Parishioners and officers of the pastoral council of Mary Help of Christians in Caloocan City are feuding after the image of Sto. Ni?o de Pajotan was barred from returning to church following a procession Sunday afternoon.

Arsenio Navarro Jr., founder and organizer of the Pajotan Sto. Ni?o Festival, said the controversy centered on Tony Paulino and Emelita Ablaza among other council officers.

Before a mass held in front of the church, the religious icon was removed from its pedestal beside the altar and brought around with about 3,000 devotees in tow.

?Sadly, the statue was not allowed to be returned to its place,? he said in Filipino, noting that the Sto. Ni?o was an heirloom antique belonging to the Navarro family.

As parish council coordinator, Ablaza told Standard Today that Navarro was merely taking advantage of the situation.

?He is only using the altar to safekeep and display the Sto. Ni?o,? he said, adding that Navarro could bring home the image and just bring it to church for special occasions.

Parish priest Lauro Toledo, also pastoral president, downplayed any feud outright.

?There could only be some miscommunication, but the parish is open for dialog. However, the parishioners should also bear in mind that there are church rules that should be followed specifically on the conduct of feast days,? he said.

The image was donated by the family of Navarro in 1995, designating him as caretaker.

Toledo reportedly drew the displeasure of parishioners led by Navarro when he moved last year the feast day to the third Sunday of January from the traditional fourth Sunday.

Oldtimers say the name Pajotan comes from a local variety of small and sweet mangoes that used to be abundant in Maypajo but which has come to be associated with the Sto. Ni?o as patron of the locality.

?It has been a center of devotion for the community,? Navarro said.

The Caloocan government supports the occasion by sending the city band to join the procession. Gigi Mu?oz David