DAVAO CITY , Philippines — A church leader of a homegrown Christian church who was the subject of red-tagging campaign last month is now fearing for his life after a fresh wave of malicious vandalisms were painted on the concrete walls of a bridge and on walls along a highway outside his church jurisdiction.
“This is now a more serious kind of vilification. Ozamiz is no longer my diocese. I believe that my life is now in danger,” Iglesia Filipina Independiente Bishop Antonio Ablon told Davao Today in a Facebook interview Wednesday night.
On October 10, IFI priest Fr. John Sanchez of the Diocese of Ozamiz discovered the new set of malicious statements painted on the walls at Pulot Bridge and along a highway with the bridge at Brgy. Pulot, Ozamiz City.
IFI church officials expressed alarm over the painted words “Bishop Ablon= NPA” and “UCCP=NPA” which also appeared in Barangays Dimaluna and Tabid, all in the highway of Ozamiz.
Ablon believes this vilification campaign against him and the IFI church is part of what he called a state-concocted “Red October” campaign meant to silence government dissenters.
“This is fearsome and life threatening now and more serious. And this is now unfolding what is Red October,” he said.
“We are now seriously assessing this matter and come up with more concrete actions for my security and the effect of this to the church members,” he said.(davaotoday.com)
