The management of the fast food chain Shakey's Pizza called the destruction of La Pieta Park in Catbalogan City, which 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 added.

La Pieta Park, located right in front of St. Bartholomew Church, was opened on August 22, 1995, on the eve of the city fiesta to honor the over 5,000 who died in the Doña Paz tragedy. The ship, bound for Manila, collided with the oil tanker MT Vector on December 20, 1987. The collision caused the ship to catch fire and eventually sink, resulting in the deaths 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 the Katbaloganon Foundation, Inc. (KFI), 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 residents 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.

Last Saturday, Gildo Arais, the franchisee of the branch, issued a public apology addressed to Catbalogan City Mayor Dexter Uy and Shakey’s management.

“We deeply regret the distress caused by our action. We recognize the significance of La Pieta to the community and have full respect for its heritage and spiritual value,” he stated.

Arais said that the intention was to relocate the sculpture, but an accident occurred during the process that inadvertently damaged the sculpture. “While the harm was unintentional, we acknowledge the mistake and take full responsibility,” he added.

Arais said steps are already being undertaken to “repair and restore the sculpture and the plaza.”

“Our priority is to restore what was lost, learn from this experience, and rebuild trust so we can better serve the community moving forward,” he concluded.