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	Vizcaya Priest Finally Charged for Kissing, Biting GRO's Lips By Charlie Lagasca ABS-CBN February 25, 2008 http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=110212 BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya – After almost six months, police and social welfare officials filed a case of unjust vexation before the provincial prosecutor's office against a Catholic priest who reportedly bit a guest relations officer (GRO) on the lips while he was drunk inside a videoke bar here in July last year. The case, docketed as I.S. No. 5356-B-2008, was transmitted last Feb. 20 by Chief Inspector Joseph de la Cruz, this town's police chief, and Myrna Pinaroc, municipal social welfare officer, against Fr. Elmer Saludares, parish priest of Saint Anne Parish in Barangay Malasin in neighboring Dupax del Norte town. Saludares was accused of biting the lips of Genalyn Abella while at the Estrella's Videoke Bar in San Antonio on July 17 last year. Church authorities in the diocese could not be reached for comment. Three weeks after the incident, Bayombong Bishop Ramon Villena, a known ally of President Arroyo, came out with a statement expressing "sincere apology" to the faithful for an incident that might have "scandalized, hurt and offended" them. "As your humble bishop and shepherd, I, on behalf of the clergy in the diocese of Bayombong, apologize to you who have been in one way or another scandalized, hurt and offended by the news reports last week against one of our priests," Villena said. The filing of the case was delayed by almost six months after Abella, 25, a resident of this town, reportedly finally overcame her fear of being the subject of ridicule and humiliation and eventually decided to push through with the filing of an affidavit of complaint against the priest. Also filing a support affidavit in the case was Victor Allan Garcia, a 21-year-old waiter from Caloocan City, who allegedly witnessed the incident between Saludares and Abella. According to the blotter of the municipal police, the allegedly drunk suspect, who was later identified to be a priest, was then with two other companions when he allegedly bit Abella's lips. He then went wild and refused to pay his bills when he was accosted by Garcia (then described in the report as a bouncer) about what he did to Abella. The priest, the bar workers claimed, even challenged Garcia to a gun duel. A responding cop, identified as PO1 Jason Morales, said that it was only after the police arrived that the priest agreed to calm down and pay his bills.
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