Bishop Jose Bantolo of Masbate, a former member of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Permanent Council and former chairman of its Episcopal Commission on Culture, died Saturday evening, his diocese said. He was 65.
In a brief statement, the Diocese of Masbate said Bantolo died at about 10:36 p.m. No cause of death was immediately disclosed, though the bishop had been dealing with health problems for some time.
Ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Jose de Antique in 1986, Bantolo was appointed bishop of Masbate on June 15, 2011. He was ordained to the episcopate on Aug. 22, 2011, and installed as the third bishop of Masbate on Sept. 6, 2011.
Bantolo led the diocese for 14 years. At the national level, he served in key roles within the CBCP, including as a member of its Permanent Council and as chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Culture, where he was involved in initiatives linking faith, heritage and the arts.
“We give thanks for his life of service and selfless leadership,” the Diocese of Masbate said, extending condolences and prayers to his family and to the faithful of Masbate.
