source: http://www.visayandailystar.com/2003/November/25/topstory5.htm
BY GILBERT BAYORAN
Negros Occidental police director Vicente Ponteras yesterday said there is no indication yet that a complaint will be filed against a priest and his companions allegedly for digging for "gold bars" at the Catholic cemetery of Ilog, Negros Occidental.
If the complainants execute sworn affidavits, we will immediately act on it, Ponteras said.
Inspector Romeo Leyte, Ilog police chief, said Fr. Arman Onion, parish priest of La Carlota City, and his three companions said to be treasure hunters, initiated the digging at the Ilog cemetery on Tuesday without securing a permit, either from the municipal government of Ilog or the Diocese of Kabankalan.
The digging was observed by the Ilog police to has started at the tomb of Coscolluela, which is also the burial ground of Teodora Buro, and believed dated either 1825 or 1925.
The tomb was made of "tisa" or bricks.
Onion, in an interview with ABS-CBN, admitted that they had not sought permission from the owners of the tomb. But he denied allegations that they have retrieved gold bars from the tomb.
'GOLD BARS' SOUGHT
Fr. Atillano Antenero, parish priest of Ilog, while insisting that he has nothing to do with the treasure hunting activities, admitted, however, that Onion came to him three weeks ago and told him that there are "gold bars" in the tomb.
Antenero said he told Onion that the digging will not be allowed, without authority from the bishop of Kabankalan.
Leyte had said earlier that Onion had told him that their digging for treasure at the cemetery, had been approved by Antenero.
Witnesses claimed that Antenero had been seen in the digging area.
DIOCESE ORDERS STOP
Antenero had sought the assistance of Ilog policemen to stop the group of Onion from further continuing the digging because of an order from the Kabankalan Diocese.
Onion said he only facilitated the request for the digging by seeking verbal permission from Antenero. The parish priest of La Carlota, however, also insisted that he was not involved in the treasure hunting activities.
He added that they did not think of asking permission since the tomb was "masyado na ka daan (very old)".
Ilog Councilor Alvaro Valdesis said he could not confirm if any treasure had, indeed, taken from the tomb, although he received reports from town residents that sacks, containing unknown items, had been brought out from the area.
The digging reportedly started Nov. 12 and ended the next day on order of the Kabankalan Diocese.
REQUESTS TURNED DOWN
Valdesis said the treasure hunters had approached several times the predecessors of Antenero, Fathers Cadungon and Nacional, seeking permission to dig in the area but had repeatedly been turned down by the two priests.
Nacional was even offered a share of whatever treasure is recovered from the place, Valdesis said.
If they have nothing to hide, why bar people from entering the digging area? he asked.
Valdesis also said that the group of Onion was equipped with detector and a map of the location of the alleged treasure.*GPB
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