Fr. Fernando Suarez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Although his plans for a spiritual haven in Alfonso, Cavite, won’t push through, healing priest Fr. Fernando Suarez said the four years his ministry spent there were very fruitful.
On Monday night, he told Winnie Monsod on her program “Bawal ang Pasaway” over GMA 7 that the time the Mother Mary of the Poor Foundation spent in the property did not go to waste because many positive things happened there.
The 33-hectare property was donated by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) to Suarez’s ministry in 2010 on condition that he build a shrine—to be called The Healing Center of the Blessed Virgin Mary at MonteMaria —within five years.
The corporate giant was taking back the land—which is part of its 125-ha property in Alfonso—due to Suarez’s failure to meet the conditions of the agreement and amid concerns about how the Mother Mary of the Poor Foundation was handling its assets.
“We are thankful because for the past four years, more than one million came [to MonteMaria], millions were healed and converted and were able to get jobs. The property was put to good use,” Suarez said.
On Monsod’s show Suarez described the original master plan approved by SMC as “high class,” saying the foundation’s board of directors was initially optimistic it could meet the agreement.
But when the foundation got a new set of directors this year, the possibility of simplifying the plan was discussed. Later, the board decided to just return the land, he said.
“It was discussed in our board meeting last month… we admit that we will just return the property because we cannot do it (execute the master plan),” he said.
“Maybe this is the way of God. It’s also humbling on our part… the board said, ‘Father, we cannot do this.’ I agreed.”
He branded the series of reports on the foundation and the SMC donation that saw print in the Inquirer—which also tackled his supposedly lavish lifestyle—as “unfair.”
He denied spending donations made to his healing ministry for his personal use, saying he did not need to spend money because many of his supporters gave him gifts.
“I will never ever do that [take the donations],” he said.
“These people are so good to me. If you go to my room, you will see more than 200 gifts which I have not yet opened,” he told Monsod.
He also said he received 100 balikbayan boxes from abroad and half of them were given to Super Typhoon “Yolanda” victims in Tacloban City.
He maintained that the foundation’s finances, which were properly audited, were being spent well.
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