The Roman Catholic Bishop of Borongan in the Province of Eastern Samar has warned of the presence of a non-Catholic religious group within the diocese.

In an official statement on June 25, 2025, Borongan City Bishop Crispin Varquez informed parishioners that the presence of an alleged pseudo-Catholic religious group has been brought to his attention.

“It has been brought to our attention that a group identifying as the Apostolic Catholic Church (ACC) also known as Apostolika’t Katolikang Simbahan or Simbahang Apostolika Katolika has entered several barangays under the Diocese of Borongan,” Varquez said. 

The group’s presence has been observed specifically in Barangays Bato, Pinanag-an, and Baras in Borongan City, and in Guiuan town.

“This group was established in 1992 by John Florentine Teruel,” Varquez added.

Varquez underscored that while the Diocese of Borongan respects the group’s right to practice their religion, it is crucial that Catholic faithful remain steadfast in their Catholic identity.

“We would like to kindly address some confusion that has arisen, particularly because the attire of their ministers closely resembles that of our Catholic ministers. We kindly request our Catholic faithful to refrain from attending any of their celebrations of the sacraments, particularly the Holy Eucharist. Additionally, we ask that they do not use our chapels and parish churches for any sacraments or related activities,” Varquez added.

Further, Varquez called on the Catholic faithful to remain steadfast amid religious diversity.

"In the face of religious diversity, it is important that we remain strong in our convictions and deepen our understanding of our Catholic Faith. We must educate ourselves about the teachings of the Church while embracing the richness of our Catholic traditions," Varquez further said.