DESECRATED. The statue of Christ the King bore three bullet marks after a man believed to be mentally-challenged opened fire on the statue. Parish authorities describe the man to be in his 40s. (Photos courtesy of Rasty Manuel)
COTABATO CITY – A still-unidentified man believed to be mentally-disturbed shot thrice the statue of Christ the King inside the Catholic church in Kabacan, North Cotabato, over the weekend.
Saturday's incident prompted Kabacan Mayor Herlo Guzman to direct the police to identify the perpetrator on Monday.
North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco also condemned the incident.
Rasty Manuel, a devotee of Christ the King in Kabacan, said many have done similar acts in the past.
“God knows. God sees everything! Do not disrespect Him nor challenge Him. Many have done it in the past then regretted it in the end,” Manuel posted on Facebook Monday.
Based on the reports filed by parish authorities to the police, a man in his 40s barged inside the Christ the King parish church in Poblacion, Kabacan, and yelled at the statue situated in the middle of the altar.
A witness said the man then pulled out a .45-caliber pistol and fired at the statue three times.
The man fled on a motorbike.
The attack on Kabacan church came three weeks after unidentified men desecrated three Catholic chapels in two villages of Lamitan City in Basilan.
The statues and other images in the Lamitan City incident were either beheaded or toppled down. (PNA)
