Part 1: THE FOUNDATION OF CFD IN METRO MANILA AND LUZON By Fr. Abe P. Arganiosa

The lord Protector of CFD National His Excellency Arch. Palma, the Archbishop of Cebu with Fr. Abe the then CFD National Spiritual Director and CFD National Adviser Soc Fernandez

During the first quarter of 2011 I was very busy serving as College Chaplain in Bicol. My local TV program THE SPLENDOR OF THE CHURCH hosted by me and Engr. Franz Luigi Lugena became very popular in Sorsogon City while the original The Splendor of the Church Blog was being visited by Catholics and Anti-Catholics alike by the rate of 5,000 visits a day. Because of these exposures online and in the media I gained a lot of friends from afar particularly a group of young Catholics in Davao City, namely, Ryan Mejillano, Jubernson Alabastro, Isahel Alfonso and the rest. I’ve found out later that these young gentlemen are members of the famous CATHOLIC FAITH DEFENDERS [CFD] DAVAO CITY CHAPTER. Not only that, Bro. Ryan Mejillano heads one of the local chapters and is a member of the CFD National Board. Our friendship started growing each day. We were discussing Church Doctrines and Morals, exchanging apologetic notes, sharing experiences on encounters with Anti-Catholics and expressing our visions for the future of apologetics in the Philippines. 

Bro. Ryan Mejillano, the then CFD National Secretary with Fr. Abe

Then, in March 2011 I received an unexpected phone call from certain Engr. Ramon Gitamondoc who introduced himself as the National President of CFD. To my utmost surprised he offered me the role of being CFD National Spiritual Director. It was a complete surprise and so unexpected. But, remembering my beloved apologist the late Fr. Ben Carreon I accepted it with all my heart. I heard from the voice of Prof. Ramon the voice of the Lord urging me not to stifle the Spirit [cf. 1 Thes 5:19]. So on April 11, 2011 I received a formal letter of request from Engr. Ramon to which I replied in the affirmative. It was followed by my first ever visit to Cebu City wherein I got to meet not only Engr. Ramon but also the entire members of the National Board of Governors which includes legends and luminaries in the field of Apologetics: The Great Soc Fernandez, Dr. Rey Entila, Bro. Wendell Talibong, Vice Mayor Woodrow Wilson, Ryan Mejillano, Bro. Alesna, Bro. Adam Amper and many others. It was our first time to see each other yet as if we’ve known each other for years. There was an obvious unity of mind and heart, the bond of the spirit is very tangible, the unity of faith is stronger than the ordinary.

CFD National President Engr. Ramon Gitamondoc [far right] with Fr. Abe, Mayor Soc Fernandez and Bro. Adam Amper the current CFD President for Cebu Chapter before the TV Program

At the Board Meeting I was introduced formally. The National President stressed that the new Spiritual Director is not from the Visayas for the first time ever in the more than 50 years history of the organization. On the other hand, the new SD is not foreign to apologetics because he is actively defending the faith through the media and the internet. Then he mentioned something: “We hope that by having a National SD from Luzon it is our prayer that our group shall also reach Manila and the entire island…” something to that effect. So I take that as a queue for my impromptu speech when finally asked to do so:

Fr. Abe, then CFD National Spiritual Director, celebrating the Closing Mass of CFD National Convention 2011 at Asilo de la Milagrosa, Cebu City

“Our National President Bro. Ramon, our National Adviser Brod Soc, dear Brothers in Christ. It is a great honor to stand here before you gentlemen and it is even a greater honor to stand before you through my priestly service as your National Spiritual Director. I feel like a child finally meeting in person some of his most admired stars. You are those stars. From childhood I look up to the stalwarts of CFD hoping that one day I will be one with you in defending the faith. Thanks be to God that dream has been realized today.

I am here not to teach you because you surely know apologetics more than I do. Instead, am here to salute you for your valiant and successful defense of the faith. I am here to thank you for what you have done for the Church as Lay faithful and most of all I am here to learn from you so that the little that I know shall grow and I may be of greater service for the Glory of God and for the Splendor of the Church. Roaming around the City of Cebu and of Davao I’ve noticed that there is almost zero visibility of INC Chapels unlike in Manila. Here they are very few and if there is the size is so small in comparison with what they had accomplished in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. We have lost many souls while here in the South you have fortified your walls.

