CATBALOGAN CITY – A plaza dedicated in memory of thousands who died in the sinking of passenger boat Doña Paz has been demolished, drawing outrage among the residents of this city.

Catbalogan City Mayor Dexter Uy said the demolition of Pieta Park on Saturday shocked him, especially since the city has not issued any permit for the demolition or the planned construction of a fast-food store in the same area.

“This is very saddening especially that the park holds important historical and cultural symbols of us Catbaloganon,” he said. “This is also one of the few remaining open spaces in the city and was declared as tangible immovable property by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.”

Pieta Park, located right in front of St. Bartholomew Church, was opened on 22 August 1995, on the eve of the city fiesta to honor the over 5,000 victims of the Doña Paz tragedy.

To recall, the passenger ship MV Doña Paz, which sailed from Tacloban City to Manila, dropped by Catbalogan City to pick up more passengers en route to its destination. The ship figured in a collision with oil tanker MT Vector on 20 December 1987, catching fire and eventually sinking, resulting in the deaths of thousands of passengers, with only 26 survivors.

The Pieta Park featured a marble replica of Michelangelo’s La Pieta, which was bought from Italy by a private organization called Katbalaoganon Foundation, Inc. (KFI), which was then headed by stage and movie actress Tessie Tomas.

The Diocese of Calbayog claims ownership of a portion of the site, which was originally considered Catbalogan’s public plaza.

Jhonil Bajado, museum and archives chief at Samar State University, said the plaza used to be a cemetery for Catbalogan’s prominent people during the Spanish period.

“I abhor this deliberate disregard of Catbalogan's heritage and historical sites,” Bajado said.

Uy said that when the site developer fenced the plaza, deployed heavy equipment, and started initial mobilization on 3 April, the city government, through the city engineer’s office, immediately issued a notice of violation.

The notice ordered an immediate stop to all building activities on the premises and asked the party to submit documents for the issuance of a permit.

Despite the order, activities at the site continued on Saturday morning, prompting the city engineers to conduct another site inspection. During the inspection, the workers committed to stopping the demolition of structures and instead said they would only clear debris. The city engineering staff also confirmed that the La Pieta (Madonna) statue remained intact at the time.

Later that same day, however, Mayor Uy, who was then busy campaigning for his reelection, was informed that the demolition continued and that the La Pieta statue had already been destroyed.

City Administrator Atty. Dennis G. Cosmod said that in a phone call with the property owner, facilitated on-site by the foreman, the owner admitted knowledge of the lack of permits and acknowledged ordering the demolition, including cutting trees without the appropriate permits.

The owner also claimed that the demolition, including that of the statue, was done with the knowledge of the parish priest and Calbayog Bishop Isabelo Abarquez, and that there are plans to improve the site.