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	Acolytes, Ministers Ask Archdiocese: Stop Priest Who Has Sex in Church Compound By Bobby Nalzaro and Justin K. Vestil Sun.Star December 10, 2011 http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2011/12/10/acolytes-ministers-ask-archdiocese-stop-priest-who-has-sex-church-compoun ONE of the priests of a parish in a Southern Cebu town was accused of having sex within the church’s compound on several occasions this year. Some acolytes and a lay minister claimed that the priest had sex with two young women within the parish’s compound. One of the acolytes and the lay minister reported their complaint to Radio DySS yesterday morning. The priest’s name is being withheld because Sun.Star Cebu could not reach him before press time. A church official said in a separate interview that the incident shouldn’t have been publicized, as an internal investigation is being conducted to verify if the allegations are true. One of the acolytes, who identified himself only as Greg, told Radio DySS that he and his colleague saw the sexual encounters from October to November this year. Greg claimed that he and his colleagues were always surprised that the priest would sometimes go to a dark portion of the church’s compound after mass. One night, they followed the priest and claimed they saw a young woman who was waiting for him within the compound. Greg claimed that the woman and the priest hid themselves in a dark portion of the compound and started having sex. He also alleged that he found out the woman would usually come into the church’s compound through a gate at the back of the church. Greg revealed that after a few nights of following them, he found out that the woman was actually his school mate from high school. During the next month, while following the priest, Greg claimed he also saw the priest’s sexual encounters with another young woman. Greg’s account was supported by eight of his companions and a group of lay ministers, who appealed to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma to discipline the priest. The lay ministers also alleged that the priest has not shown himself for more than three weeks. In a separate interview, Monsignor Esteban Binghay, episcopal vicar of the Cebu South District, told reporters he had no knowledge regarding the complaints made by the acolytes and the lay ministers against the priest. He, however, heard rumors from parishioners regarding that priest. He has advised the concerned parishioners to report the matter to the parish’s team ministry so they could conduct an investigation of their own. He said that the complainants shouldn’t have gone to the media, considering their allegations have yet to be verified. Nonetheless, Monsignor Binghay said that the since a report has been given to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, the latter would be the one to decide what to do with the case.
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