Culion parish priest Fr. Roderick Caabay said he is considering taking legal action against local town officials for political harassment for barring his re-entry into the town in early June.
Caabay was finally allowed by the municipality to return to his parish on Tuesday, but only after he sought legal assistance from a lawyer. He had been unable to enter the town for more than two months as local officials questioned the legitimacy of his re-entry to the town.
“My lawyer wrote a letter to the LGU asking why I could not get an acceptance letter. After that, I was finally given an acceptance letter. So, after seven days of quarantine, I will finally be going back to the parish,” he told Palawan News in an interview on Wednesday.
“It is definitely political harassment. My lawyer and I will make a way to file a case against them [LGU],” he added.
Caabay, who traveled to Puerto Princesa in May to visit relatives, was initially barred from re-entering the town. The town’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) also wrote to the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) to inquire if he had properly coordinated his travel to Puerto Princesa City, despite the absence of restrictions on inter-municipal travel from the provincial and the city governments.
Caabay said he will resume his regular duties as a parish priest, but will only hold masses online to observe public health standards.
“Because of the present situation, I will hold masses online for the time being,” said Caabay.
Caabay was one of the civil society leaders of the “No” vote campaign during the plebiscite on dividing Palawan into three provinces.
