Mindanaotoday.com | Catholic bishop warns of crooks, bogus solicitations in Bukidnon
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Bukidnon has warned over 1.4 million parishioners of bogus solicitations through letters with forged signatures and cloned social media accounts, appealing for financial assistance purportedly from the Malaybalay diocese and its parishes.
Circular No. 3-2022 which Malaybalay Bishop Noel Pedregosa issued on Friday, December 9, advised all 97 diocesan and religious priests in 54 parishes to read the contents of the pastoral letter in two successive Sunday masses.
While financial support and in-kind donations to Church-sanctioned activities are laudable gestures of chairty, the diocese, however, cannot turned a blind eye on parishioners being victimized by swindlers, the Circular states.
All communications from the diocese originate from the Office of the Chancellor and these have dry seal stamps, the bishop said, advising parishioners to inform their parish priests if they suspect the motives of solicitors.
The same, he said, may be reported to the police for investigation and even arrests.
Pedregosa’s pastoral warning stemmed from two solicitation letters, asking for financial support to defray expenses of seminarians supposedly set for ordination rites on December 1 and November 15, this year.
In the December 1 ordination, a certain “Rev. Roel Andal” was mentioned as recipient of the financial assistance.
The other letter, dated November 1, 2022, and shared online bear the signatures which appeared to be that of the Bishop – minus the cross symbol before his name – and that of Father Biven L. Belderol, parish priest of San Isidro Labrador in Musuan of Maramag town.
A certain Noel Cabaluna was to be ordained in Digos City on November 15, this year, for the Sacred Order of Presbyters under the Order of Saint Benedict (OSB). Donations for him may be sent to GCash Account No. 9956459320.
“I did not endorse these solicitation letters. I don’t know them (those named for ordination),” Pedregoza wrote in the Circular, written in Bisayan language.
The bishop said there have been instances of identity theft, when social media accounts bear the name and photos of priests, asking for financial assistance through Facebook messenger and that the money may be sent to a GCash account.
So far, not one in Malaybalay diocese has come out in the open, claiming he is a swindling victim. (MT)
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