The Court of Appeals has affirmed the dismissal of the criminal case against Dominican priest and exorcist Fr. Winston Cabading, who was accused of offending religious feelings over his comments on the 1948 Marian apparitions in Lipa City, Batangas.
In a 28-page ruling promulgated on Sept. 29, 2025, the appellate court’s 12th Division denied the petition for certiorari filed by retired Sandiganbayan Justice Harriet Demetriou, who sought to overturn the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) decision acquitting Cabading.
In May 2024, the Quezon City RTC Branch 224 granted Cabading’s motion to quash, ruling that the Facebook program where the alleged offending statements were made did not qualify as a ‘religious ceremony’ as defined under the Revised Penal Code.
Ruling upheld. The Court of Appeals upheld the RTC’s reasoning, saying Cabading’s remarks-warning the public about the alleged apparitions-were not made during any religious ceremony, which is a key element of the crime of offending religious feelings.
‘We uphold and support the RTC’s pronouncement that the online Facebook program entitled Pananampalataya at Katuwiran does not fall under the purview of a ‘religious ceremony,” the appellate court said.
‘The same is similar to a show, broadcast, telecast, videocast, performance, or dialogue and does not connote a formal or solemn act prescribed by the ritual or protocol of a religious procedure,’ it added.
The appellate court also rejected Demetriou’s claim that the RTC engaged in ‘judicial legislation’ by defining the term ‘religious ceremony.’
It warned that adopting Demetriou’s broader interpretation would set a ‘dangerous precedent,’ potentially classifying all faith-related activities-such as prayers, discussions, or online dialogues-as religious ceremonies under criminal law.
‘Religious ceremonies often involve various rituals and customs deeply rooted in tradition and belief,’ the ruling said. ‘These practices vary depending on the religion or culture being observed, but all serve to honor the deity or spiritual entity being worshiped and to connect participants with their community and history.’
‘The petitioner’s stand that the RTC resorted to judicial legislation . is likewise unacceptable,’ it added.
What came before. Demetriou filed the criminal complaint in December 2022, describing Cabading as a ‘rabid critic’ of the Mediatrix of All Grace devotion.
She accused the priest of offending her and other devotees by publicly criticizing followers of the Marian apparition at the Carmelite Monastery of Lipa in 1948, which the Vatican has twice ruled as “not supernatural.”
Sought for comment, Demetriou told Philstar.com she has yet to read the appellate court’s decision.