BishopAccountability.org
	24 - Court Dismisses Rape Case against Priest Balita [Philippines] May 24, 2007 http://news.balita.ph/html/article.php/20070524150215309 Iloilo City, May 24 - A priest who was accused of rape by his self-confessed lover walked free after the complainant withdrew the two counts of rape filed against him. In a resolution dated May 2, 2007, Provincial Prosecutor Bernabe Dusaban recommended for the dismissal of the complaint following the withdrawal of the woman who accused the priest. The complainant manifested her lack of interest to pursue the case because she could not find time to attend the hearing of the cases. Likewise, she cited her difficulty to pin the suspect and establish the "guilt of the respondent beyond reasonable doubt." The 25-year-old complainant earlier filed the complaint against Fr. Martin Alarcon, assistant parish priest of Carles town. In her complaint-affidavit, the woman said the priest raped her twice -– on February 1 and 6 -– at his house in Leganes, Iloilo, after she tried to break off a month-long love affair with him. The woman's lawyer, Edeljulio Romero, said his client wants to "live a normal life…she plans to work abroad and the case might hinder her aspirations." Romero said that since the filing of the complaint, her client had become anxious. For his part, Alarcon clarified that the complaint was a mere allegation without any basis. In an interview over a local TV show here recently, Alarcon lamented that the filing of the case destroyed his persona due to daily attacks of the broadcast media. But Alarcon said he will not be going after the woman or members of the media that prejudged him. He said he had long forgiven them. After charging the priest with rape, the woman also charged three priests and a nun for obstruction of justice and illegal detention. But she later withdrew her complaint against Fathers Robert Amalay, Ramon Masculino, Philipp Neil Antenor Cruz and Sister Serafica Tolentino; she then said she wanted to focus on her rape case. At the height of the controversy, Jaro Archbishop and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Angel Lagdameo convened an eight-member tribunal composed of priests and lay people to investigate the woman's allegations. Alarcon was relieved of his duties as assistant parish priest. With his case over, Alarcon is expected to resume his priestly duties. (PNA) -- This email has been scanned by the Balita server.
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