ONLY two 21 government lawyers in the Cebu provincial prosecutor's office were willing to do the job.

The rest begged off from handling the libel complaint filed by a former monk against Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and three local church officials.

They cited ?personal reasons? or heavy ?workload status.?

With this, the task falls on Provincial Assistant Prosecutors Gerome Abarca and Ma. Luisa Ong to conduct the preliminary investigation.

A raffle was supposed to be held after Prosecutor Luis Calderon III inhibited from the assignment, saying his being a Catholic may ?bother his conscience? if he decides later to elevate the case to court.

This prompted Cebu Provincial Prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba to meet her staff first to make sure the case would go to a ?willing? prosecutor.

They have 60 days to resolve whether the case should go on to court or be dismissed.

The church respondents will be asked to submit counter-affidavits to allegations of Venancio Cabillon, a former member of the Marian Monks of the Eucharistic Adoration (MMEA), who said he was maligned and shamed by the publication of a notice of separation in the Aug. 9 issue of the Cebu Archdiocese newsletter ?Bag-ong Lungsoranon?.

Also named as respondents were Abelio Mangila also known as Frater Martin Mary, superior of the monastery in Sibonga town; Fr. Marnell Mejia, editor in chief of Bag-ong Lungsoranon; and Msgr. Cristobal Garcia, its director and business manager.

Cabillon demanded an apology for the notice which said he was not authorized to solicit funds in the name of the group because he had broken vows of chastity and obedience, and was a ?trafficker? of members of the group, where he was a formator.