TACLOBAN CITY — The management of fastfood chain Shakey's Pizza called the destruction of La Pieta Park in Catbalogan City that serves as a memorial for the thousands who died during the Doña Paz tragedy an “unfortunate situation.”

In a statement on Sunday, Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. said it is “deeply disheartened by the accident that caused the damage to La Pieta.”

“We express our sincerest apologies for the incident that occurred at La Pieta Park in Catbalogan — an unfortunate situation involving one of our franchisees,” it said.

“We understand the distress this has caused the community and are fully committed to supporting our franchisee — who has expressed profound remorse — in rebuilding the site, implementing immediate corrective measures, and working to regain the community’s trust,” it said.

Pieta Park, located right in front of St. Bartholomew Church, was opened in 22 August 1995 on the eve of city fiesta to honor the over 5,000 who died in the Doña Paz tragedy. The ship bound for Manila collided with oil tanker MT Vector last 20 December 1987 catching the ship on fire and eventually sank resulting in the death of the passengers with only 26 survivors.

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

Every year, family members of those who died in the maritime disaster light candles at the Pieta Park to remember the dead. On Sunday evening, hundreds of Catbalogan resident gathered at the perimeter of the plaza for a candle lighting ceremony calling to stop the project.

On Saturday, the Pieta Park was demolished to start the construction of a Shakey’s Pizza branch despite the absence of the necessary permit from the city government of Catbalogan. The demolition also destroyed the La Pieta replica when the head of the Virgin Mary was detached from its body.

The city engineer’s office earlier issued a Notice of Violation after the project contractor fenced the park’s perimeter without first seeking a permit from the city government.