Being from Luzon it is my duty then to bring CFD to Luzon, particularly to Metro Manila. Pray for us so that the Sword of Fire you have lighted here and have effectively used to fend off heretical wolves and serpents shall be the same weapon we shall employ to win souls for Christ and His Church in the North. May the SENYOR STO. NINO, THE CHILD-KING OF THE PHILIPPINES bless us in this endeavor.“

The CFD Bicolanos: Engr. Franz Luigi Lugena and Atty. Marwil Llasos

Thus, when I returned to Bicol I immediately contacted Engr. Franz Luigi Lugena and we started planning for the CFD invasion of Luzon as Generals McArthur and Eisenhower did for the Pacific and the Atlantic respectively. Later I set an appointment with the famous author of an apologetic book, Bro. Nonoy Lopez a respected Educator and Catechist in Bulacan and together we formed CFD Bulacan through the guidance of Rev. Fr. Dars Cabral and the chief of his Lay Ministers Kuya Pepe and Bro. Glenn Sta. Cruz who leads the Bible Apostolate of Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish in Bulacan and Bro. Arturo Villalon Jr. By the way, Fr. Dars was my former Assistant Parish Priest when he was still newly ordained and I used to serve him as a young seminarian. When his co-host in the Radio Veritas Bro. Bernard Canaveral invited me as a guest to answer questions from other religions my most admired priest of my youth burst out on air: “I am shocked that Fr. Abe can answer questions from other religion live and on the spot using the Bible so effectively. I am star-strucked.” That simple comment led to his affirmative response to help me establish CFD in Bulacan starting from his very own Parish. Thus from meetings under the sky at the Malolos Capitol Park our CFD Bulacan led by Bro. Nonoy Lopez finally fount a home in Sta. Rita Parish.

Soon, Bro. Jeffrey Limbaga of Cavite contacted me to help them organize the CFD in Cavite and we did through he guidance of Fr. Dominador Medina and Bro. Arjay Alejo, Bro. Mark Castor and Peter Cosenillo. The National President even opened its first apologetic seminar in person with me as the Mass celebrant. Kuya Jeff as the young CFD in Cavite used to call him is a young man on fire for the Church. He was taking Masters Degree in Lay Theology in Divine Word School of  Theology in Tagaytay and a seasoned catechist. He is also lucky to find the help of Kuya Arjay Alejo who is a veteran of DFF apologetic seminars under me and Atty. Mars. He also found hardworking volunteers and recruiters in the person of Mark Castor and Peter Cosenillo.

The news generated by CFD Cavite also led another leader in Tarlac, Bro. Mark Louie Paguio with Kerl Bryan Domingo and James Gerald Cubacub to form CFD Tarlac. I tested waters first by contacting Fr. Randy Salunga an Opus Dei priest who was my former student in Philosophy at St. Paul College Seminary in Silang, Cavite. This young and bright priest, a graduate of the Santo Croce University in Rome willingly accepted to be the Spiritual Director of CFD. Together we formed his Radio program for Radio Maria in Tarlac: THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT MARY. He opened it with me as personal guest. He started asking questions on the Biblical Foundation of Faith and without me knowing it many priests and nuns and even Bros. Louie, Kerl and their companions were listening then. They reported the very positive response of the people and that people were so happy. We ended up personally meeting the much beloved Bishop Cinense of Tarlac who is so fond of Fr. Randy. Instead of ordinary pleasantries the Bishop told me that his Diocese is under severe penetration activities of the Iglesia ni Cristo. They used to malign the Catholic Church through clever argumentation. Right on the spot in front of Fr. Randy and his personal secretary, another priest, and Bro. Louie, Kerl Bryan and companions the Bishop played as minister of the INC and put me into severe argumentation. Being used to such an ordeal, I opened up my Bible and using it with gusto I started refuting the attacks through showers of Chapters and Verses until finally the Bishop smiled and said: “You have my approval and blessing to establish CFD in my Diocese. I need you. Our people need you… Please coordinate with Fr. Randy he is your point man to me.” This group has grown also under the leadership of Bro. Mark Louie and Dr. John Iglesia. It has given Seminars and has been visited by me several times, by Atty. Marwil LLasos, by Bro. Nonoy Lopez, by Bro. Ryan Mejillano of Davao and by Bro. Ramon Gitamondoc himself.

Fr. Abe with Bishop Cinense of Tarlac during his second visit

Fr. Abe, Fr. Randy Salunga with Bishop Cinense of Tarlac

The lastest one is that of CFD Quezon Province, comprising Lucena and Gumaca. A manager from Lucena, Bro. Ed Ebreo, watched the apologetic program KNOW THE TRUTH hosted by Atty. Marwil Llasos and myself. He liked it so and immediately contacted me to inform that he is willing to help air the same program in the Catholic Radio of the Diocese of Lucena. He was able to do so with the help of fellow fans of the Know the Truth and the program although presented only in audio form became a hit in the Diocese. It prompted Bro. Ed Ebreo and Ms. Katryn Leonor to organize CFD in Lucena and in Gumaca with local priests such as Fr. Ramil Esplana [Lucena] and Fr. Eric Baretto [Gumaca] helping them. They serve as Spiritual Directors of the group.