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	Priest Tagged As "Home Wrecker'; Dismissal Sought By Sun.Star Herbert P. Mapiles October 14, 2011 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2011/10/14/priest-tagged-home-wrecker-dismissal-sought-185107 CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A former member of the Knights of the Altar at the Holy Rosary Parish Church in Angeles City called for the dismissal of a Catholic priest who is now facing adultery charges. Den Dimalanta, a resident of Villa Rosario in Angeles City, formally filed Wednesday before the Angeles City Prosecutor's Office charges of adultery and unjust vexation against his wife Arah Zablan and Fr. Jeffrey Louie Maghirang, whom he called a "home wrecker". Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos. Dimalanta said Maghirang destroyed and turned miserable his once happy family when the latter seduced his wife into having a secret illicit affair, notwithstanding his vow of celibacy as a priest. He said the priest should be dismissed from priesthood. The complainant said that he and his wife were happily and peacefully married and living in their conjugal home in Bacolor until Maghirang came into their life. "Taking advantage of his position as parish priest, Fr. Maghirang was able to take the cell phone number of my wife and courted her through text messages and other means, making my once happy family into a miserable one," Dimalanta cried. He said he observed the unusual closeness between his wife and the priest, and this prompted him to connect electronic gadgets to their family computer to monitor conversations of users. In April, during the Holy Week, Dimalanta said that he discovered and confirmed his doubt that his wife and the priest are having an illicit affair. He said Maghirang and his wife are frequently meeting each other in a secret place and even talked about their feelings, emotions and their passionate affair through their Internet conversations. To save their marriage and stop the illicit affair of the two, Dimalanta wrote a letter to San Fernando Archbishop Paciano B. Aniceto. Together with his parents, he went to Mother of Good Council, in this city, to personally hand his letter to Aniceto. Dimalanta said he gave his letter to the archbishop and Fr. Larry Sarmiento. After reading the letter, the two assured that they will act on the matter. "Before we leave, Apu Cetu and Amung Larry told me that they very much appreciated my decision in not taking the law in my hands," Dimalanta said. The following day, Dimalanta said Angeles City Auxiliary Bishop Pablo "Ambo" David called him and he went to Holy Rosary Parish Church. "During our conversation, I was disgusted when bishop Ambo was even protecting Fr. Maghirang. To show him the truth, I showed Bishop Ambo my laptop and he was shocked in reading one of the message sent by Fr. Maghirang to my wife which reads, 'Sige na babes sleep na tayo gagawa pa ako ng homily' (Babes, let's sleep, I have to prepare my homily)," the complainant said. Dimalanta also said that Maghirang was suspended from being a priest after the incident. He added that he and his wife separated and went back to their respective families, abandoning their conjugal home in Bacolor town. Dimalanta confronted Maghirang as to the veracity of his illicit affair with his wife and the priest admitted his affair with complainant's wife but later denied when confronted by his superior, Bishop David of Holy Rosary Parish Church. Dimalanta said he has great respect to the Catholic priesthood but the "immoral acts" of Maghirang cannot be tolerated. The complainant said the priest disobeyed his vow of celibacy and obedience, disrespected his sacred family, and led an immoral life, which is contrary to his priesthood vocation. "Continuous service of Fr. Maghirang in the priesthood would destroy the high respect of Catholics and other religious members of our society to Catholic religion," Dimalanta said. Sun.Star Pampanga tried but failed to get the side of Fr. Maghirang.
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