ANIMOSITY between the officials of the City Government and of the Local Church of Caceres did not end with the issuance of a joint statement of these two entities two weeks before the Peñafrancia novena week. To all indications, it has worsened from a mere objection to the holding of a beer plaza within the novena week to what can now be described as strategic offensives of each of these entities minus the blazing of guns and the fielding of spies of the kind read in Tom Clancy’s bestsellers or in John le Carre’s thrillers.

        The offensive taken by City Hall against the Local Church of Caceres lies on the contention that the granting of permit to the civic activities during the novena week is legal. This, however, only gives the Local Church more reason to solidify its front.

        It must be remembered that when the local media solicited the reaction of Archbishop Leonardo Z. Legaspi on the alleged plan of Monsignor Zosimo Ma. Sañado to run for Congress as representative of the second district of Camarines Sur, the Archbishop answered, “Why not?” He however qualified his answer by saying that Monsignor Sañado’s plan should be tested against two canons of the Church: First, is his decision needed to promote the common good of the greater number of the community? Second, will his decision protect the right of the church? The Archbishop said if after evaluating the answers of Monsignor Sañado, he finds them satisfactory, then there is no reason for preventing him to pursue his plans.

        The same questions can be the measure of the “strategic offensive” undertaken by the representatives of the Local Church of Caceres against any of the moves of the City Government of Naga on the legality of the permits given to the civic activities during the novena wek.

        To all indications, the civic activities that do not have any religious content and given permit by the city government to be held during the novena week go against the right and duty of the Local Church to protect the devotion to Ina. Without even soliciting a reaction from Archbishop Legaspi, we can almost hear the retort: “Why not?” This is the canonical ground which the Local Church stands on against the City Government.

        On the contrary, we see no ground on legality for the city government in granting permit to the holding of these civic activities during the novena week. Obviously, the office of the City Mayor has the power to grant permits to these activities --- but on what solid ground and reason are these activities being held during the novena week still remains hazy, if not empty. If the City Mayor is as wise as he projects himself to be ---- considering the more than 150 awards, international, national and regional recognitions and 5 Hall of Fame awards in different fields of local governance he was conferred with ----- he cannot but fail to notice that these civic activities are no more than taking the opportunity of the many visitors and pilgrims to earn thousands even millions of pesos and at bottom line to fill the coffers of City Hall. What then is Naga City celebrating during the novena week? Its foundation day? Its fiesta? Its independence day? Its charter day? Its Kamundagan in September? We understand it is none of these. What then is the legal ground for holding these civic activities?

        The City Government should have a ground to stand on for granting permit to these civic activities. This would make the permit legal in substance as well as in form. Without this ground the permit granted may be legal in form, but not in substance.

        There is animosity growing between the Local Church of Caceres and the City Government of Naga. It will further worsen and become more heated in the days to come, now that the Tercentenary of the Devotion to Ina is fast coming in September 2010.