In turn, members of IFI in Camiling vowed to reject and ignore Fr. Alvin Valera whom Supreme Bishop Ephraim Fajutagana appointed as their new parish priest. The IFI was founded as a “secular catholic church” by Fr. Gregorio Aglipay in 1902. It claims nationwide membership of more than two million.
In his declaration dated June 1, Fajutagana “alienated” 20 members of IFI in Camiling “because of the various inimical acts” they allegedly did against IFI.
“By virtue of this alienation, these persons are considered separated from the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and they no longer have anythng to do with the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, including the IFI’s properties and all her temporal and spiritual concerns,” Fajutagana’s declaration said.
Those separated from IFI were among the complainants from a group called “Koncencia” which earlier filed against the Supreme Bishop and other top leaders of IFI a civil case filed before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 68 in Camiling seeking “mandamus with prayer for preliminary prohibitory injunction and preliminary mandatory injunction with damages.”
The complainants accused the top IFI leaders of violating their church’s 1977 Constitution and its Canons by imposing a higher 60 percent remittance of their parish income to the central church and removing from parish pastoral councils the power over local finances.
Apparently in reaction to Fajutagana’s alienation of the 20 IFI members, Camiling parishioners, including those belonging to Koncencia, issued last June 7 a letter to Fr. Valera, saying they were rejecting him as parish priest.
“Expect us to ignore you every inch of the way,” the letter to Varela said, as the parishioners vowed to continue with their church duties “without you.”
The letter, signed by parish pastoral council vice chairperson Angelita Juan and other top officials of the Camiling parish, also recalled instances in which Varela was involved in alleged intimidation and harassment of parishioners during rallies held by Camiling parishioners over the issues of church finances.
