Childhood friend of Sonny Quinata remembers his late friend

By Krystal Paco
KUAM
June 14, 2016

http://www.kuam.com/story/32213325/2016/06/13/childhood-friend-of-sonny-quinata-remembers-his-late-friend

"I'm glad he's home," said Greg Babauta. "Now I've got a place to come and visit him." Choking back tears, Babauta remembers his childhood best friend, Joseph Anthony Quinata, better known as "Sonny" or "Chico." Babauta recalled, "Sonny was always a jokester. Growing up we were constantly together. We hung out together. We grew up in Agat. If there's one thing that can describe Sonny, he was a jokester. Anything and everything to make people laugh, and that was his big thing."

Sonny is one of the alleged victims of Archbishop Anthony Apuron. On his deathbed back in 2005, he told his mother, Doris Concepcion, he was molested by then-Father Anthony Apuron. Concepcion kept her son's secret until most recently when she came forward and joined other Apuron accusers. In recent weeks, Roy Quintanilla came forward alleging he too was molested, and Walter Denton who alleges he was raped. Each of the boys were altar boys in Agat, and so was Babauta, although he was not targeted by Apuron.

Babauta says he never knew his best friend's secret, adding, "It's hard. We served together. I was also an altar boy. But growing up we weren't aware of those situations. The boys actually kept it locked away and now that all these allegations are coming out, it's kind of hard for us to hear our friends talk about it. And for me, I support them. Because for me personally, there's no other reason why they would say or make these accusations other than the truth."

Concepcion was blinded by her faith and admits to allowing sonny to sleep at the rectory with Apuron at Apuron's request. At the time, Concepcion says she couldn't explain her son's rebellious behavior towards Apuron. Sonny reportedly kicked Apuron in the groin, tried to attack him with a knife, and even made an attempt to burn the rectory down. It wasn't until he was on his deathbed did he explain to his mother why he behaved the way he did.

While Apuron has denied all accusations, the Vatican has since placed him on leave and appointed apostolic administrator Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai to oversee the local archdiocese.