More support aired for beleaguered parish priest

Sta Fe Mayor Jose Esgana

THE parish priest of Sto. Niño Church in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island has gained a new supporter in his fight to stop a music festival from being held in the town at the height of Holy Week.

Running directly counter to the stand of Santa Fe Mayor Jose Esgana, the town’s vice mayor, Ithamar Espinosa, said that Isla Music Festival 2017 can be rescheduled after Holy Week as a form of respect to the religious festivities.

“In my personal opinion, they can do it during other dates, not during the days when it is solemn and people go to church,” Espinosa told Cebu Daily News.

Espinosa suggested that instead of a one week music festival on Holy Week, the local government unit (LGU) could instead hold a one month festival in May.

The vice mayor has even thought of a name for it: Full Moon Festival, he said, as tourists can come to enjoy Santa Fe’s splendid view of the moon at night along the shoreline.

“With this, we can attract more tourists in Santa Fe, not just during the Holy Week,” he told Cebu Daily News.

According to Espinosa, every week in May could have a different featured band, an array of food and even fashion just like the planned controversial Isla Music Festival set this Holy Week.

Cebu Daily News tried to reach Mayor Esgana and Ferrah Sanchez, marketing representative of Isla Team yesterday, but CDN received no replies from them.

Isla Team, the event organizer, earlier assured that the festival’s main event will only be on the evening of Black Saturday, April 15.

Last Saturday, Fr. Roy Bucag, the town’s parish priest, led about 200 parishioners in a dawn procession and prayer rally to oppose the tourism event sponsored by the local government of Santa Fe.

“Dancing while everyone commemorates Christ’s death is never right. No fiesta, no party in Bantayan Island this Holy Week,” read a tarpaulin held by youth members during the procession.

For holding the dawn procession and prayer rally, Mayor Esgana threatened to file a case against Fr. Bucag on three grounds, namely: failure to secure a rally permit, public disturbance and violation of the Anti-Noise Ordinance.

Sought for comment, Fr. Bucag told CDN, “I will only keep silent when that event will be moved to Easter Sunday, bisag hangtod pa sa Pentekostes (Pentecost) 50 days after Resurrection. If they move it to Easter Sunday pataas, dili nako mosupak (even if they hold it until Pentecost or 50 days after the Resurrection. If they move it from Easter Sunday upwards, I will not oppose it.)

The parish priest also gained support from the Commission on Youth (COY) of the Archdiocese of Cebu which praised Fr. Bucag for his determination to continue the fight despite threats from local officials of Santa Fe.

“Dalaygon ang inyong gibuhat ug padayona ang maong pagpakigbisog, bisan sa hulga sa pagpanglutos sa kagamhanan nga lokal aron kamo mapahilom, kamo nga nitingog ug mibarog,” a COY Facebook post reads.

Santa Fe Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members will hold a session on Monday to discuss what could be done about the ongoing controversy.

Councilor Alex Pacaña cited an ordinance approved by the SB banning noise and other activities on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

According to Pacaña, under the ordinance, violators can be sanctioned with a fine of not more than P2,500 and can be imprisoned for six months.

On it’s Facebook page, Isla Music Festival announced that their guest performers would be Gab and John of Urbandub – a Filipino rock band from Cebu City, Franco and Tell Live Vision.

The DJs who will be playing in the festival include: John Grenade, Mozo, Suzara, Vinz Espinosa, Kael Gumba, Lovely Rose, Carlo Molina, Mon

Angelo, Victor Jao, Joachim Giacobbe, Lee Dustin, Nichole Young, Via Chan, Prix Villanueva and Sean Tuico.