Priest accused of slapping female store employee

A parish priest of Dumanjug town, southern Cebu is accused of slapping a woman who forcibly tried to enter the church gate.

Teresita Timtim Sambrana told the police that she and her manager who works in a burger junction located inside the church compound were refused entry early in the morning.

Sambrana, 37-year-old native of Alcantara town, said they wanted to go to their store early and clean it so she forcibly opened the gate.

She said Fr. William Ybanez of San Vincent Ferrer Parish Church saw her and slapped her twice in the head and grabbed her hair.  The police told Sambrana to go to the barangay hall of Bitoon so that the officials can help them settle the case.

Msgr. Joseph Tan, media liaison officer of the Archdiocese of Cebu, said the Office of the Archbishop hasn’t received yet a formal complaint or report regarding the controversy hounding Fr. William Ybañez.

“But if the accusations are true, I have to immediately apologize in behalf of the local church. We do not condone priests who commit anything like this,” Tan told Cebu Daily News over the phone yesterday.

He said the archdiocese has yet to get to the bottom of the issue, but reminded priests to exercise extra caution in their dealings with other people.

“Especially under Pope Francis’ watch, we, priests, are called to be ‘People’s Priests.’ We need to practice pastoral charity at all times,” Tan said.

While priests, like other human beings, also commit mistakes, Tan said resorting to violence is never an option.

“Priests do have limitations. But even then, it should not be used as a reason to resort to violence. We can argue with words but never through violent means even how minimal it would be,” he added.

Tan nonetheless urged the public, particularly parishioners of San Vicente Ferrer Parish in Dumanjug town, southwest Cebu, not to judge Fr. Ybañez.

“We pray for understanding on the part of his parishioners. Please do what you can to help him,” he said.

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