Honesto Ongtioco

Honesto "Nes" Flores Ongtioco (born October 17, 1948) is a Filipino bishop of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of Cubao from 2003 to 2024.

Early life and education Honesto Flores Ongtioco was born on October 17, 1948, at San Fernando, Pampanga. He attended high school at Don Bosco Academy. He also attended the Loyola School of Theology in Ateneo de Manila University.

In 1987 he obtained a licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Ministry Priesthood (1972–1998) On December 8, 1972, Ongtioco was ordained to the priesthood by San Fernando bishop Emilio Cinense y Abera at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Pampanga.

After his ordination, Ongtioco was given several assignments within the Archdiocese of San Fernando. He served as spiritual director, professor, rector, and other positions in Mother of Good Counsel Minor Seminary, and University of the Assumption. He was also appointed as parochial vicar of the Holy Rosary Parish in Angeles City from 1974 to 1975 and at St. Peter and Paul Parish in Apalit from 1975 to 1977. In 1975, he was also the acting parish priest of St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in Porac and acting director of St. Catherine Academy in Apalit.

On March 21, 1992, Ongtioco was invested as honorary prelate. Five years later, he was appointed as rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, Italy.

Bishop of Balanga (1998–2003) Ongtioco became Bishop of Balanga on June 18, 1998. The installation ceremony was presided by the then-Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines Gian Vincenzo Moreni, and Archbishops of San Fernando Paciano Aniceto and Manila Jaime Sin as consecrator.

Ongtioco served as the treasurer of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) from 2001 to 2011.

Bishop of Cubao (2003–2024) On June 28, 2003, he was named as the first Bishop of Cubao by Pope John Paul II.

Due to the death of Bishop José F. Oliveros, the fourth Bishop of Malolos, on May 11, 2018, Pope Francis appointed him as the apostolic administrator or temporary bishop of the diocese on May 16, 2018. As per No. 244 of the Apostolorum Successores or Directory of Pastoral Ministry of Bishops, Ongtioco held “all the faculties and rights to exercise the office of a diocesan bishop.” He ceased being apostolic administrator of the diocese on August 21, 2019, upon the installation of Dennis Cabanada Villarojo as Oliveros' successor.

On July 19, 2019, the PNP–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges against Ongtioco, fellow bishops Socrates Villegas, Pablo Virgilio David, and Teodoro Bacani Jr., as well as members of the opposition for "sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice". The charges were eventually dropped in February 2020 due to lack of evidence.

On October 4, 2024, Pope Francis accepted his resignation after he reached the retirement age of 75 effective on December 3, 2024 where Elias Ayuban became his successor upon installation on a latter date.

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