution, illegal drugs and jueteng.

Fr. Manuel Sayson, the crusading parish priest of Mary Help of Christians Church, spearheaded the rally, also participated in by seminarians and students of a Catholic school here.

Sayson has repeatedly denounced the town officials for being apparently indifferent to videoke bars allegedly operating as prostitution dens.

The protesting townsfolk later stopped for a Mass in front of the Sunlight Videoke Bar where they suffered harassment in the hands of the owner’s companions.

Violy Ferrer, an announcer of radio station dzSD in Dagupan City, said water and possibly urine were thrown at the rallyists.

Allegedly upon the instruction of a policeman, a certain Aping Gloria, the bar owner’s companions also hurled bottles.

Sayson told The STAR that the prayer rally "achieved its purpose." He lamented though that the bar owner and her companions turned "violent."

Worse, he said the police condoned the violence.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz commented, "When you fight evil, evil fights back. Expect some kind of suffering."

He praised Sayson for taking care of his parishioners. "What he is doing is not easy. I give him my blessings."

Early this month, Sunlight’s owner complained that Sayson went to her videoke bar and created trouble.

Sayson, however, denied this, saying he and his sacristan went to the bar to disprove the town officials’ claim that it had ceased operations because its business permit was not renewed.